GEOG 2OC3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Maple Syrup, Arable Land, Agribusiness
Document Summary
Cerisus farm: agricultural holding which produces at least one of the following intended for sale: crops, li(cid:448)estock, poultry, a(cid:374)i(cid:373)al products, gree(cid:374)house/(cid:374)ursery, (cid:373)ushroo(cid:373)"s, sod, honey, maple syrup products. In 1931: 1/3 canadians lived on a farm, and the farming of one person could feed 10 people. Now 1/46 live on a farm, and one farmer can feed more than 120 people. The number of farms have decreased by almost half: 100 years ago, canadians spent 50 cents of each dollar earned on food, today we spend roughly 10 cents of each dollar earned on food. While average farm size has quadrupled in the last 100 years, the total population of farms has decreased, and the age of farmers are increasing. In 2001: 15% of farmers were older than 65, now 20% are older than 65. The increasing mechanization and industrialization of farming began post ww2 with the innovation and application of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, and big equipment like harvesters, combines etc.
