1. The Business of Farming

2. Introduction
Agriculture contributes more than $11 billion to the economy
About 1 job in 5 is related to agricultural sector of the economy
Agriculture is important because it is a result of the export of grains and vegetable oil products from the Prairies

3. Introduction
In the 1850’s, Canadians spent about 25% of their income on food; today they spend only about 11% on food, including meals eaten outside the home

4. Land: The Basic Resource
Land is a renewable resource, in the sense that, if properly used, it can support new crops year after year
Land can also be classified as a non-renewable resource because, there is a limted amount of it available - especially land that is suitable for farming

5. Land: The Basic Resource
In the 60’s and 70’s the government surveyed most of the land of southern Canada and divided it into seven classes

6. Class 1: deep soils, no climatic or land limitations - excellent for farming (0.5%)
Class 2: good farmland - no serious climatic or land limitations (1.8%)
Class 3: good farmland, but some climatic or land limitations that make some farming activities impossible (2.7%)
Class 4: land is at the “break-even” point for commercial agriculture because of a short growing season, poor soil conditions, or other significant limitations (2.7%)
Class 5: serious limitations for agriculture - short growing season, hilly, thin soil, poor drainage - land may be used for grazing, hay (3.7%)
Class 6: similar to class 5, but limitations are more severe. Can be used for grazing; crops cannot grow successfully (1.8%)
Class 7: no capability for farming or was not classified (86.8%)

7. Land: The Basic Resource
Canada has a total land area of approximately ha - huge amount of land, but only 13% of this area is suitable for any form of agriculture
Canada is the second largest country in the world, but much of the land has been used up or is threatened by urban development

8. Types of Farming
The type of farming that takes place in a particular region is determined by natural and economic factors

9. Types of Farming Natural Factors Soil The amount of precipitation
Length of the growing season

10. Types of Farming Economic Factors
Cost of land - if farmland is expensive, high value agricultural goods will need to be produced
Transportation Costs - if close to its markets - vegetables and milk can be produced - if a farm is far from its markets, less perishable crops such as grain or cheese
Competition - if there is an oversupply of products, prices will drop and reduce farm incomes

11. Types of Farming Two types of farming: Intensive Farming
Extensive Farming

12. Types of Farming Intensive Farming
Common to densely populated areas (Ontario and Quebec)
Farms tend to be small, but require large investments in labour and machinery to produce high profits
Commonly used for producing fruits, vegetable, dairy, poultry, and hogs
Many of the products are perishable and need to be processed or transported to markets quickly

13. Types of Farming Extensive Farming
Usually done in areas where population density is low
Land is plentiful and less expensive
Farms tend to be large
Highly mechanized and requires few workers
Common in the Prairie provinces and parts located away from major cities
Cattle farming and ranching, grain and oil seed growing
Products are usually less perishable or processed quickly

14. Agricultural Issues Today
In the 1880’s, 80% of the Canadian families farmed the land
Today with the increase of modern equipment and mechanization, the size of farms declined in numbers
Why the decline?

15. Agricultural Issues Today
Why the Decline?
Irregular hours
Children of farmers seek other opportunities
Once retired, who will buy their farms
Few young people can afford the capital cost of buying a farm
Start up costs are very high
Annual costs are high - veterinary, pesticides, equipment, vehicle repairs, seeds etc.
Debt or bankruptcy may result if prices of arm products do not increase faster than their cost of production
Damage of land

16. Damaging the Land Damage to the land occurs in three ways:
Poor farming
Erosion
Contamination

17. Damaging the Land Poor Farming
Damage occurs because of heavy leaching - soil loses nutrients because of excessive irigation
Repeated use of heavy equipment - compacts the soil and loses its ability to absort water
Unplowed land - chemicals used to control weeds

18. Damaging the Land Erosion
Heavy wind and water action erodes the soil away - blows the topsoil away
Contamination
The use of fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides
Herbicides can be harmful to wildlife and humans
Pesticides will kill insects that destroy fruit, vegetables and grains etc. but also kill many successful species of insects

19. Sustainable Agriculture
Sustainable agriculture - refers to agricultural production that can be maintained without harming the environment

20. Sustainable Agriculture
The following solutions can be sought in maintaining and sustaining agriculture:
Lightweight tires that do not damage wet soil
A variety of farming methods that are use natural fertilizers
Proper cultivation practices