Extensive farming

Some farms are very big.

On these farms, sheep and cows roam on grass. They do not need much help from people. Farmers use less money and fewer tools. This way of farming uses a lot of land.

Animals have lots of room to move. This helps them stay happy. It is also good for the soil. The land does not get hurt by too many chemicals. It is a kind way to farm.

Some farms cover very large areas of land. This way of farming is called extensive farming.

On these farms, people use less money and fewer workers. They also use less fertilizer to help plants grow. This type of farming works well in many places. It can happen in dry deserts or mid-latitude lands.

One way to farm is by grazing. This means animals like sheep or cattle eat grass in a field. Some herders are even nomadic. They move their animals to find new food after it rains.

Extensive farming has many good points. It is good for the animals. They have lots of room to move and are not in tight spaces. This can make their meat taste better. It is also good for the earth. It uses fewer chemicals, so the soil stays healthy. However, there are some hard parts too. These farms do not make as much food on each acre. They also need a huge amount of land to work. In parts of Australia, the land is so poor that only one sheep lives in each square mile.

Extensive farming is a way to grow food on very large pieces of land.

This method uses less labor and less money compared to the size of the farm. Farmers do not use as much fertilizer or capital on these lands. It is different from intensive farming, which uses more resources on smaller plots. This system helps people use land that might not be very rich. It is a way to produce food while using fewer tools and workers.

There are many ways this type of farming works. One common way is continuous grazing for sheep or cattle. In this system, animals eat grass in the fields all the time. Some people practice nomadic herding to find food. These herders move their animals to follow the rain. In other places, farmers grow large amounts of grain. They might grow wheat, barley, or crops for cooking oils. These farms are often very flat and spread out.

History shows us how different lands change how we farm. In the Murray-Darling Basin in Australia, the soil is very old and poor. Because the soil is old, the amount of food grown per hectare is low. However, the land is flat and the farms are huge. This means the work done by one person can produce a lot. In 1957, much of Western Australia had very poor pastures. At that time, only one sheep could live in each square mile.

Extensive farming has many special benefits for the world. It is often better for animal welfare because animals have more room. They are not kept in tight or stifling conditions. This can make the meat taste better for customers. It is also gentler on the local environment and the soil. This is because farmers use fewer chemicals that might damage the earth. Using native grass also helps prevent problems with exotic species.

There are also some hard parts to this way of life. These farms do not make as much profit per unit of area. They also do not produce as much food in the short term. Because these farms need so much space, they can limit where wild animals live. People once thought these farms produced more gases like methane. However, newer studies show these systems impact the environment less than intensive ones. One study found the carbon footprint of milk changed greatly between 1944 and 2007.

Extensive farming is a specialized agricultural production system. It is defined by its relationship to land area. This system uses small inputs of labor, fertilizers, and capital. These inputs are small relative to the massive amount of land being farmed. It stands in direct contrast to intensive farming. Intensive farming uses high amounts of resources on smaller plots of land. Extensive agriculture allows humans to use vast territories for food production.

The mechanism of extensive farming relies on natural processes and scale. In many systems, animals engage in continuous grazing. This means sheep or cattle eat grass in a field constantly. This method requires very low inputs and outputs. In other regions, the mechanism involves large-scale cropping. Farmers plant vast fields of wheat, barley, or grain for cooking oils. This works well in flat terrains where mechanization can be used effectively. Large machines can cover huge distances without needing expensive land changes like terracing.

There are several distinct types of extensive farming systems. Pastoralism and ranching are common methods for raising livestock. Some herders practice nomadic herding, which is an extreme version of this system. These herders move their animals to find feed from occasional rainfalls. Another type is transhumance, which involves moving livestock seasonally. There are also cropping systems used in specific environments. Examples include slash-and-burn agriculture or the Taungya system found in Myanmar. These methods adapt to the specific needs of the local environment.

Geography plays a major role in where these farms exist. Extensive farming is found in mid-latitude sections of most continents. It also occurs in desert regions where water is too scarce for intensive cropping. This system requires less rainfall than intensive farming methods. History provides a clear example of these environmental limits in Australia. In the Murray-Darling Basin, the soils are extremely old and poor. Because the soil is poor, the yields per hectare are very low. However, the terrain is flat and the farm sizes are very large. This means the yield per unit of labor remains high.

Historical data shows how extreme these environments can be. In 1957, much of Western Australia had very poor pastures. The land was so limited that it could only support one sheep per square mile. This demonstrates the low stocking rates possible in extensive systems. While these farms are less profitable per unit of area, they offer unique advantages. They require less labor per unit of area. They also help keep product prices lower due to labor efficiency. This allows for the production of food on a massive scale.

Extensive farming offers several benefits for animal welfare and the environment. Animals are not kept in stifling or crowded conditions. This freedom often leads to better meat quality for customers. Animals bred in these large areas also develop more efficiently. The ecological impact is generally lower than intensive systems. Farmers use fewer chemicals, so the local environment and soil are not damaged by overuse. If animals graze on native grassland, there are fewer problems with exotic species.

However, the system does face certain disadvantages and challenges. Yields are often much lower than intensive farming in the short term. Because these farms require so much land, they can limit the habitats of wild species. There were also historical debates regarding greenhouse gases. People once thought extensive farming produced more methane and nitrous oxide per kilogram of milk. One study looked at the carbon footprint of milk production. It estimated the footprint in 2007 was 37 percent of the 1944 level per billion kilograms. However, recent studies suggest that extensive livestock systems actually impact the environment less than intensive ones.