APHG Unit 5

I. Introduction to Agriculture

• Agriculture: The deliberate modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and rearing of animals.

• Subsistence agriculture: Farming to provide food for the farmer’s family.

• Commercial agriculture: Farming for sale/profit.

• Agrarian society: A society based on agriculture and farming.

II. Origins of Agriculture

• First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic): Transition from hunting/gathering to farming (around 10,000 years ago).

• Domestication: Taming of plants and animals for human use.

• Hearths of agriculture: Original locations where agriculture developed (e.g., Fertile Crescent, China, Mesoamerica).

III. Agricultural Practices and Regions

• Shifting cultivation: Slash-and-burn farming; common in tropical regions.

• Pastoral nomadism: Herding animals in dry climates.

• Intensive subsistence agriculture: High labor, small plots (e.g., rice farming in Asia).

• Plantation agriculture: Large-scale mono-cropping of cash crops (e.g., coffee, sugar).

• Mixed crop and livestock farming: Crops feed animals, manure fertilizes fields.

• Grain farming: Wheat, corn—common in U.S. and Canada.

• Dairy farming: Near urban areas due to perishability.

• Mediterranean agriculture: Grapes, olives—found in coastal areas like California, Italy.

• Market gardening (aka truck farming): Fruits/vegetables grown near markets.

IV. Agricultural Tools and Advances

• Second Agricultural Revolution: Coincided with the Industrial Revolution; increased production through better tools, crop rotation.

• Third Agricultural Revolution (Green Revolution): 20th century; use of chemicals, GMOs, and high-yield seeds in developing countries.

• High-yield seeds: Genetically enhanced for productivity.

• Mechanization: Machines replace manual labor.

• Fertilizers/pesticides: Increase productivity but may harm environment.

• Irrigation: Artificial watering of crops.

V. Land Use Models and Theories

• Von Thünen Model: Explains agricultural land use around a market:

  1. Dairy/market gardening

  2. Forest

  3. Grains

  4. Livestock ranching

• Bid-rent theory: Land closer to the city is more expensive.

VI. Rural Patterns and Settlements

• Rural settlement patterns:

  • Clustered: Houses close together.

  • Dispersed: Spread out farmsteads.

  • Linear: Buildings along a road or river.

• Metes and bounds: Land described by natural features (common in colonial America).

• Township and range: Grid system used in U.S. Midwest.

• Long-lot system: Long narrow lots stretching from rivers or roads (e.g., French colonies).

VII. Challenges in Agriculture

• Desertification: Land degradation in dry areas.

• Soil salinization: Buildup of salt in soil from irrigation.

• Overgrazing: Too many animals damage land.

• Monoculture: Growing a single crop—risky and can deplete soil.

• Agribusiness: Integration of agriculture into a large food production industry.

• Food desert: Areas with limited access to nutritious food.

• Sustainable agriculture: Farming practices that protect the environment (e.g., organic farming).

• Fair trade: Ethical production standards that protect producers in developing countries.