1. Topic: Commercial Farming
Aim: What are the major types of commercial farming?

2. Second Agriculture Revolution:
A series of innovations, improvements, and techniques used to improve the output of agricultural surpluses (started before the industrial revolution).
seed drill
new crops-potatoes & corn
advances in livestock breeding
new soil preparation methods & new fertilizers

3. Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming:
Characteristics
Most common form of commercial agriculture in the U.S. west of Appalachians and from France to Russia
Integration of crops and livestock (most crops fed to animals; livestock then supply manure to improve soil to grow more crops)
Devotes nearly all land area to growing crops, but ¾ of income from animal products (beef, milk, eggs)
Crop rotation

4. Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming
Choice of Crops
In U.S. corn is used most frequently
Higher yields per area than other crops
Most corn is fed to pigs and cattle
Most important mixed crop and livestock farming region is the Corn Belt (from Ohio to the Dakotas)
2nd most important crop are soybeans
a. Mostly used to make animal feed

7. Dairy Farming: Characteristics
Most common form of commercial agriculture on farms near large urban areas of the northeastern U.S., southeastern Canada, and northwestern Europe
In the twentieth century, most clustered in a few MDCs, but the share of the world’s dairy farming in LDCs has risen from 21% in 1970 to 44% in 2005
India is world’s largest milk producer (Pakistan and China will soon pass Russia as third and fourth largest)

10. The production of highly perishable dairy products, such as milk, is dispersed around the United States, whereas cheese production is heavily clustered between Wisconsin and Idaho.

12. Dairy Farming Location Near Urban Areas
In MDCs, dairying is most important in first ring outside large cities because of transportation factors
Milkshed: ring surrounding city from which milk can be supplied without spoiling - technology increases this in MDC’s
Dairy farms must be close to market because milk is highly perishable - farmers typically sell to retailers, not individuals

14. Milk Men in India

16. Dairy Farming: Regional Differences in Dairy Products
The farther the farm is from large urban concentrations, the smaller is the percentage of output devoted to fresh milk
Farms located farther from consumers are more likely to sell output to processors who make butter, cheese, or dried, evaporated, or condensed milk

18. Dairy Farming: Challenges for Dairy Farmers
Declining revenues and rising costs
Labor intensive (cows must be milked twice a day)
Expensive to feed cows in winter (need to purchase hay or grain for winter feed)
Number of farms with milk cows declined in U.S. by 2/3s between 1980 and 2000

19. Grain Farming Characteristics
Crops grown on grain farm are primarily for consumption by humans (breakfast cereals and snack foods)
Grain: seed from various grasses (wheat, corn, oats, barley, rice, millet) - grains grown for human, not animal consumption

20. Grain Farming Choice of Crops
Most important crop is wheat, used to make bread flour
World’s leading export crop
North American prairies are labeled the world’s “breadbasket”
U.S. is largest commercial producer of grain (others are Canada, Argentina, Australia, France, and UK)

23. Grain Farming: Three Main Regions of Production
Winter-wheat belt: crop is planted in autumn and develops strong root system before growth stops in winter; wheat survives winter and is harvested in early summer (Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma)
Spring-wheat belt: crop is planted in spring and harvested in late summer (Dakotas, Montana, southern Saskatchewan)
Palouse region of Washington state

24. Machines Used for Grain Farming
McCormick reaper: was invented in the 1830s to permit large-scale wheat production; machine cuts grain standing in the field.

25. Machines Used for Grain Farming
Combine: performs the three tasks of reaping (cutting), threshing (separating edible parts from inedible) and cleaning

26. Livestock Ranching Beginning of U.S. Cattle Ranching
Commercial grazing of livestock over extended area where soil is too poor to support crops
Cattle first brought to Americas by Columbus
Immigrants from Spain and Portugal began ranching in the Americas
Expanded because of demand for beef in the East Coast cities during the 1860s
Challenge to transport from Texas to eastern markets
Ranchers who could get cattle to Chicago were paid $30-$40 per head as compared to $3-$4. Cattle could be slaughtered and processed by meat-packing companies and sold to consumers 26

27. Chisholm Trail: Became famous in American folklore as main route for cattle drives

28. Livestock Ranching Outside the U.S.
South America: Argentina, southern Brazil, Uruguay
Interior of Australia, Middle East, New Zealand, South Africa
Change from herding over open ranges to fixed location

29. Mediterranean Agriculture
Characteristics
Exists on lands that border the Mediterranean Sea in Southern Europe, North Africa, and western Asia (also California, Chile, South Africa, and Australia)
Similar Physical Characteristics
Borders a sea
Mostly on west coasts of continents
Moderate climate
Land is hilly

30. Choice of Crops
Most crops grown for human consumption
Horticulture: growing of fruits, vegetables, and flowers
Horticulture and tree crops form the commercial base
Olives, grapes are most important cash crops - 2/3 of wine produced in countries that bolder the Mediterranean (Italy, France, Spain)

31. Commercial Gardening and Fruit Farming
Characteristics
Predominant type of agriculture in U.S. Southeast
Long growing season, humid climate, and accessibility to large markets
Called truck farming because truck was a Middle English word for barter

32. Commercial Gardening and Fruit Farming
Truck Farming:
Predominant in Southeast U.S.
Grow apples, asparagus, cherries, lettuce, mushrooms, and tomatoes
Most are sold to large processors for canning or freezing
Maximize efficiency (experiment with seeds, fertilizers and hire migrant farm workers)
Specialty farming (demand among affluent consumers for asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, strawberries and nursery plants)