What Is The Difference Of Today's Farmers And The Pass Farmers?

Question

For History :)

Answer 1

today's farmers feed many more of us per acre then past farmers. thank you farmers.

Answer 2

As an environmentalist, I see a lot of differences, good as well as bad. Lets talk about the farmer of the past.

Farmers of the past had a lot of hardships and problems compared to today. the following points would be fair enough to emulate their lifestyle.

1. Land holdings were small, mostly worked on other peoples land.

2. Used animal power for work, hence slow rate of work

3. used indigenous varieties of crop, organic fertilizer, little or no pesticide, usually organic,

4. most of the crop used fall prey to insects, disease and weeds.

5. low yields, lower quality of crop

6. dependence on rains

Compare this with the farmers of today:

1. high yielding hybrid seeds/crops

2. mechanised farming for faster work

3. large land holdings (only in developed countries)

4. better finance options (govt schemes and subsidies)

5. inorganic pesticides, insecticides and weedicides

6. farmer's markets

7. irrigation, wells etc

Although the picture looks good, the long term effects are not. insecticides are no longer effective, in fact they are affecting us. weeds are growing resistant. loss of yield due to lack of organic matter in the soil. inorganic fertilisers are turning soil saline. Wells drawing out huge quantities of water are depleting ground water. indigenous crop varieties are disappearing leading to reduction gene pool.

in the past, organic fertilisers, dead weeds etc were returning nutrient to the soil. the food was tastier, even if the size was small. no long term adverse effects. ground water depletion within limits. I am not saying we have to return to that, but i think after achieving so much, we have the ability to achieve the best of both worlds.

Answer 3

todays farmers use heavy machinery, more chemicals and better land practices. Todays farmers have farming down to a science. Past farmers were relying on mother nature more than anything.... Todays crops are engineered to be high yeild...

hope that helps

Answer 4

Todays farmers are not as small as they were way back 30 years ago! They need to have corporations, ya know corporate farms, backing them up. And the best businessman is the best farmer nowdays.

Answer 5

Today's farmers use powered machinery. Farmers from the past use animals, such as ox, cattle, and horses to farm their land.

Answer 6

Pesticides, herbicides, un-natural fertilizer.