J. Deere 1
John Deere
Ms. Boni
English 12
19 March 2008
Changes in Agricultural Techniques and Technology
Over thousands of years, the concept of agriculture has changed and allowed our world to advance in ways never before fathomed. Agriculture is a staple of modern life and over the past 12,000 years has developed in both technique and technology, making for a drastic change in the productivity of the farm. This technology and the techniques that have developed will continue to change and improve as demand pushes for a higher rate of productivity on the farm. Agriculture involves the production of human foods, animal feeds, timber, fertilizer, leather, fiber, biofuels, and many medicinal drugs (Casper, 1). Agriculture must continue to climb in order for our world and our society to become bigger and to advance. Without agricultural advancement our world will, in effect, run out of food for the growing population.
The early farmers used crude techniques and hardly any technology, yet these people grew enough crops to support their family and together their tribe. In about 10,000 B.C. humans first started to farm and take control of their environment (Casper, 2). The technology rapidly advanced with the first plow, called the ard, which merely loosened the dirt (Casper, 2). Then came the moldboard plow, which not only broke the dirt, but also turned it over, baring weeds and allowing two jobs to be done with one plow (Casper, 3). The development of agriculture allowed for civilizations to emerge. These early civilizations were formed around water so that the farmers could have water to irrigate their crops, so that the society could live (Casper, 3).
The western United States’ tough soil allowed John Deere to create a name for himself in plow making by inventing a plow that could handle the tough soil. This allowed him to found the John Deere Company, which is still a prominent farm equipment manufacturer today. John Deere got his training as an apprentice in a black smith shop at the age of seventeen (Harris, 140). Deere had his first major break through in 1837 when he designed a plow that could deal with the heavy clay of the west (Harris, 141). Deere’s company was a success because he made quality plows and was fair and honest, which were two attributes that were admired by the hard working farmers of the West (Harris, 144). His company grew fast. By 1855, he was making 13,000 plows a year (Harris, 142). In 1868, Deere and Company began to make more farm equipment, such as cultivators and hay bailers (Harris, 143). In the present day, Deere and Company also makes construction and forestry equipment, and is the leading producer of the highest technological farm equipment (Harris, 144; Casper, 3)
In the late 1800’s, many early tractors began to develop and push productivity up with their ever-increasing speed and accuracy. The Acme Company, in 1890, began to develop new forms of tractors and then, in 1918, caused a stir with their tracklayer system, which is still used today (Wendell, 17). Many of these early tractors had four-cycle engines, including the Acme tractors (Wendell, 17). Another marvel of early tractors was the Adam’s sidehill tractor, which was made in the 1920’s and was able to work on the side of steep hills, allowing them to be farmed as well as the flat land (Wendell, 19). Many, if not all, of these early tractors showed great ingenuity. The all work tractor, which can be used not only to plow but harvest and package as well, was definitely one of these (Wendell, 285). The Allison-Chambers Manufacturing Company had one of the most influential tractor ideas of this time, which were the W.C. models that still effect design today (Wendell, 58).
Modern tractors that push for more power and more accuracy, which in turn will give them more productivity, are extremely impressive. The 1976 Allison- Chambers 153.7 horsepower 7580 4x4 diesel is such a tractor, which caused a competition to see who could make the biggest and best tractor (Wendell, 66). This in turn sent productivity through the roof. The battle between Deere and Company and Case Tractor is what pushed all manufactures to create new and better tractors (Wendell, 125). The leading company John Deere began making the 1000’s models in the 1950’s and continues today. Their 8990 can even plow up to 50 acres an hour, which is simply amazing (Wendell, 253, 217). The company that cranks out the most power to date is the Versatile Manufacturing Company. They specialize in high performance diesel engines which can produce up to 1000 horsepower (Wendell, 680). These modern tractors have allowed the farmer to turn his farm into a factory with higher profits.
The links between the advancements of technology and techniques and higher productivity allow our communities and populations to grow without a food crisis. New techniques that involve engineering push the industry further by allowing the technology to mix with the biological sciences such as genetic engineering (Casper, 1). These advances in technology push the industry further and faster than ever before, yet the basic ideas of the simple past are still very much alive (Casper, 1). When farms originally switched from the ox pulled plow to one pulled by horses, the accuracy and speed skyrocketed (Casper, 3). This is basically the same progress that we are seeing in modern times with the transition to better technology and better techniques. Another huge advancement was the sugar mill and the cotton gin, which allowed for huge one-crop plantations (Casper, 4). This is the basis for the modern farm because they now focus on one crop and mass produce it to make more profit faster and with more efficiency. The biggest advancements in agriculture to date were due to the inventions of the cultivator, the reaper, the thresher and the combine (Casper, 5). These pieces of equipment allowed farmers to do, in hours, what used to take days or even weeks to do by hand.
