Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Farming - An Introduction: The Farming System

An Introduction to Farming

Types of Farming:

Knowing your key terms is important, make sure you learn the following:

1. Commerical Farming - the growing of crops / rearing of aniamls to make a profit

2. Subsistence Farming - where there is just sufficient food producted to provide for the farmer's own family

3. Arable Farming - involves the growing of crops

4. Pastoral Farming - invovles the rearing of animals

5. Intensive Farming - where the farm size is small in comparison with the large amount of labour, and inputs of capital, fertilisers etc. which are required.

6. Extensive Farming - where the size of a farm is very large in comparison to the inputs of money, labour etc.. needed


FARMING SYSTEMS

A farm is a system in that it has INPUTS, PROCESSES and OUTPUTS

INPUTS - these are things that go into the farm and may be split into Physical Inputs (e.g. amount of rain, soil) and Human Inputs (e.g. labour, money etc.)
PROCESSES - these are things which take place on the farm in order to convert the inputs to outputs (e.g. sowing, weeding, harvesting etc.)
OUTPUTS - these are the products from the farm (i.e. wheat, barley, cattle)


Depending on the type of farming e.g. arable/ pastoral, commerical / subsisitence, the type and amount of inputs, processes and outputs will vary.



You need to make sure you are able to define and give examples of Inputs, Processes and Outputs in farming systems. You also need to be able to give the characteristics of two different types of farming system. Consequently, there are two Farming case studies you will need to learn:


1. Case Study of Commercial Farming in an MEDC - Arable Farming in E Anglia (Lynford Hall Farm - Cambridgeshire)


2. Case Study of Subsistence Farming in an LEDC - Rice Farming in India.


Distribution of Farming in the UK


The type of farming dominant in a particular area will depend on the climate, relief and soil type of an area. Within the UK different farming types are dominant in different areas (see the diagram below)


Links
Farming as a System (BBC Bitesize) - external link


Photo Credit - Paul Keleher http://www.flickr.com/photos/pkeleher/2746648333/

No comments: