Unit 5- Agriculture Flashcards
Intensive/subsistence farming practices
Production of food primarily for consumption by the farmer/family. Small land area; lot of manual labor
Extensive/commercial farming practices
Production of food primarily for sale off farm. Large land; minimal labor (nomadic herder)
Rural settlement patterns; Clustered, Dispersed, Linear
Clustered: (European) houses and building close together, strong sense of community, share services (school/churches), farms have to walk to their fields
Dispersed: (North American) live far apart from each other, westward expansion, (Enclosure movement)
Linear: buildings/homes are set up in a line, following a line or river, equal access to resources
Rural survey methods; metes & bounds, Township & Range, Long lot
Metes and bounds: (England) irregular shapes based off of specific points, (100 yards from the barn)
Township and range: (U.S.) 6 miles wide and 6 miles long, consistent
Long lot: (French/Quebec/Louisiana) long sections are land perpendicular to the river, even access to resources
Agricultural Hearths
where crops/resources originate/birthplace
The First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution)
(10,000 BCE) when humans first domesticated plants/animals, caused by climate change and culture
Columbian Exchange
transfer of plants/animals/people/culture/tech between the Western Hemisphere and Europe -> colonization
The Second Agricultural Revolution
great increase of quality/quantity of farm products, decrease in the price of food, larger and fewer farms (enclosure movement)
The Green Revolution
an attempt to import Western agricultural products to subsistence farms in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Diffusion of new methods-> hybrid seeds/GMO, fertilizers, herbicides/pesticides
Pastoral Nomadism
Subsistence Agriculture; the herding of domesticated animals (Central/Southwest Asia and North Africa) (Dry climate)
Shifting Cultivation
Subsistence Agriculture; grow crops then abandon the field for a few years in order for the nutrients to be restored to the soil
Slash and burn agriculture
Subsistence Agriculture; 1)Identify land 2) Clear land 3) Burn land 4) plant crops 5)Abandon 6) repeat (Latin America/Sub-Saharan Africa/Southeast Asia) (Tropical Rainforest)
Intensive Subsistence with Wet Rice Dominant
Subsistence Agriculture; Produce a lot of food on a small amount of land, waste no land (no roads/animals), flood the fields, double cropping (Warm winter) (E/S/SE Asia)
Intensive Subsistence with Wet Rice Not Dominant
Subsistence Agriculture; Produce a lot of food on a small amount of land, no rice, (cold winters) (India/Northeastern China)
Intertillage
system of planting crops on ridge tops, crops are planted on the same ridge year after year
Double cropping
2 harvests per year from one field (warm winters, China/Taiwan)
Multi cropping
Planting many different crops at one time/same field
Plantation Farming
Commercial Agriculture; production of one or more cash crop, owned and operated by Developed Countries, Imported workers (Latin America/Africa/Asia)
Mixed Crop and Livestock Farming
Commercial Agriculture; Crops and livestock are integrated, crops are fed to the animals, crop rotation (Central Europe, U.S.)
Dairy Farming
Commercial Agriculture; the use of cows in order to produce milk and other dairy products (Urban areas, U.S., Canada, Europe) (Milkshed) Labor-intensive-> milked X2 /Winter feed
Commercial Gardening and Fruit Farming
(truck farming)
Commercial Agriculture; Fresh Apples, cherries, tomatoes, asparagus, use migrants, (Southeastern U.S. -> large markets of New York)
Grain Farming
Commercial Agriculture; for livestock and human consumption, wheat, barely, corn, (U.S., Canada, India, China) Wheat Belts -> spring vs winter
Mediterranean Agriculture
Commercial Agriculture; Growing of grapes, fresh fruits/vegetables, no livestock, (Areas by the sea/West Coast)
Livestock Ranching VS. Feedlots
Commercial Agriculture; growing/fattening up cattle and other animals for human consumption (Texas/U.S.)
Von Thünen model
1)Market goods/dairy 2) Wood/timber 3) Various crops/pastures 4) Animal grazing
Assumed-> uniform landscape, social customs, cost of land/cost of transportation, technology
bid-rent theory
farther from the market the cost of land is cheaper, compared to closer where land is more expensive
Agribusiness
system of commercial farming found in developed countries, 2% are farmers
Economies of Scale
Cost advantages, increasing production, lowering costs (Feed cattle corn)
Commodity chains
The process used by corporations gather resources-> make a product-> get it to customers
Monoculture
growing only one crop year after year, specializing in one crop
Global food distribution networks/chains
the growing, production, transportation, etc of product
Desertification
The process by which arable land loses its fertility and becomes a desert (Africa/Middle East)
Soil salinization
when there is too much salt in the soil, decreases crip growth, limits nutrients
Terraces
method of growing crops on sides of hills or mountains on flat surfaces, high population on hilly lands
Irrigation
applying controlled water to crops, helps growth, developed countries
Deforestation
the clearing of large land and forests/rainforests for human use
Draining wetlands
filling in swamps, marshes, etc, and removing water in order for human use
Biotechnology
changing nature through breeding or altering organisms
Genetically modified organisms
a living organism that possess a novel combination of genetic material obtained through the use of biotechnology (12% of all farmland)
Aquaculture
cultivation of seafood under controlled conditions (Fish, crustaceans, mollusks, plants)
Urban farming
farming in a city-like setting, community gardens, rooftop farms, etc
Community-supported agriculture (CSA)
where farmers and consumers have an agreement with products, food goes straight to the customer, protects the farmer
Organic farming
farming that depends on the naturally occuring substances while prohibiting the use of things like pesticides, herbicides, and growth hormones
Value-added specialty crops
growing crops specifically for alternate reasons, not fresh, fruits for pie, meat for jerky, etc
Local-food movements- Farm to Table
businesses and restaurants get their ingredients from local farmers instead of big corporations
