Extensive Commercial Farming

Great Plains of America and Canada

AimsAims

Describe and explain the main Describe and explain the main characteristics of the farming systemcharacteristics of the farming system

Evaluate the changes which have Evaluate the changes which have taken place in this farming system. taken place in this farming system.

Introduction

Extensive commercial farming is a system of farming that is carried out on very large holdings with a high reliance on technologies.

Relatively low yields are compensated for by the very large area under cultivation.

Decisions taken by the farmer, or the corporation, are of great importance.

Location factors

Climate

Population is low

Lots of available land

Land ischeap

Copy tese down!

LocationLocation

Extensive farming (American Plains)

Rainfall decreases

westwards estward Winter temps decrease

Length of growing season decreases

Farm size increases

Cattle Ranching Wheat farming

on western prairies on central + eastern prairies

History (1) The Great Plains had been categorised as

a desert by early explorers and then taken from the Indians to create vast open-range cattle ranches.

In the 19th century early settlers believed that the climate had changed for the better and that ploughing the Plains would literally increase the rainfall to the amount required to grow wheat.

Another major incentive was that the settlers were given 64 ha of free land.

Main road/ highways

Original 64ha plot

Shelter

belts

Settlement pattern: Low population density, planned grid iron pattern, linear settlements, hierarchical pattern of small farms, small towns and occasionally a large service town.

History (2)

Many of the early homesteads did not survive because of recurring, prolonged droughts.

Surviving farmers were allowed to increase their holdings and improved agricultural technology allowed them to cope, initially, with the cycles of drought and wet years that followed.

Improved Agricultural TechnologiesRemember this is

the early twentieth century!

New types of steel plough

New stains of fast-growing spring wheat,

imported from Steppes of Russia

Pumps andwindmills

Barbed wire for fences

Effects on the landscape

In south-east Wyoming many farmsteads were bought up by more prosperous individuals or companies and turned into large cattle ranches.

A major problem in the 1920s and 1930s was accelerated erosion of soil and wind, which culminated in the Dust Bowl

Effects on the people

The Dust Bowl led to rural depopulation and as a result farms became larger, that is more extensive.

Irrigation of the semi-arid western areas of the Great Plains began.

Late 20th Century

6) Irrigated farming expanded rapidly,

resulting in the rapid depletion of the Ogallala

Aquifer

1) The rate of rural depopulation continued to

increase.

2) Farms became

extremely large.

3) The dependence on agricultural

technologies expanded.

4) Output soared as new strains of wheat were

developed.5) More land was

brought into production

Tackling Soil Erosion

Fallowperiod

Afforestation

Intercropping and strip cultivation

Contourploughing

Grain silos next to railway for easy distribution of huge quantities of high value, perishable produce.

Contour PloughingContour PloughingAs a result of ploughing up-and down the steep slope, runoff water has concentrated in the furrows and eroded the soil. Consequently runoff might take fertiliser and seed with it

Ploughing and planting in rows across the steep slope, prevents as much runoff and consequently prevents soils erosion on the slope

Afforestation

Trees planted to act as windbreaks to protect crops.

Fallow Period

An area of land is not cultivated (left An area of land is not cultivated (left fallow) for one or more years.fallow) for one or more years.

Intercropping and strip Intercropping and strip cultivationcultivation

Different crops often planted in strips - harvested at different times - helps protect

the soil.

Strip cultivation: limits soil erosion

Farming in North Dakota Today (1)

As the smaller family farms are sold off, larger farming businesses continue to expand and to prosper, but the farming landscape as a whole is changing.

New crops have been introduced e.g.: sunflowers

Hutterite colony produces potatoes, eggs

and rears pigs on 1600ha communal farm.

Farming in North Dakota Farming in North Dakota Today (2)Today (2)

Some land has been Some land has been taken out of taken out of wheat production.wheat production.

Elsewhere a 640ha holding was

reseeded with native grasses on which 500 bison

now graze.

Farming in North Dakota Farming in North Dakota Today (3)Today (3)

Part timePart time farming and the dependence farming and the dependence on farm on farm cooperatives cooperatives has increased.has increased.

Some farms have become Some farms have become organicorganic, while , while still operating on a still operating on a large scalelarge scale..

The rural The rural population population continues to continues to declinedecline, and this is marked by the , and this is marked by the presence in the landscape of presence in the landscape of abandoned abandoned homesteadshomesteads and of schools (e.g: Circle) and of schools (e.g: Circle)

Farming in North Dakota Today (4)

Smaller cattle ranchers have doubled their carrying capacity by careful management of their prairie pasture:

by fencing it into paddocks and rotating their use for grazing (cell grazing).

Using your glossary list the Using your glossary list the Key Words which describe this Key Words which describe this

type of farming systemtype of farming system

CommercialCommercial SedentarySedentary ArableArable AdvancedAdvanced High technologyHigh technology ExtensiveExtensive High output per workerHigh output per worker