Key topic/chapter 10 Agricultural geography Key terms: Agribusiness Boserup hypothesis

1. Key topic/chapter 10 Agricultural geography Key terms: Agribusiness Boserup hypothesis Carl Sauer commercial agriculture domestication fallow horticulture intensive subsistence agriculture luxury crops market gardening (truck farming) milkshed Mediterranean Agriculture Neolithic Revolution pastoral nomadism plantation ranching shifting cultivation slash-and-burn (swidden) subsistence agriculture Sustainable agriculture “Green Revolution” Thomas Malthus Transhumance truck farm von Thunen’s model of agriculture

2. Origins of agriculture • Hunters and gatherers (Our first 30,000 years) • Invention of agriculture (Learning to plant/farm) • Location of agricultural hearths • Vegetative planting (potato…plant part of it) • Seed agriculture (plant grows from seed) • Classifying agricultural regions • Subsistence vs. commercial agriculture • Mapping agricultural regions Agricultural Origins and Regions

3. Origins of agriculture: • Hunters and gatherers • Before the invention of agriculture, all humans probably obtain the food they needed for survival by hunting for animals, fishing, or gathering plants (including berries, nuts, fruits, and roots). Hunters and gatherers lived in small groups, usually fewer than 50 persons; because a larger number would quickly exhaust the available resources within walking distance. • TODAY • Estimated 250,000 people living in isolated areas still live as hunter-gatherers • Arctic, and the interiors of Africa, South America and Australia • Invention of agriculture • Agriculture is the deliberate modification of the Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain. • Dates back some 10 to 12 thousand years

4. Humanity’s only “economic” activity for at least 90% of our existence. • Low population densities. • Wide variety of natural foodstuffs eaten. Hunter-Gatherers(No…this doesn’t mean running through the cafeteria looking for French fries.)

5. The diffusion of agriculture. The origins of agriculture cannot be documented with certainty, because it began before recorded history. Scholars try to reconstruct a logical sequence of events based on fragments of information about ancient agricultural practices and historical environmental conditions. Determining the origin of agriculture first requires a definition. Agriculture is deliberate modification of the Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain.

6. The First Agricultural Revolution: Somewhere around 30,000 years ago, some early men (Women?) learned to plant. • Location of Agricultural Hearths. Multiple places where Agriculture began (Vegetative planting) A. Southeast Asia-north to the rest of Asia and west to Europe. B. Crops like yams, bananas. Livestock like pigs, dogs, and chickens Other early hearth areas were in W. Africa and S. America. Seed Agriculture: Developed in The Middle East, W. India, N. China, andEthiopia with wheat and barley and later in Europe and the Americas. The Middle East was the area where cattle, sheep and goats were first domesticated and used to pull a plow. Seed agriculture reached Europe from the Middle East. Seed agriculture developed in the America’s in southern Mexico and N. Peru with the crops of corn, beans and squash. The America’s never developed herding animals and the only animals they domesticated were Llama’s, Turkeys and Alpaca.

7. Primary effects: • Urbanization (first cities were formed) • Social stratification (first classes of society) • Occupational specialization (bakers, carpenters) • Increased population densities (population grew) Secondary effects: • Endemic diseases (found in one area...malaria or the flu) • Famine (became dependent on one crop) • Expansionism (People began to move because of overcrowding) Results of the First Agricultural Revolution:

8. The biggest difference between farming in LDC countries and farming in MDC’s is that LDC farmers mostly practice subsistence farming(farming for food they eat), while MDC farmers mostly practice commercial farming (farming for food they sell for money). What is the difference between farming in LDC’s and MDCS?

9. Subsistence (LDC) • produced for own consumption • work by hand • most people work • shifting agriculture • nomadic herding • rice (intensive subsistence) • Non-rice (intensive subsistence) • Commercial (MDC) • produced for market • mechanized • few laborers • livestock & ranching • horticulture • dairy farming • mixed crop • grain • Mediterranean • plantation agriculture Forms of Agriculture

10. Subsistence Agriculture Regions

11. Shifting cultivation: mostly small scale farming done in regions with hot and wet climates. Slash and burn agriculture-this generally takes place with the people living in a small village and working the land around the village. This cleared land is often known as “swidden” land. When the swidden is no longer fertile they move on to clear more. • Ownership of land in shifting cultivation: usually the entire village owns the land and the village chief or ruling council allocates patches of land to each family according to their needs. About ¼ of the world’s farmland (but only 5% of its people) is in shifting cultivation.

