Unit 5: AgricultureBy: Jonah Johnson

TIMMY Grand High Poobah Daniel Savage MCJIMOTHY

Spencer Hafen

The textbook defines Agriculture as the deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plans and rearing of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain.

THE TEXTBOOK IS CLEARLY A SACRED SOURCE OF INFORMATION, REVERED BY ALL.

What is Agriculture?

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution Second Agricultural Revolution The Green Revolution

◦ Also known as the Third Agricultural Revolution THE MOST INNOVATIVE NAME IN HISTORY

Agricultural Revolutions

The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution was the transition of people converting from a Hunting and Gathering society to one that is Agrarian and settles in one place for a long period of time.

Neolithic Agricultural Revolution

Southwest Asia◦ Thought to have domesticated barley and wheat◦ Domesticated cattle, goats, sheep, pigs, and dogs

Yangtze River (China)◦ Rice

Yellow River◦ Millet

Central Africa◦ Sorghum and Yams

Mexico◦ Beans and Cotton

Agricultural Hearths

Peru◦ Potatoes◦ Domesticated llamas

South-Eastern United States◦ Squash

Agricultural Hearths Cont.

Due to Agriculture developing in multiple hearths it follows different diffusion paths.

Central America◦ Diffused North into present day U.S. and Canada◦ Diffused south along the West Coast of South America.

Central Africa◦ Diffused in all sorts of directions.◦ Diffused north into present day Egypt

South-Western Asia◦ Diffused along the Mediterranean Sea into Africa and Europe

Eastern Asia◦ Diffused throughout China

Diffusion of Agrarian Practices

The Second Agricultural Revolution was the introduction of machinery and large labour forces into the growing and gathering process.

It changed crop rotation systems Made technological innovations Was along side the Industrial Revolution

Second Agricultural Revolution

Crop Rotation can be explained with a set of fields◦ Each field was designated a specific crop◦ Each crop could only be planted at certain times in the year◦ Farmers had to rotate fields for farming

The oldest crop rotation was the two-field crop rotation developed in Northern Europe sometime in the fifth century

During the Second Agricultural Revolution a four-field crop rotation was introduced

Evolution of Crop Rotation Systems

The four fields are labeled A, B, C, and D Field A

◦ Used to grow a root crop such as turnips Field B

◦ Used to grow rest crops such as clovers Rest Crops are used to restore the land

Field C◦ Field C grows Cereals such as wheat or barley

Field D◦ And another root field for D

Four-Field System

The Second Agricultural Revolution introduced many technological advances

Tractors Combines Corn Pickers Planters

Technological Innovations

The introduction of machinery made farming much easier More people moved into the city which, in turn, lowered the

labour force Four-Field System Larger Population which means more food is needed Less land is able to be used for farming

Agriculture and the Industrial Revolution

Two Main Practices◦ Introduction of new higher-yield seeds

Many benefits In contrast, many drawbacks Currently taking place in

◦ South Asia◦ Indonesia◦ Africa

The Green Revolution

The Miracle Wheat Seed◦ A wheat seed that grows faster

Efficient Fertilizers◦ Nitrogen◦ Phosphorus◦ Potassium

Pesticides◦ Kills bugs that can ruin the crops

Benefits of the Green Revolution

Unnatural crops◦ Most (if not all) of our food is genetically modified in one way or

another Pests and Weeds can develop immunities to Pesticides

◦ If a pesticide is used repeatedly for too long the thing you are trying to kill becomes immune

Very expensive Overuse of fertilizer

◦ Land use makes it so that we need to use more fertilizer to sustain the crops

Drawbacks of the Green Revolution

Due to the Green Revolution farmers in South Asia had a huge increase in wheat production◦ When the miracle seed was introduced India had a surplus of wheat

to export all over the world South Asia’s population increased greatly

The Green Revolution in South Asia

The main point is that Africa needs the Green Revolution It produces a plethora of food It generates a much higher income for the countries

involved It creates jobs The Green Revolution could potentially solve a lot of Africa’s

problems ◦ Hunger◦ Economy

Green Revolution in Africa

Biotechnology◦ GMOs are more common now due to Biotechnology

Spatial Organization◦ Technology

Seeds Pesticides Fertilizers Irrigation Systems

◦ Globalization Spreading agricultural ideas around the world at a much quicker pace

Modern Commercial Agriculture

Environmental Impacts◦ Deforestation◦ Desertification◦ Soil Erosion◦ Water Quality◦ Transportation◦ Fossil Fuel Consumption◦ Fishery Depletion◦ Aquaculture

Modern Commercial Agriculture

Spencer and Jonah had nothing to do with the following section.

Timmy McJimothy’s SectionWARNING: The following section may contain Comic Sans MS and similar atrocities. Eyes may bleed for

parts. We apologize for any inconvenience. We would also like to condone the use of the fonts representing the various types of agriculture that occur in LDCs. In addition, I would like to inform you that any use of

Comic Sans MS will result in shanking/bludgeoning. Thank you, and good luck. They’re all dead.

