FARMING The Changing Primary Industry

History The first farming is rooted in ancient Turkey ya, when nomadic tribes settled. Using wild grasses, they would replant the seeds year in and year out (cereals). All major early civilizations began from a community growing crops in areas of land close to major waterways Farming changed very little until the 1700’s, with the introduction of large yielding crops like: potatoes and corn It was now very much a family institution rather than a community driven occupation. Things became easier in the mid 1800’s, when the industrial revolution brought new mechanized methods powered mainly by oxen and horse, and the implementation of crop rotation and fertilization allowed much larger yields

The advent of the steam engine and later the gas engine lead to all new frontiers for farming No longer did farming families have to spend hours and hours in the field producing enough crops just to make it through the winter. Machinery allowed larger yields and made farming as a business a reality Today the family has been all but removed from the world of farming and replaced by big business Workers have been replaced by machines, no longer farming hundreds of acres but thousands.

What Drives Agriculture? If you ask a farmer what he is doing today, you will get some form of the same answer every time. “Depends on the weather.” The farmer has indicated the most important of the 4 factors that drive agriculture: CLIMATE There are 2 variables that farmers worry about: Heat and Moisture Heat: -the crops that can be grown in Canada depends on how much heat an area receives Growing degree-days: determined by the # of degrees the average temperature exceeds 6°C on a given day -if a farmer knows this number, they know if there is enough heat to grow a crop Farmer also use Growing season: # of days during which crops can ripen Frost-free period: # of days between last frost in Spring and first frost in autumn

Moisture: -must know the difference between the amount of precipitation and evapotranspiration for the area -this allows a farmer to gauge the levels of irrigation needed Soil The type, amount of humus, leaching and calcification can effect the crops grown. Biology Some organisms can be: Helpful  worms and bees Harmful  weeds and pests Topography The features of the land effect what can be grown and how well (mountains, valleys, flat)

Where do we farm in Canada? There are many regions across Canada that farm and these farms vary in types as much as they do in numbers. Using page 301 (Fig 24-10) you will complete a map of Canada’s Agricultural Regions complete with legend and title for homework. Rank the types of farming in Canada from most to least according to your map

Why do we have different types of farms? Cost of value of Land Proximity to marketCompetition Intensive Extensive Beyond the environmental factors that determine what is farmed where, there are also economic factors that influence choice of farm. Using page 300, you will complete the following chart to contrast intensive and extensive farming. (For homework)

The Changing Primary Resource? Before(1867) 82% lived in rural areas More people worked in agriculture than ANY OTHER INDUSTRY Now 80% in urban areas 3% of labour force Why? MECHANIZATION Increased the size of farms Decreased number of workers 1 or 2 people can operate hundreds of acres Then why is agriculture so important to the economy? 1. Even though only 3% of labour force are farmers, 20% of jobs are related to agriculture sector 2.Play important role in trade  Creates a HUGE surplus

Issues Facing Canadian Farmers Today Loss of Farmland: Decline of the family farm: Sustainable Agriculture: Organic Farming: BSE (Mad Cow Disease): Genetically Modified Organisms: To get an idea of the implications that farmers face today, read pages in your text book. Make 2-3 dot jots under each of the headings below.

Video Clips:  Genetically Modified Organisms:  CBC.ca - Genetically Modified Foods Video Clips:  Clip #1 Clip #1  Clip #2 Clip #2