12. Vegetation “slashed” and then burned. Soil remains fertile for 2-3 years. Then people move on. • Where: tropical rainforests. Amazon, Central and West Africa, Southeast Asia • Crops: upland rice (S.E. Asia), maize (corn) and manioc (S. America), millet (a small eatable seed) and sorghum (molasses in Africa) Declining at hands of ranching and logging. Shifting Cultivation

13. Future of shifting cultivation: the amount of land in shifting cultivation is dropping. These kinds of farms are being replaced by logging, cattle ranching and cash crop farming. Some opponents to shifting cultivation say that it contributes to global warming by destroying forests that cut down on carbon dioxide. Others point out that this is a way to clear forests for needed development and settlement. • Pastoral Nomadism: though once thought of as only a step between Hunter-Gatherer’s and Sedentary farmers we now see pastoral nomads as just another type of farming. Like other subsistence farmers, pastoral nomads depend mostly on grain for food. Skin and hair provide clothing and shelter. Some nomads move constantly while others follow the seasons with their herds or stay in one place for long periods while they exchange animal products for crops grown by non-nomadic farmers. • The type of animal herded depends on the climate. The number of animals needed to support a typical nomadic family of 6 or so people, is 25-50 goats or sheep, or 10-25 camels.

14. The breeding and herding of domesticated animals for subsistence. • Where: arid and semi-arid areas of N. Africa, Middle East, Central Asia • Animals: Camel, Goats, Sheep, Cattle • Transhumance: seasonal migrations from highlands to lowlands Most nomads are being pressured into sedentary life as land is used for agriculture or mining. Transhumance: seasonal migration between mountains and lowland pasture. Bedouin Shepherd Pastoral Nomadism: Somali Nomad and Tent

15. Intensive Subsistence agriculture: • Shifting cultivation and Nomadism are forms of subsistence agriculture found in regions of low density. (Why?) BUT ¾ of the world’s people live in densely packed LDC’s which need another type of subsistence farming to keep them fed. Intensive subsistence agricultureis using a small amount of land to produce as much food as possible. No land is wasted. Roads are narrow, crops are grown in layers, and hillsides are terraced to produce usable growing areas. In Asia, agriculture can be divided between areas where wet riceis grown and areas where it is not grown. • Intensive subsistence with wet rice: Wet rice begins in a nursery on dry land but then has to be transplanted to a wet flooded field for growth. It takes a lot of effort, hand labor and constant work (plus a lot of water) but the yield in rice is huge. This is the number 1 crop of most of South Asia, China and Southeast Asia.

16. Double cropping: If your climate had warm winters you may get two or more crops per year. Intensive subsistence without wet rice: If your climate is not good for rice you must chose something else. The methods are the same as Intensive rice producing areas…human labor and use of animals, wheat, barley and corn are the key crops for non-wet-rice areas. Beans and other vegetables are also key crops. Cotton, tobacco and other non-food crops are also key. These areas are sometimes good for crop rotation methods of rotating the crop to prevent wearing out the soil.

17. Wet Rice Dominant • where: S.E. Asia, E. India, S.E. China • very labor intensive production of rice, including transfer to sawah, or paddies • most important source of food in Asia • grown on flat, or terraced land Double cropping is used in warm winter areas of S. China and Taiwan The Fields of Bali Intensive Subsistence Agriculture Thai Rice Farmers

18. Terraced rice fields in Thailand

19. Rice…one of the world’s main crops. Asian farmers grow over 90% of the world’s rice. India and China alone account for over half of world rice production.

25. Percentage of workers in the agriculture business: Agriculture Secondary jobs Agriculture

27. Technology allows much greater production (surplus) with less human labor, but has high social and environmental costs. • Metal plows, Reapers, Cotton Gin, the Train. • Tractors (Internal Combustion Engine) • Combines • Chemical Pesticides/Fertilizers • Hybrid and genetically modified crops Modern Agricultural Revolution:The second Agricultural Revolution began in the 1830’s as part of the Industrial Revolution.

28. Modern commercial farming is very dependent on inputs of chemical fertilizer, pesticides, herbicides. • Oil is required to make fertilizer and pesticides. • It takes 10 calories of fossil fuel energy to create 1 calorie of food in modern agriculture. • Small farmer can’t buy needed equipment and supplies. • Fewer than 2% of U.S. population works in agriculture. Agribusiness:The industrialization of agriculture

29. Commercial Agriculture • $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ • Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming • Dairy Farming • Grain Farming • Livestock Ranching • Mediterranean Agriculture • Truck Farming Agriculture in MDC’s North Dakota Potato and Wheat Fields

30. Agribusiness. Wisconsin Pennsylvania Why is 95% of the milk produced in Wisconsin turned into cheese, while 95% of the milk produced in Pennsylvania is sold fresh? answer Because there are 80 million people within easy drive of Pennsylvania who need fresh milk everyday. Way more milk is produced in Wisconsin than can be consumed near by so most Wisconsin milk is made into cheese for easy shipment elsewhere.

