The Business of Farming

How have farms changed over the past 100 years?

red u ced n u m b er o f fa rm s(la rg er s ize )

few er w orkers n eed ed in c reased cos t o f fa rm in g(m ore loan s )

M E C H A N IZ A TIO N

MECHANIZATION

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