In the western world, agriculture is functioning in ever advancing ways. In the modern times we rely on agriculture to provide the lifestyle we have (Casper, 5). Genetics and nutrition have made productivity skyrocket (Casper, 1). This has allowed farmers to grow bigger plants faster because they now can grow from the plants with the best gene pool and know exactly what nutrients to use. Breeding programs have allowed ranchers to be much more productive. These programs coupled with genetic engineering have allowed for cattle to be raised bigger and cheaper (Casper, 5). You see the effects of these to programs on the supermarket shelves with cheaper prices on produce that comes from the farm.
In America today, we have divided our country into 7 major farm regions based on what crops are produced there (Casper, 9). The first region, the Lake States, which are the states located around the Great Lakes, produce most of our nations dairy products (Casper, 10). The Appalachian States are known for growing large amounts of tobacco, and dairy farming as well (Casper, 10). Then come the South East States, which raise beef, fruit, winter vegetables, and cotton (Casper, 10). The fourth region is the Mississippi Delta States, which is the master of rice, cotton, corn, and sugar cane (Casper, 10). These 4 regions make up the eastern seaboard farming area.
Moving west there are 3 more major farming regions making up the western farming area of the United States. The Great Plains region of the United States is known for growing wheat and is called the Breadbasket of the United States (Casper, 10). Next comes the Rocky Mountain States, which, due to the rugged land they live on, raise cattle and sheep, and grow potatoes and hay (Casper, 10). The final region of the country is the Pacific States which are known for producing potatoes and cotton, and dairy farming (Casper, 10). The most important part of both farming and ranching is that the farmer or rancher must know the climate, soil and the crop or livestock they raise. Without this crucial knowledge, all the technology in the world will not make a successful farm (Casper, 10). This shows that the success of the farm still relies on the knowledge and hard work that are put in day in and day out by the farmer.
The Dust Bowl of the 1930’s almost destroyed the agriculture industry in the Great Plains. This disaster called the dust bowl was caused by the loss of topsoil due to erosion and over farming(Casper, 35). This was made even worse by the horrible drought that hit, which caused dust clouds to blow hundreds of miles, earning it the name the Dust Bowl. This caused many U.S. farmers and their families to move out of the farming business into other industry causing a lack of farmers(Casper, 36). The Dust Bowl caused many changes in the farming techniques, such as crop rotation, contour plowing, and sting plowing (Casper ,36). These techniques were developed to prevent a second Dust Bowl and to prevent destruction of the land.
Today in the United States the farmers and ranchers use many conservation techniques (Casper, 37). In modern farming a very important part is land stewardship, which is the care of the land not just now but for the future as well. If this is done correctly it can prevent another tragedy like the Dust Bowl of the 30’s (Casper, 25). As the techniques and technology improve the framer must be able to deal with not only farming but also the land and his machines. The farmer must now adjust and be a mechanic and as these techniques progress farmers will have more jobs laid on their backs (Casper, 10). These techniques are helping the world to protect their lifeline, the land, and to prevent it from not being able to meet the demand that is put upon it.
In modern farming the main goal is max production and this is what the farmer must focus on this at all times. As population grows so does the demand for produce and livestock and this causes productivity to rise even higher and new technology to emerge (Casper, 77). This new technology and the rising food market allows for the equipment market to rise as well. The farm equipment market depends on the food market, which depends on the consumer (Anstork, 2). This means that the more the farmers can make the more they will spend on their equipment. Even though the market was down 3.3 percent in 2004 it is now starting to rise and is expected to climb for the next couple of years (Anstork, 1). The equipment companies now rely on private dealers to sell there products. The leading sales company in the U.S. is the Highland Sales Company (Anstork, 2). All of this however, depends on the hard work of the individual farmer.
