Interpreting Agricultural Regions A Crop Walk

Directions Use clues in the short story, As well the textbook or atlas to determine what type of agriculture is being described and its location. Complete the matrix handout as you read each new vignette. You will have 5 minutes at each location.

Vignette A Gisela and Aki live on a farm. On their farm they raise animals, corn, and hay. Their farm is located in the middle of Minnesota. Most of the milk that their cows produce is sent to the cooperative for processing into cream, butter, and cheese. The three hundred cows live in a large enclosed space and are taken to the milking shed twice a day. There the cows are attached to automatic milking machines that measure the weight of milk produced by each cow. The milk is collected in a 5,000 gallon refrigerated container. A computer on the farm records the output of each cow. The corn and hay raised on the farm provides some of the feed for the cattle during the winter.

Environmental Consequences (e.g., cultural beliefs, customs) Example for Vignette A Vignette Type of Agriculture Probable Climate Zone Various Technology Used Possible Location Amount of Land Needed Possible Environmental Consequences Other Factors (e.g., cultural beliefs, customs) A Dairy Farming Humid Continental, Cool Summer Milking machines, Computer, refrigerator containers Minnesota, USA A lot needed for grazing, milking shed Pollution from animal waste B

Vignette A Dairy Farming Commercial, USA, Humid Continental, a hundred acres or more of land

Vignette B Jano's day begins before dawn. He walks his village's herd of sixty cattle to the pasture several miles away. There the animals graze on the short grasses that cover the rolling hillside. He makes sure that the cattle are not stolen or attacked by wild animals. At night, he and the herd return to the village. He drives the cattle into an enclosure made of thorn bush brush. Even though Jano is only fourteen his job is very important to the survival of his village. The cattle have more than food significance. Cattle may be used as a bride price in the arrangement of marriages for the females of the village.

Sample Answer for Vignette B Type of Agriculture Probable Climate Zone Various Technology Used Possible Location Amount of Land Needed Possible Environmental Consequences Other Factors (e.g., cultural beliefs, customs) A Dairy Farming Humid Continental, Warm Summer Milking machines, Computer, refrigerator containers Minnesota, USA A lot needed for grazing, milking shed Pollution from animal waste B

Vignette B Pastoral Nomadism Subsistence, Africa, dry/humid low-latitude, not a lot of land or technology; overgrazing contributes to soil erosion; little education & bride price

Vignette C Grain Farming cold mid-latitude, Combine & tractors, Eastern Europe/Russia, Continental, 100+ acres

Vignette D Livestock Ranching warm mid-latitude/dry, subtropical savannah; vaccines, shears, trucks; Southern S. America; a lot of land used

Vignette E Mediterranean warm mid-latitude climate; processing machines, bottling, wine presses; S. Europe/Italy; a lot of land; acceptance of drinking alcoholic beverages

Vignette F Commercial Gardening & Fruit Farming cold mid-latitude; lawn mower, phone; NE USA; 5-10 acres

Vignette G Shifting Cultivation humid low-latitude climate; hand tools, South America; less than 5 acres; large family size

Vignette H Intensive Subsistence Wet Rice Dominant humid low-latitude climate; hand tools; SE Asia, 5-10 acres

Vignette I Intensive Subsistence Wet Rice NOT Dominant dry climate; wood plow; SW Asia, less than 5 acres; drug crops

Vignette J Plantation warm low-latitude climate, no tools, South Asia, lots of land

Vignette K Commercial Gardening & Fruit cold mid-latitude climate; machine conveyor belt, trucks; NE USA, lots of land

Vignette L Mixed Crop & Livestock warm/cold mid-latitude; automated feed & water, trucks, misting fans; Virginia USA, 10-50 acres

Vignette M Plantation warm mid-latitude climate; airplanes, irrigation system, pesticides; SE USA; lots of land; use of sharecropping

Vignette N Commercial Gardening and Fruit humid continental; tractors, shipping; SE USA, 10+ acres

Agriculture LDCs v MDCs Commercial Sold to food processing companies Large size Machine powered (very high tech) 5% of world’s population Large agribusiness plays an important role in farming Mixed crop & livestock, dairy, grain, livestock ranching, Mediterranean, commercial gardening, plantation (usually found in LDCs) Subsistence Consumed by farmer’s family Small size Animal and man powered (little technology) 55% of world’s population Little interaction with other businesses Shifting cultivation, intensive subsistence wet rice dominant, intensive subsistence wet rice not dominant, pastoral nomadism