1. Commercial Arable Farming
This farming system is carried out on the great plains of the USA and the Prairie Provinces of Canada.
Alberta, Canada

2. Commercial Arable Farming

3. Commercial Arable Farming
This system of farming makes up for relatively low crops yields by increasing the scale of production. Vast holdings are cultivated and improvements in technology for irrigation, different strains of cereals, machinery and agrochemicals has seen output soar, causing large surpluses. Monoculture is mainly practised growing cereal cash crops.
Heavily mechanised

4. Commercial Arable Farming
Hi-tech storage facilities for grain

5. Commercial Arable Farming
Settlement Patterns
Vast areas of land in the Prairies have been divided up into geometric patterns. The land was divided up into townships of “36 sections”, six miles by six miles. Each settler was given a quarter section, provided they built a house on the land. Railway lines and later roads were all important in getting farm inputs to the area and farming outputs to market.

6. Commercial Arable Farming
Train picking up grain from the storage area.

7. Commercial Arable Farming
Source- Core Higher Geography.

8. Commercial Arable Farming
Geometric road lay out.
Railway line
Roads important for
moving of farm inputs
and outputs
Minor Town located on
road and rail junction
Because of large
availability of flat land
roads form a grid iron
pattern.
Main town located on interstate
highway and railway.
Grew into largest town
due to easy accessibility
and large sphere of influence
Individual farm houses
dispersed throughout
the countryside.
Source- Core Higher Geography

9. Commercial Arable Farming
Drilling rig
Changes
In Alberta, Canada many farmers are diversifying by setting up drilling rigs on their farm to mine for oil.
cattle
pasture

10. Commercial Arable Farming
Organic
farming
Reliance on
cooperatives
Dry farming methods
New technology
New crops e.g.
sunflowers
Changes
New strains of seed
Improved chemicals
Surpluses cut
Back through Government
funding
Use of contractors

11. Commercial Arable Farming
silage