In many areas of the world, farming is a large part of rural
life. Farming can be categorized in terms of what is grown or reared, the size
of the farm and the agricultural techniques use. The first thing to determine
about farms is whether they are sedentary or nomadic. A sedentary farm is
situated in the same location all the time, whereas a nomadic farmer will move
from one place to another. The second thing to determine is whether the farm is
arable, pastoral or mixed. Arable farming is the cultivating of crops, pastoral
is the rearing of animals, and mixed is a combination of both. The third thing
to look at is whether the farming is intensive or extensive. Intensive farming
is high input or yields for the given land area, whereas extensive is low inputs
of yields for the area of land. The last couple of definitions are commercial
and subsistence. This has been covered previously, but to recap: commercial farms
have crops which are cultivated and animals which are reared to be sold; while
subsistence farms grow crops or rear animals for consumption by the farmer and
his (or her) family.
Factors affecting farm type:
- Capital - money is needed to set up and run a farm. There are government subsidies which farms can get, but there is still a shortage. As such, farms must be efficient and use money wisely to survive. As prices fall for farm produce, the profit margin for the farmers becomes smaller, meaning they can employ less people and buy less seeds and animals for the following year - this is a harsh downward spiral.
- Choice - clearly the ultimate decision of what the farmer farms is up to them. However, in the past this decision has been determined by the climate, soil and relief, farmers are increasingly choosing the crops or animals which will bring them the most money, rather than the best suited to the land.
- Climate - this is one of the most important physical factors affecting farm type. Farmers must consider the number of hours of sunshine the crops will get, the average temperature and the amount, type frequency and intensity of rainfall. Altitude and wind also play a large part.
- Aspect - linked with the climate and the amount of sunshine the crops will get is the aspect. Farmers need to take into account whether the plot of land is Ubac (shady) or adret (sunny).
- Labour - centuries ago farms would have to be located close to where there were plenty of men to complete the labour intensive jobs around the farm. Now, however, with farming becoming more mechanised there is less need for large numbers of workers, so just a few people are needed to manage the farm.
- Market - like any business, market is very important. There must be the demand for the product and the farmer must be able to make a profit. Subsidies as mentioned in the capital section have helped farmers enormously over the last 20 years.
- Politics - this covers the land tenure / ownership (rent, share-cropping and state control); organisation (collective, cooperative, agribusiness and family farms); government policies (subsidies, guaranteed prices, ESAs, quotas and set aside); as well as war which encompasses disease and famine.
- Relief and slope - the two come hand in hand, slope is the gradient and relief is the altitude. Altitude affects farming types. Flat, low altitude, sheltered areas are best to grow crops and they also allow for easy access with large machinery. Steep slopes, high up in the mountains, are best for sheep, cattle and goats as the animals are hardy and can cope with the harsher environments. There are exceptions, such as the rice terraces on the steep slopes in Indonesia.
- Soils - the soil fertility is important when choosing crops to grow, the pH, cation exchange capacity and nutrient status can all affect the farm type. The structure, texture and depth also have a great impact. Thick, well-irrigated, often alluvial soil is usually the best for crop farming. In hilly areas the soil is thinner and less fertile, which is why this is better for grazing sheep and cattle.
- Pests - farmers must be aware of what the risks are of vermin, locusts and diseases within the area and plan accordingly.
Organic farming:
This type of farming has become increasingly popular in
recent decades - its produce is commonly seen on our supermarket shelves. Organic
farming does not use chemical fertilisers or feed additives in animal food.
Farmers must rely on natural types of farming, such as introducing ladybirds to
eat the aphid pests and other natural farming ways such as crop rotation.
The organic farming industry is worth over £1million a year,
which is big attraction to many farmers. There are plenty of other positives too,
such as: an increase in soil condition due to the manure used; the local
environment benefits because natural habitats are not destroyed; the land’s
biodiversity increases as there are no chemicals harming the insects and also the
food is healthier for people.
There are however some negatives: firstly the crop yield is
lower on organic farms (by about 20%); secondly (which is crucial to British organic
farmers), most of the organic food sold in UK shops is imported; also, more
produce is damaged by pests in organic farming than regular farming and weed
control has to be done mechanically which is time consuming; as well as these
issues, some organic pesticides such as copper can remain in the soil and be
harmful. The final negative point is that because of the diet of cattle,
organic dairy farms produce more methane per animal than non-organic farming.
Another point to consider is that with the tough economic times, buying organic
produce is a luxury many people will choose to cut out of their lives when
money is tight.
The topic in teaching…
Farming lends itself to a comparison activity. The factors
affecting farm type have been given above. These can be analysed and by
applying the knowledge they have gained, the students can look at the
distribution of farming in different parts of the UK. This could be done as a
matching pairs activity with descriptions of different climates, reliefs and
locations compared to markets etc., to be matched with the different types of
farming (arable, market gardening, hill sheep farming, dairy farming and mixed
farming).
Agriculture is a complex topic which has many different aspects
which one could explore. There is the whole world of agricultural ecosystems,
the ‘Common Agricultural Policy’, the green revolution, agricultural models (such
as Von Thunen’s model, Sinclair’s model and Hagerstrand’s model), as well as the
environmental issues and impacts agriculture is creating in the UK. However,
for now, as I’m just exploring agriculture as part of rural life, I’m going to
stop here before I get carried away.
References
Nagle and Spencer, 1997. Advanced
Geography Revision Handbook. Oxford University Press.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/geography/rural_environments/farming_rural_areas_rev1.shtml
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/a-level/geography/agriculture
http://www.s-cool.co.uk/gcse/geography/agriculture
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