The Business of Farming
How have farms changed over the past 100 years?
MECHANIZATION
MECHANIZATION
reduced number of farms
(larger size)
fewer workers needed
increased cost of farming
(more loans)
What other factors have made farming
an “unattractive” option ?
• long hours
• reduced income
• high ‘start up’ costs
• competition
• unstable farm prices
What is agribusiness?
Two types:
1. Co-operative
-farmers purchase land/equipment together,
profit sharing
2. Private/public companies
-multinational corporations own entire
operation or parts
Damaging the Land
How is land damaged ?
compaction
leaching
erosion
chemical damage
In what ways can we combat these
problems?
• Erosion:
– no-till cropping
– contour plowing
– summer fallowing ??
Compaction:
- use lighter tires
Chemical Damage:
- biological control
• introduce ‘enemy’ insects to combat
pests
• sterilize males with radiation
What does this lead us to?
SUSTAINABLE
AGRICULTURE
Urban Sprawl
Most of Canada’s best farmland is
within 80km Canada’s largest cities !!
Problems:
• increased transportation costs as
farms move further from markets
• greater use of poor farm land
• some land cannot be replaced
(limited amount available)
So What’s Happening?
Due to the disinterest in farming and
sprawling urban growth, farmers are
selling their land for the highest price
What can be done?
• restrict development to poor quality land
• keep present amount of farmland in
production (farmers can only sell their
land to farmers)
Is this fair?
If Canadian farmers are unable to grow
enough food to feed Canadians we could
become dependant on other countries for
our food supplies - What might happen??
Agriculture Wrap-up
• Profit=income-expenses
• Importance of agriculture to Canada
• Canada Land Inventory
• Land as a renewable and non-renewable resource
• Natural and economic factors that determine
types of farming
• Intensive and extensive farming
• how farms have changed (mechanization)
• why farming is unattractive to young people
• agribusiness - co-operatives and multinationals
• how soil is damaged - compaction, leaching,
erosion, chemical damage . . .
• summer fallowing, no-till cropping, contour
plowing, crop rotation
• biological pest control
• loss of farmland to urbanization
• pros and cons of restricting urbanization of
farmland