Current Agricultural Trends
Including a Brief History Lesson
Lisa Tronchetti
&
Ryan Steffensen
Outline
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A Brief History
Current Agricultural Trends (Including US Comparisons)
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Population and Expansion
Machinery
Row Crop Production
Livestock Production
Forestry
Renewable Energy
Future Outlooks
A Brief History: 11th-14th Century
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Cultivation=Expansion
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4 million to 12 million people
New Settlements
Three Field System
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More fruit and vegetable production
More wine production!
A Brief History: Land Ownership Issues
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Land Ownership
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Manor Lords
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Estate Owners
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Western Germany
More Freedoms
Eastern Germany
Closer ties to owners
Inheritance
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Effects on farm size and growth
A Brief History: The Liberation
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1790-1850
Paved the way for market oriented
agriculture
3 Things Occurred
1.
2.
3.
Discharge
Division and Coupling
Eliminated barriers to land possession
A Brief History: The Third Reich
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1933-1945 Third Reich Policy
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Joining the NS
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Greatly influences agriculture
After being in a economic decline for many years
NSDAP
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Agricultural pare of NS
Designed to better represent farmer
Used by the NS to reach own gains
Current Trends: Population and Expansion
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Germany: 1 farmer = 75 people fed
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Germany: 350,000 farms
Decreasing the # of farms, Increasing Size
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U.S.: 1 farmer = 100 people fed
Like trend in U.S.
Avg. Farm Size (Germany) App. 300 acres
Land Statistics
Current Trends: Machinery
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Came into use after WW1
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Tractor
Combine (harvesting equipment)
Lead to trend in larger farm size and fewer
farms.
Current Trends: Row Crop Production
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5 Top Products
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2.
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4.
5.
Sugar Beets
Wheat
Potatoes
Barley
Rapeseed
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Other Crops
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Maize (corn)
Soybeans
Rye
Fruits
Vegetables
Trend is moving away from traditional goods to corn and value added
products/organic (fruits and veggies).
Current Trends: Livestock Production
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Top 4 Livestock
1.
2.
3.
4.
Hogs
Cattle
Rabbits
Sheep
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Average Herd Size
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70 cattle
40 dairy
300 hogs
Current Trends: Forestry
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30% of Land
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Mostly private ownership
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High pollution hurts forests
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Quota System
Current Trends: Renewable Energy
6% Wind Energy
 Biodiesel
 Ethanol
 Wave Power
(something new)
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Future Outlook
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Globalization
Integration
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Increasing farm size
Off Farm Income
Shift to Corn Production
Wave Energy!
Conclusion
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History has greatly affected today’s
Agricultural practices
Agriculture is still growing and changing in
Germany
Trends are much like in the United States
The Future is Exciting!