Farming on flat land whY?

Question

Could you also if you can explain the systems and patterns that occur on a dairy farm thank you very much!

Answer 1

Farms were established on flat land because it is the most fertile and the easiest to farm. Flat land is less susceptible to water erosion. It is the easiest to irrigate if needed. Flat land is not the only land that is farmed, though, by any means, in many cases hills are the only land available to farm, and in other cases, sloping land is preferred. For orchards and vineyards hilly land is better because cold air, like water, flows down hill because it is heavier than warm air. In cases like early Spring or late Fall frosts, being on a hillside can save the crop, where on flat land you might loose it. The flat and gently sloping land is better for grain and legume crops. Were hilly land is used for pasture and to raise livestock.

Answer 2

Because it is a lot easier for plants to grow on flat land, then it is for plants to grow on a hill or no-flat land.

Answer 3

The main reason for farming flat land is water.  

If slopes are steep, water will rush down the hill.  This leaves much less moisture for plants at the top of a hill.  The problem with keeping water on a hill is compounded by erosion as water rushes down a hill.  Today, sprinklers allow us to farm ground that was impossible to cultivate with flood or furrow irrigation, but there are still limits to how well the soil can prevent the water from moving downhill.

As the first answer mentions, soil also rolls down hill.

A smaller reason (but it would be serious if not for the water problem) for farming flat land is the difficulty of planting, tending, and harvesting on slopes.

Dairy farms are very systematic and organized.  Animals are fed, moved, and milked at the same time every day.  On a hypothetical dairy, you would milk pen A at 5AM, milk pen B at 5:30, milk pen C at 6AM, then you would feed pen A at 6:30, pen B at 7, pen C at 7:30.  While these cows are in the milking barn, somebody (that's not milking them) will usually go to thier empty pens and clean them up.  After the milking is done you would go to pen D (where cows are pregnant) and care for them (feed, deliver babies), then you would go to pen E (where cows are trying to get pregnant) and care for them, then you would go to pen F where cows are resting.  Then you would have a little time to fix any problems and maybe take a break, then you would start your evening milking cycle at 5PM.  You will also rotate your cows in the pens - usually based on what happens in pen D.  If a cow has a calf, it moves to pen A,B, or C and a cow that has been milking the longest moves to pen F and a cow that has rested for a week or two moves to E, and a cow from E that is fat and pregnant moves to D.

And that is just the part about the cows.

The farm is layed out so that pens A, B, and C open to the milk barn, but every pen opens to the one next to it, and they are usually lined up in a block ::: so that A and F are also next to each other too.  

So, that is basically the simplest dairy layout I can think of.

Answer 4

If you look at water, it is always level.

Most farming soils are alluvial soil formed from eroded rock and organic matter that has been washed down rivers. When the water speed slows down as the river widens, the loss of energy causes the soil particles to fall and build up.

This occurring for thousands of years will give you a flood plain perfect for farming

Answer 5

One of the best reasons for farming flat is that that is where the good soil ends up for the most part. Hills and mountains tend to loose their soil to the effects of gravity and water runoff. Not always the case though. When I lived in Germany I was fond of wandering the vinyards along the Nekkar River. One side was flat farmland but across the river was steeply stepped vinyards with flatland again at the top. Interesting to note that the upper flat area was divided in this location to large garden plots. If you were a city dweller or had no good land at your residence and wanted a nice garden plot (being that gardening is ranked near #1 in off time pursuits) you rent country plots with a little shed for weekend recreation. But, as I said, the whole river side hills were stepped for vinyard production, and stepping/ terracing is quite common around the world, a necessity where farm land is needed irregardless of terrain. Also, in this more mechanized society, farm equipment does better on the plain, not on a slope. Larger expanses are best for huge monocultures that are mechanized. In lieu of flat land, a stepped hillside makes for huge amounts of space with the benefit of good sun exposure. The requirement is that terracing is quite an engineering feat to attempt and not all areas work well. Many are too rocky or low in good soil having lost it to the valley below. Altitude makes for colder regions so that is an important consideration, but in a very hot region, it does provide for an important cool region growing niche. Its all in the location and the need of the people. As in the case of some European countries, land is costly and at a premium in these modern times. Frequently city areas are built close and tall with surrounding plains put to the plow. In the US huge areas of farm land were settled in the vast great plains areas, with population centers located first in the eastern seaboard, then the gulf coast cities, then the western seaboard (shipping centers originally). They have their farms also but those are found inland on the smaller plains where soil is better. It is the flat treeless grasslands that were turned to farming for their superior soils, not the woodlands until later when land claims left little else untouched. It is just how history of specific areas states; good land was flat and was farmed first, mostly still intact to this day if overfarming has not made it non productive (then broken up and sold).