31. Mixed crop and livestock farming: These methods are mostly found in MDC’s. In this system there is an integration of farming with livestock…most of the crops are grown to be fed to the farm animals. Hay, corn, clover, are grown on ¾ of the farm but the farm’s income comes from the ¼ where the farm animals are raised and fed the crops. This usually uses a crop rotation system often leaving a field “fallow” (left alone) so it regains nutrients. “Rest” crops like clover are grown to help a field regain nutrients. Dairy Farming: This is the #1 type of commercial agriculture found in the northern U.S. and northwestern Europe. 20% of the total value of farm products in N. America and W. Europe are from dairy farming. Nearly 60% of the world’s supply of milk is produced and consumed in N. America, W. Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Russia. Because milk is highly perishable, dairy farms are found very close to big cities (the milkshed).The dairy farms located further away from the big cities put their milk into cheese and butter production as they can be shipped better. Problems for dairy farmers include the heavy workload and the cost of feed especially in the winter. Dairy farmers work 7 days a week and many of their children don’t want to take over the farm when mom and dad retire. 2/3 of America’s dairy farms were sold between 1980 and 2000. (Who to?) Despite that, the number of milk cows dropped only by 1/8 and milk production has risen due to the better yields per cow on the large corporate farms.

32. Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming Where:Ohio to Dakotas, centered on Iowa; much of Europe from France to Russia • crops: corn (most common), soybeans • In U.S. 80% of product fed to pigs and cattle • Highly inefficient use of natural resources • Pounds of grain to make 1 lb. beef: 10 • Gallons of water to make 1 1b wheat: 25 • Gallons of water to make 1 1b. beef: 2500 Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

33. Where: near urban areas in N.E. United States, Southeast Canada, N.W. Europe Locational Theory: butter and cheese more common than milk with increasing distance from cities and in West. • milkshed: historically defined by spoilage threat; refrigerated trucks changed this. Dairy Farming Hey look Bossie, that’s Mr. Kessinger’s APHUG class. Well mooooo to youoooo APHUG students. Dairy Farm, Wisconsin

34. Milk production reflects wealth, culture, and environment. It is usually high in MDCs, especially production per capita, and varies considerably in LDCs.

35. Grain farming: Grain is the seed from various grasses like wheat, corn, barley, oats, and rice. Some form of grain is a major crop on most farms in the world. Crops on a grain farm are grown partly for human consumption and partly for animal feed and fuel. Commercial grain farmers sell their crop to companies who make cereal, flour, and other foods. Wheat is the world’s chief grain and China is the worlds #1 producer of wheat. The US is 3rd in wheat and 1st in corn. Our Midwest and prairie lands are known as the World’s breadbasket. Commercial grain farming is done generally in dryer regions than mixed crop/ livestock. This type of farming is highly mechanized as it covers vast areas of land.

36. Where: worldwide, but China, India the U.S. and Russia are predominant Crops: wheat • Winter wheat: Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma • Spring wheat: Dakotas, Montana, southern Canada Highly mechanized: combines, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, migrate northward in U.S., following the harvest. Grain Farming

37. World production of wheat

38. Quiz yourself: • ___________allows much greater production (surplus) with less human labor, but has high social and environmental costs. • Pastoral nomads depend almost entirely on __________ rather than crops. • _____ ______ was humanity’s only “economic” activity for at least 90% of our existence. • ______is the world’s chief grain and ______ is the worlds #1 producer of it. • ______ is the #1 type of commercial agriculture found in the northern U.S. • ______ _________is using a small amount of land to produce as much food as possible. No land is wasted. • ______ _______ features vegetation “slashed” and then burned. Soil remains fertile for 2-3 years. Then people move on. • The biggest difference between farming in LDC ‘s and farming in MDC’s is that LDC farmers mostly practice _________while MDC farmers mostly practice____________ • Only about _____% of U.S. population works in agriculture. • 10. Which of these is neither a primary vegetative or primary seed agricultural hearth? A) Africa B) S. America C) The Middle East D) Europe E) Asia • 11. Generally, crop rotation is done to…A) change up what we eat B) change up what farm animals eat C) keep from wearing out the soil D) produce more income • 12. In mixed crop livestock farming most of the crops are grown to ______________