Types of Agriculture

Subsistence Commercial

Will be represented by Comic Sans, an abomination upon existence

More common in LDCs To provide food for survival of

the farmer by consumption More work per unit of land Less Yield per unit of land Minimal Technology

Will be represented by Times New Roman, the only true font

Prevalent in MDCs Crops are grown for sale, to profit the

farmer Hundreds of acres are worked by only

a few farmers High Yields Extensive use of technology

Moar Comic Sans vs. Times New Roman

Subsistence Sans Times New Commercial

Smaller Farms About 50% of labor force are

farmers Minimal relationship to other

buisinesses Gramerr are hard

Sprawling Farms About 5% of the labor force are

farmers◦ In North America it gets as low as 2%

Now make fun of Europe Agribusiness dominates commercial

agriculture Does not everyone not appreciate a

lack of double negatives

Types of Types - Typeception

Imma go troll 4chan (this is similar to peeing in the ocean)

Pintrest has been described as “a watered-down Reddit for girls”

Do not go to 4chan!. Types

◦ Shifting Cultivation◦ Pastoral Nomadism◦ Intensive Subsistence Agriculture◦ Plantation Farmin’

The authors of this presentation Daniel supports Reddit, but does not condone use of the calamity known as Pinterest.

Types◦ Mixed Crop and Livestock◦ Dairy◦ Grain◦ Livestock Ranching◦ Mediterranian Agriculture◦ Horticulture

Shifting Cultivation

Humid Low- Latitude Farmers clear land for planting by slashing vegetation and

burning the debris Each swidden- a portion of land used for shifting cultivation-

is used for only 3 or less years and left fallow for much longer

~25% of world’s land area|~5% of the world people Is inefficient, but relatively sustainable Central America has a lot of this

Remove Vegetation

Move to new area Area

Designated

Clear growth by hand and burning

Farm until soil no longer fertile

Plant by hand

A form of subsistence agriculture based on herding domesticated animals

In arid areas of Central Asia, Southwest Asia, and North Africa◦ Common in dry climates because there is lots of unused land

Do not kill anmimals◦ Often choose sheep, camels, goats, or Horses in Central Asia◦ Various methods of obtaining grains

Territorial; will war over land Practice transhumance, which should have been discussed by

Ian and Jacob Are hard to govern, so they are disliked

Pastoral Nomadism

Requires a large amount of work Is practiced primarily in East, South, and Southeast Asia Wet rice dominant

◦ Sawah- the flooded field in which rice is grown◦ Double Cropping- occurs in places with warm winters, like China and

Taiwan◦ Terraces are made on hills and mountains

Non- Wet Rice Dominant Grains like wheat and barley Crop rotation

Intensive Subsistence Agriculture

Tropics and Sub-tropics Latin America, Africa and Asia In sparsely settled parts of LDCs Owned by Europeans and North Americans Cash crops: cotton, rubber, tobacco, sugar, coffee, bananas,

drugs Imported workers A large farm that specializes in 1 or 2 crops

Plantation

In US and much of Europe While most of the land is used for crop growing, >75% of

the money comes from the livestock Crop Rotation

◦ Cereal Grains◦ Fallow◦ Rest Crop

Most of the crops are fed to the animals How many people in this class won the corn challenge?

Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming

Countries in order of dairy production: India, U.S.A., China, Pakistan, Russia

Milkshed- the ring around a city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling

Some regions specialize in dairy products because they are too far away to supply plain milk to a city

Problems◦ Labor intensive◦ Winter feed is expensive

Moo.

Dairy Farming

Crops are grown for human consumption, not animal feed

Wheat is a very valuable, versatile crop Wheat Belts

◦ Winter- Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma◦ Spring- Dakotas, Montana, part of Canadia◦ Palous Region- Washington, little people

Reaper and Combine allowed large scale wheat production

Wheat, barley, rye, other stuff

Grain Farming

Semiarid/arid land is cheaper and therefore better Stages1. Introduction and establishment2. Open range and cattle drives3. Fixed location ranching4. MMOOOOOOOOOOOOO5. Cows6. ???7. Profit

Livestock Ranching

Is bordering a sea◦ Hot, dry summers and mild winters

Horticulture- growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers For human food. Eat it. Olives and Grapes are the two most important crops California does moar horticulture than other places

Mediterranean Agriculture

U.S. is ideal for the following reasons:◦ Long growing season◦ Humidity, which you crackpots do not have◦ Access to large cities◦ Not sucking

Truck Farmers◦ Another name for the above◦ Sell crops to large processors and consumers in developed societies◦ Keep low labor costs by hiring migrant workers, all the technologies, and specialization. Are you special? Lol, nup

Specialty Farming- type of truck farming where people grow crops with limited demand. They provide a shortcut to the mushrooms.

Commercial Gardening and Fruit Farming

End of this Section.

Rural Land Use and Settlement PatternsSpencer’s Section.

Von Thunen’s Model:

Von Thunen’s Model shows the relative location of different types of agriculture surrounding a market based off of the cost of transportation, land price, and how long the product remains fresh.

Von Thunen’s Model assumes that:◦ There are no other markets nearby◦ The land is completely uniform◦ Climate and Soil Quality are uniform◦ Farmers behave rationally

Due to the fact that Von Thunen’s model was made before trains/cars/airplanes were invented, the model is not as applicable today as it was when it was originally made.

Boserup’s Theory states that as population gets higher, food productivity will increase to keep up with it.

Three Points:◦ Higher Population=Larger Workforce

Boserup’s Theory