Answer 6

CAMERON HIGHLANDS, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- R. Ramakrishnan, 40, is very vocal when he talks about development at Cameron Highlands, Malaysia's premier hill resort.

Ramakrishnan has every reason to be so as he was born and bred in the highlands and has seen and felt it all -- the changing landscapes, the disappearing lush greens and the warming climate.

He aspires to see the whole of Cameron Highlands gazetted as a living national park, similar to the Snowdonia National Park in Wales.

His growing concern for the preservation of the beauty, serenity and above all, the natural environment of Cameron Highlands at least will not be futile as he now has a platform to champion the cause.

Aptly called Regional Environmental Awareness Cameron Highlands or in short REACH, this community-based organisation was established in 2001 by a group of concerned Cameron Highlands residents at the height of the water shortage crisis that hit the highlands in the 90s.

"The water crisis was the prime reason for the setting up of REACH as everybody felt the strain and since we are talking about the environment, we decided to go all out as everything impacted the environment," Ramakrishnan, who has been REACH's president since its inception, told Bernama.

It was not at all smooth sailing for REACH in the beginning. It met opposition as more and more issues were highlighted but the members were not easily deterred.

The negative perception, Ramakrishnan said has somewhat changed over the years and "we are more accepted now not only by the government but also the local authorities."

IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT

Development is normally welcomed with open arms as it breathes hopes of more economic activities and better life for the people but REACH members cringe at the mere mention of this word.

To them, they had seen enough development and fear that the popular hill resort, discovered by government surveyor William Cameron in 1885, would be over-developed and will lose much of its serenity, tranquility and natural surroundings in the process.

"From 2001, when REACH was established, it has been our aim to conserve Cameron Highlands as an area of natural resources and as a natural heritage, a highland resort surrounded by permanent forest reserve and sustainable agriculture with quality drinking water," said Ramakrishnan.

"We're not against development but it must be sustainable. What are we going to leave behind for the next generation? The environment that we've borrowed from them? Are we going to destroy it or are we going to leave it in a good condition for them?" he asked.

He lamented on the many development projects that had come to his knowledge and is worried that they would worsen the water shortage that residents of Cameron Highlands are still experiencing.

As it is, according to him, the existing population of Cameron Highlands which is about 33,000 (another 20,000 is said to be foreign workers), is facing a daily shortage of 4 million litres of water and the situation worsens during holiday seasons.

"There was talk to build a new reservoir to overcome this water shortage and it was supposed to be operational in 2004 but until now we've not seen much progress," he said.

Ramakrishnan said he came to know about a list of 14 new projects for Cameron Highlands including a 2,093-unit mixed development project in Sungai Ruil (between Brinchang and Tanah Rata).

"Most of the proposed projects would be developed at the expense of clearing primary forest which plays a big role in collecting our water source.

"The sad thing is that these projects are not designed for the highlands and will heighten the degradation of the pristine highlands," he lamented further.

TOO MANY VEGETABLE FARMS

For the various vegetables it produces and sent to as far down south as Singapore, Cameron Highlands has earned its name as the "green bowl" of Malaysia.

Situated at a height of about 1,829 metres above sea level, the cool frost-free climate with temperatures ranging from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, beckons not only tourists but also people from the lowlands to venture into various types of farming.

On flat lands or hill slopes, the landscape is dotted with vegetable, flower and strawberry farms, to name a few. Some are neat and others are more of an eyesore, according to Ramakrishnan.

"For quite some time, no farms were allowed (to be located) above the reservoirs as the water is used for drinking but now you can find many of these farms positioned above the reservoirs," he said, adding that the massive clearing of slopes for farming above the designated areas took place in mid 80s.

