How many more acres can you work now?
Has your crop yield improved?
Is the extra cost worth it?
I need to come up with 3 questions to ask farmers about new machinery and farming techniques that helped them farm the Great Plains. I know the new machinery: a plow that made several furrows at once. Harrows, equipped with spring teeth to dislodge debris and break up the ground before planting, and automatic drills to spread grain. Steam-powered threshers, and corn huskers. But I have no idea what questions to come up with... any help?
4 answers
How much does this machinery cost? Assuming money was borrowed from the bank to buy it all, how do the loan payments compare with the monthly payments to the bank for the farm land and the house and barn?
Does the cost of this equipment force you to buy a much bigger farm than you wish to work to make enough money to buy the machinery? Can you make arrangements to share the machinery with neighbors and thereby avoid converging to just a few farmers but gigantic farms?
Does the type of machinery depend on what crop you are growing? If so does that encourage you to just grow one kind of crop instead of different crops for different purposes and seasons?
If you break the original grass with the plow and harrow, will the soil not erode in any rain in a rainy spell or even wind in dry weather?
B the way, I am from a fishing port, not a farm country, but thinking about this, our problems are very similar.
Does the cost of this equipment force you to buy a much bigger farm than you wish to work to make enough money to buy the machinery? Can you make arrangements to share the machinery with neighbors and thereby avoid converging to just a few farmers but gigantic farms?
Does the type of machinery depend on what crop you are growing? If so does that encourage you to just grow one kind of crop instead of different crops for different purposes and seasons?
If you break the original grass with the plow and harrow, will the soil not erode in any rain in a rainy spell or even wind in dry weather?
B the way, I am from a fishing port, not a farm country, but thinking about this, our problems are very similar.
Thank you guys.
You are welcome ;)
1 answer