Jordan Martin 7B

AP Human Geography

Agriculture & Rural Land Use The von Thunen Model

A Portion of Each Crop is Eaten By the Wheels!- von Thunen. Germany, 1820s. Part 1: Please read the section on the von Thunen model in your textbook and the attached readings in your case study packet to answer the following (on separate paper): 1) Identify and briey discuss three factors which inuence the choice of crops produced by commercial farmers? Commercial farmers like to grow fruit because it has a long growing season, humid climate, and is accessible to big markets, like ones in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington.

2) What is the signicant connection of dairying to the idea that the commercial farmer needs to have proximity to the market? Dairy spoils quickly, so being closer to the market means the consumer can have the dairy longer without it going bad. 3) Which two costs is the commercial farmer most concerned with? The cost of land and the cost of transporting the goods to the market. 4) Explain why distance to market is so critical according to von Thunen? It helps decide which crops to grow and what animals to raise. 5) According to von Thunen, there are SIX assumptions that need to be in place related to the production of agricultural products. Pick any THREE and discuss using examples (past or present) from class discussions and the attached texts where these assumptions may or may not be valid? Transportation equally possible in all directions -it might be the same distance in all directions, but that doesn't mean it's equally possible in all directions. You could have an obstacle in one direction that's not in the other. Transportation costs are directly related to distance -that is true because the cost to transport something is greater the farther away you are, so if your distance grows, the price grows. Farmers are rational and opt for those types of agriculture that produce the greatest locational rent - this makes since because people are always going to do the thing that gets them more money, and if different types of agriculture produce different amounts of locational rent, then they will do the one that gives them the most prot.

6) Briey describe which specic crops were produced in each ring of von Thunens model and why they were located in the ring they were? -intensive farming and dairying. This is where they farmed and made dairy and it is closest because those were the things that needed to be transported to the market the quickest. -forest. This is located in the second ring because the wood/timber is very hard to move because it is so heavy. They needed this because the wood and timber is used for fuels and building materials. -increasing extensive eld crops. This is in the third ring because it is much lighter than wood and saves longer than dairy. It is logical to have them that distance for thee reasons. -ranching, animal products- this is located in the last ring because you don't have to move the animals, and they don't have an expiration date at all. You can get them to walk to the city and them butcher them whenever you're ready.

1. In relation to the application of von Thunens model and associated assumptions, both past and present: Please answer the following: a. From your reading, your collaborative analysis and associated interpretation, identify and discuss a specic agricultural example in which the process of production to consumption supports von Thunens assumptions noted from the reading and your associated interpretation. -von Thunens model works if you look at a product like milk. Milk needs to be up there close to the market because of how fast it goes bad. In today's time, you have maybe 2 weeks to drink milk without it going bad. Back then, without good refrigeration, you probably had less. So I think von Thnen was correct for that part.

b. From your reading, your collaborative analysis and associated interpretation, identify and discuss a specic agricultural example in which the process of production to consumption does not support von Thunens assumptions noted from the reading and your associated interpretation. -Von Thnen's model does not work for something like ranching, and animal production. Sometimes, you can't just get animals to walk to the market. Not to mention, if once they are fattened up, they might not be able to make the walk to the city. So I think von Thnen was incorrect for that part.

c. From your reading, your collaborative analysis and associated interpretation, does the process of modern agribusiness and vertical integration support the premise of von Thunens locational theory of agriculture? -in some ways yes and in some ways no. Because of the technology we have today, his theory of things being close to the market for non spoiling doesn't really matter. We have refrigerated trucks and goods can move faster. He was correct though about

farmers wanting to maximize their prot, because people today want more money if more money is available to earn.

Cotton Wheat Dairy Corn

29 20 44 18 40

23 15 28 6 0

17 10 12 0 0

11 5 0 0 0

5 0 0 0 0

Vegetables

Reection: I never thought the Von Thnen model could be that deep. I thought it was where things should grow to be the most logical. I think it was harder than it needed to be because the assignment was confusing to read. It had a lot of uff, which made the assignment harder.