EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL FARMING e'g' the MidWestern States of USA and Canadian Prairies'

1
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL
EXTENSIVE COMMERCIAL FARMING e.g. the Mid-Western
States of USA and Canadian Prairies.
2
Background information to farming on the Great
Plains, North America.
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL

• Read the information about early 20th century
  farming on page 236 of Core Geography.
• Read the information about late 20th century
  farming on pages 236 237.
• Now use your information to answer the question
  (15 minutes)
• Describe The Farming Practise and Changes that
  Occurred on the Great Plains in the Early and
  Late 20th Century.

3
Summary Points for Extensive Commercial Farming
nowadays
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL

• Very large holdings
• Capital intensive
• High reliance on technologies
• Relatively low yields compensated for by the
  large areas under cultivation
• Human input is minimal although decisions made
  are of great importance
• Population densities are usually low
• Most farms concentrate on one cash crop such as
  wheat

4
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL
Seeds are planted soon after the spring thaw
Ground is ploughed in autumn. This allows frost
to kill any diseases in the soil
5
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL
During the summer, crops are sprayed with
pesticides.herbicides. and fertilisers
6
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL
Harvesting using huge combine harvesters.
Work is often carried out by a migrant labour
force who travel northwards with their combine
harvesters
7
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL
Grain is stored in grain elevators that
minimises fungal infection and rodent attack.
The grain is then taken by train to markets at
home and overseas. ( External market)
8
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL
Changes
Read Changes in the Farming System on page 25
of your booklets
9
Some further changes to note include
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL

• The introduction of genetically engineered crops
  (GM crops).
• Infrastructural improvements to speed the crops
  to market.
• Smaller farms going out of business as they cant
  compete with the large agribusinesses.
• Read the information about government
  intervention on page 26 of your booklets.

10
HIGHER GEOGRAPHY HUMAN - RURAL

• Complete Exercise 3 on page 27, choosing
  extensive commercial farming as your farming
  system.

Now try questions 25 to end of the rural question
sheet. Answer in fully described and explained
sentences. The details are the things that will
earn you marks, not the vague gist!
END