He called on local authorities to keep close tabs on the highlands' farmers and not simply issue the TOL (temporary occupation licence).

Saying that the farming activities are getting out of control, Ramakrishnan recalled that previously, the farmers practised terraced farming and not only the farms were well managed, they had also prevented occurrence of landslides.

"The present farmers, legal or illegal, are from the lowlands and have no experience in terrace farming. The only type of farming they know is that used for flatlands. When they came, they flattened and ruined the whole place," he said.

RIVER WATCH

According to Ramakrishnan, there are about 126 rivers and tributaries in Cameron Highlands and only 10 per cent is within class 1 and 2 which means the water is fit for drinking.

The rest he said, are Class 3, 4 and 5 which means the water is not safe for consumption. "Class 5 is the worst, it is biologically dead and we have one such river which is Sungai Jasar that flows through Tanah Rata," he said.

Dr Liau Tai Leong, REACH vice-president has been tasked with keeping watch on the rivers of Cameron Highlands.

Born in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Dr Liau is formerly a government health officer assigned to Cameron Highlands in the 80s and had decided to stay after his service ended as he grew fond of living in the highlands.

"The many farms sprouting in and around Cameron Highlands are putting more pressure on the water crisis. Ninety per cent of the water from the 'clean rivers' (Class 1 and 2) is diverted for farming. Only the remaining 10 per cent is available for drinking and household consumption. We can't even turn on the heater at times," Dr Liau said.

He said that even "the clean water that is available is not clean".

"We have information that even the clean water that comes to the house contains the Escherichia coli bacteria, also known as "E.coli" (normally found in the faeces of animals and humans).

"We have informed the authorities and told them what they need to do is to move all the farms which are located on grounds above the reservoir. The latest test conducted shows an alarming increase in the number of E.coli bacteria in our drinking water," he said.

Last year, he said REACH had some Holland university students to help them with a study on upper Sungai Bertam. A second group of students from the same university is coming at the end of February to continue with other environmental studies.

Why foreign students and not the locals, one may ask? "We've tried but so far they're just not interested," Dr Liau said.

IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISMS

The more organisms you find in the river, the better the river is. This is how Dr Liau sums up his opinion on the river eco-system.

He showed the writer a bottle containing various organisms -- insect larvae, crabs, moth larvae -- those that can be seen with the naked eyes.

Dr Liau said once the water gets contaminated, then the variety of organisms would be reduced and only sewage-eating animals would thrive in the river.

"When the water gets polluted, you can only get sewage eating organisms in the river. The worst case in Cameron Highlands is Sungai Jasar. It's almost a dead river, the only thing you can find there is the sewage fungi and the red mosquito larvae," he added.

Ramakrishnan interjected, saying: "To pollute a river is very easy but to bring it back to its original form may not happen within our lifetime."

He also said most of the drains do not only cater for storm water (rain water) as they are supposed to but also waste water from the households before being discharged into the rivers.

"There's none going into the treatment plant, in fact there is no water treatment plant in Cameron Highlands. That's why, even if you do gotong-royong (concept of doing things together), you can never clean up the rivers as long as the drains keep discharging effluents into them.

"What's most important is we are the source. The water originates from here. If this situation continues, what can the people downstream expect?" asked Ramakrishnan.

He is not giving up hope though.

REACH, he said will continue to highlight the river issue and conduct gotong-royong until everybody is aware what is happening and what legacy they are leaving behind for the future generation.

"What we can do is to create awareness among the younger generation including school children with the hope that they would go back and convince their parents on what's happening and hoping for a change, that much we can do. We'll continue with our three community projects, i.e., Water Monitoring, Reforestation and Recycling.

PLANT POACHING

Plant poaching is another of great concern to REACH and in particular for Embi Abdullah, a member of REACH who himself is a wild orchid enthusiast.

According to him, poaching is becoming rampant in the highlands and the culprits are encroaching into the Cameron Highlands forest reserves.

These

Answer 7

Only fools farm on flat land!  They told Christopher Columbus the world was flat--  so he took a ship and learned those dumb farmers when he reached the new world w/o sailing over the edge.