39. Quiz answers: Technology 10. D Animals 11. C Hunter gathering 12. feed to livestock Wheat, China Dairy farming Intensive farming Shifting cultivation 8. Subsistence, commercial 9. 2%

40. Livestock ranching: This type of agriculture is generally done on land that is too dry for farming. It takes vast amounts of land to allow for enough grass production for herds of cattle, or sheep to graze. In the early days of the old west, much land was open and belonged to no one, and a cattle owner could just graze his cattle anywhere before moving them on to market. Range wars between cattlemen and farmers took place but by the 1880’s this open range had been purchased by settlers and fixed locationranching became the dominant form. Today’s ranching has changed. Ranches are large because the arid land doesn’t produce much food for the cattle. Today’s new irrigation techniques has put once cattle land into better farming land so there aren’t as many full time ranches as their once was. Ranching is big throughout the world. The Pampas region of south America (Argentina) is the 2nd largest ranching area in the world and Australia is also a major producer.

41. Where: arid or semi-arid areas of western U.S., Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Argentina and Portugal. History: initially open range, now sedentary with transportation changes…trains haul cattle to market. Texas Feedlot: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuPDWb8mPq4 • Environmental effects: • overgrazing has damaged much of the world’s arid grasslands (< 1% of U.S. remain!) • 2) destruction of the rainforest is motivated by Brazilian desires for fashionable cattle ranches. Slash and burn cattle ranching. Livestock Ranching

42. Mediterranean agriculture: Horticulture. This style of agriculture involves growing mostly crops for human consumption based on growing fruits, nuts, vegetables, flowers and tree crops. This began in the Mediterranean countries but now includes other parts of the world with sunny mild climates. Southern California is our key Mediterranean Agriculture area. Commercial gardening and fruit farming: A larger scale type of horticulture is Truck farming. This kind of farming grows fresh fruits and vegetables for the big cities (Strawberry farms in Plant City). Instead of just a few crops like most commercial farms, truck farms grow a wider variety of things people want and their nearness to big cities helps their sales. Specialty farms produce things like Christmas trees, nursery plants, grass for lawns as well as flowers, and berries. Plantation farming: Plantations are large farms which specialize in one or two crops and are often owned by companies or people who live in another country. Often the crop is something sold by LDC’s to MDC’s as part of the International trade method of development; rubber, coffee, cocoa, tea, sugar, cotton, etc.

43. Where: areas surrounding the Mediterranean, California, Oregon, Chile, South Africa, Australia Climate has summer dry season. Landscape is mountainous. • crops: olives, grapes, nuts, fruits and vegetables; winter wheat • California: high quality land is being lost to suburbanization; initially offset by irrigation Mediterranean Agriculture

44. Commercial Gardening and Fruit Farming Where: U.S. Southeast, New England, near cities around the world • crops: high profit vegetables and fruits demanded by wealthy urban populations- apples, asparagus, cherries, lettuce, tomatoes, etc. • mechanization: such truck farming is highly mechanized and labor costs are further reduced by the use of cheap immigrant (and illegal) labor. • distribution: situated near urban markets, near large urban areas.

45. Plantation Farming • large scale mono-cropping of profitable products not able to be grown in Europe or U.S. • where: tropical lowland Periphery • crops: cotton, sugar cane, coffee, rubber, cocoa, bananas, tea, coconuts, palm oil. • Plantations are often owned or operated by Europeans or North Americans and grow crops for sale primarily in more developed countries.

46. Types of farming in N. America:

47. Value-Added • Very little of the value of most commercial products comes from the raw materials • “adding value” is the key to high profit margins The advertising makes the difference. • Average dairy farmer gets $.72 per gallon before deducting for his Costs. Making Money in Commercial Agriculture Why are these items on these shelves? Roughly 6% of the price of cereal is the cost of the grain.The rest is advertising, shipping and packaging

48. The brands that own the brands. Who owns what?

49. Von Thünen’s land use model • German landowner in the 1800’s • Noticed pattern of agricultural land use • Three assumptions: • Isolated city (no trade) • Surrounded by homogenous landscape • All that matters is transport costs!!!!!

50. The Von Thunen Model: The concept of bid rent. That is, agricultural practices that yield a high profit per acre can out bid those practices that are not as profitable.  Thus they are able to occupy the more accessible land near the city.  The closer your farm is to the city (market) the less you pay for transportation to the market. Products that are expensive to transport (milk, eggs, flowers)need to be nearer to the market. Products that are less expensive to transport (wheat, cattle, potatoes) can be much further away.