Through out the world farmers use irrigation. There are many ways of irrigating land and all have their purpose. Irrigation is one of the most important parts of agriculture and there are different ways to acquire and move the water for crops (Casper, 72). Irrigation extremes allow for farming in the Western U.S. With out irrigation, agriculture would be impossible (Casper, 79). There are three ways of irrigating. The first is furrow irrigation, which uses water pumped into ditches to water the crops (Casper, 79). Then there is drip irrigation, which is where water is pumped into perforated pipe in the ground allowing for the water to drip out and water the plants (Casper, 79). The third way is spray irrigation, that uses a sprinkler system on wheels to spread the water over the land (Casper, 79). Irrigation has been used for thousands of years and remains a vital part of farming.
In modern life there are many more different aspects of life than a hundred years ago. For safety of the crops they grow and the consumers that buy them farmers now use pesticides extensively. Pesticides are complex chemicals that protect plants from bugs and insects that can damage and destroy crops (Casper, 81). There are two types of pesticides. One type is narrow spectrum which means they protect against a specific insect (Casper, 81). The other is broad-spectrum pesticide that protects against a wide variety of bugs, insects, and other crop damaging pests. As we evolve we rely less on the household for production and preparation of food and more on the framer (Berry, 51). This however allows for society to advance because the people no longer have to labor for food but can labor to advance themselves and their community (Berry, 55). In the 1970’s a major revolution occurred and the farm went from the way to feed your family to a major industry that is striving for perfection (Berry, 59,57). Agriculture is culture because it is what you eat, how you eat, and how much you eat (Berry, 60).
Farming is ever changing and is now relying on science to take the next step. In the Gila Wilderness outside of Arizona a group of scientists develop new and better techniques by testing them in this harsh environment (Ausube, 13). They have found that certain plants can survive side by side using different nutrients and not starving one another (Ausube, 19). These scientists are also working with genetic engineering, which became very popular in 1984 (Ausube, 163). Farmers in modern times have learned about what are known as fade crops and are only popular for a little while and these scientists are responsible for bringing this to farmers’ attention (Ausube, 149). Although these scientists have advanced the agriculture industry in many ways, they still accredit many techniques to the pilgrims (Ausube, 211).
Now that there is a threat of global climate change, biofuels are now stepping to the forefront as future power for cars and many other power needs. Biofuels are going to make a unique opportunity for the farm because not only will it make the fuel for the tractors cheaper but also they will be growing the fuel for the country, increasing their profits (Youngst, 2). Corn now has jumped from 2$ a bushel to 3$ a bushel which means farmers are already starting to see an increase in there profits (Youngst, 1). This rise in corn farming is expected to boost sales of 100 horsepower plus tractors and 4 wheel drive tractors because with out these tools corn can not be harvested (Youngst, 1). This biofuel rise may also cause the whole farm market to rise (Youngst, 2). Now that tractor dealerships are opening up in rural areas around the country tractor sales are beginning to rise (Anstork, 1). Now even the McCormick tractor, which has not been seen since the 1950’s, has surfaced again, making a new line of tractors (Anstork, 1). Now we are even seeing the production of a tractor that is capable of plowing 50 acres every hour (Anstork, 1).
The American Farm which changes day to day is the most productive in the world supplying not only its own country, but also many others with food products and other agricultural products. The American farm is affected most by the farmer and his choices on what is best for his land and his business (Briemer, 2). The American farm changes year to year to follow supply and demand by changing crops and production amounts so that there is not waste and a loss of profit (Briemer, 1). In the U.S. you have two kinds of land, the city and the farmland. The farmland is located around the city to supply it with the food it relies on to function (Tyler, 1). The use of this land is monitored by the U.S. Land and Utility agency which enforces the laws that have been put in place and to make sure that the land does not go to waste and that natural disasters are prevented (Tyler, 2). In the 1960’s we saw a huge farm boost due to population size (Breing, 2). This is what pushed the farmers to become an industry and function as one in order to feed the world and putting technology and prices where they are today (Breing, 2).
Agricultural technology and techniques have advanced over thousands of years and have allowed for the farm to become extremely more productive. It has gone from a garden supporting a small tribe, to a family farm supporting a small community, to an industrial power feeding an ever-expanding world (Briemer, 1). The farmer has gone from a simple person concerned only with plowing and his family, to one that is concerned with science, engineering, and climate, as well as the techniques that have been passed on to him (Briemer, 2). Agriculture is key to the growth of huge cities and big towns and these would have never been possible with out the proficiencies of the modern farm (Casper, 5). As John Stapleton said “The land is the most important thing to both the farmer and the market because with out it we die.” (Tyler, 2).