1. Ranching
1.1. Ranching is the fourth and final ring in the model and furthest from the market
1.1.1. Furthest from market because of necessity for grazing
1.1.2. Began in Southern States such as Texas and made cowboys famous
1.1.2.1. Drove cattle north through Texas on the Chisholm Trail and to a railhead in Kansas where they were shipped to cities and sold
1.1.3. Began in the 1880's due to demand for animal products (and increased pay) in East Coast cities
1.1.4. Grazing is the main activity practiced in these peripheral areas
1.1.4.1. Land on the periphery is not suitable for plants and so it becomes space for animals to graze
1.1.4.1.1. This land is becoming further away from the market as irrigation and fertilizers create ways to plant crops on nonarable land
1.1.5. These areas specialize in only one or two animals ex. cows and sheep
1.1.6. Peripheral areas are a good fit for pastoralism because the animal products can be frozen and taken long distances to the consumer
1.1.6.1. This is due to advancements in transportation which allow all the areas around the market to be larger than ever before
1.1.6.1.1. Creates climate for globalization to occur
1.1.6.1.2. Frozen meat and poultry can be shipped globally but fresh meat products must be in stores within 2 days of butchering
1.1.7. The predecessor to ranching was pastoral nomadism which is being practiced in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
1.1.7.1. Pastoral nomadism and the caretaking of livestock occupies roughly a third of the Earth's unfrozen land area
2. Concept
2.1. landscape
2.1.1. assumes the landscape and surrounding area is all the exact same
2.1.1.1. ex. potable water access, arability of land
2.1.2. realistically land is rarely completely uniform, but conceptually can still be applied in nearly any area
2.2. application
2.2.1. can work on any scale, regionally or globally
2.2.2. form of commercial agriculture; providing for others through sale and trade
2.2.2.1. seen in cash crop economies in which agriculture is raised for profit
2.3. the four rings
2.3.1. the model breaks the landscape down into four categories in concentric circles with different agricultural sectors occupying each
2.3.1.1. These rings are the other 4 main branches, dairy/intensive farming, forests, ranching, and extensive field crops
2.3.2. the sectors requiring more space and with easier transportation are found further from the market
2.3.2.1. more land can be cheaply purchased further from the central market whereas land is far more expensive closer to the market
2.4. central city/market
2.4.1. central location found in the middle of the model
2.4.2. as the model can be applied on any scale this market could be a local market, city, or entire region
3. Forests
3.1. second ring from the central market
3.1.1. close land is necessary because lumber is heavy and difficult to transport
3.1.1.1. Distant transportation would cause expenses to surpass revenue
3.1.2. in high demand
3.1.2.1. Increased demand allows prices to increase
3.1.2.2. demand has decreased over time; not as prevalent in today's economy, though it is still very widely used in manufacuring
3.1.2.2.1. 1.6 billion people globally depend on forest products for their livelihood
3.1.2.3. used extensively for construction and fuel
3.1.2.3.1. today has expanded to include paper, furniture, and other specialized products
3.1.3. time period
3.1.3.1. as the model was created in the 1800's, the prevalence of logging has changed drastically
3.1.3.1.1. Logging is still a major, common occurrence, though proportionally it has decreased among other industries
3.1.3.2. Today, it is estimated that 18 million acres of forests are cut down annually
4. 🌾Intensive Farming/ Dairy
4.1. 🌱Intensive Subsistence Agriculture is a form of subsistence agriculture where farmers must use very large amounts of effort to produce the maximum possible yield from a piece of land.
4.1.1. Often found in densely populated parts of East, South, and Southeast Asia and usually done to support family. Much of the work is done by hand or with the help of animals.
4.1.1.1. 🍚Wet Rice Dominant
4.1.1.1.1. done by planting rice on dryland in a nursery then moving the seedlings to an intentionally flooded field (sawah/paddy)
4.1.1.1.2. Southeast China, East India, and Southeast Asia
4.1.1.1.3. heavily labor intensive and involves many steps but yields a lot of food from a small portion of land to support many people
4.1.1.1.4. usually requires humid low-latitude or warm mid-latitude climate as well as flat terraced land for paddies
4.1.1.2. 🌾Wet Rice Not Dominant
4.1.1.2.1. usually in cold mid-latitude regions with very low precipitation and harsh winters, such as the interior of India, northeast China, southern Mexico
4.1.1.2.2. Wheat and barley are usually the most important cereal grains, followed by others like millets, oats, and maize. These areas also grow cash crops like cotton, flax, hemp, and tobacco.
4.1.1.2.3. This method also uses land intensively and relies especially on the concept of crop rotation, which is the practice of rotating use of different fields for different crops to avoid using up nutrients in the soil.
4.2. 🥛Dairy Farming
4.2.1. mostly found near urban, developed areas
4.2.1.1. most in Northeast U.S., Southeast Canada, and Northwest Europe
4.2.1.2. India is the world's largest milk producer
4.2.1.3. since milk is highly perishable, it has to be close to its market (urban areas)
4.2.1.3.1. milkshed - the ring around a city where milk can be supplied from without perishing
4.2.1.3.2. milksheds have grown with better transportation
4.2.1.3.3. dairy farms farther away from urban areas usually use their milk to produce butter, cheese, or dried milk rather than selling fresh milk
4.2.2. Although it is less common in LDCs, it is growing rapidly
4.2.2.1. In 2005, LDCs produced 44% of the world's dairy products, while making up about 75% of the world's population
4.2.3. highly labor and resource intensive as well as harmful to the environment
5. Extensive field crops
5.1. Extensive Field Crops constitute the third ring from the market
5.1.1. Due to reaching decreasing marginal returns at a faster rate from being located further away from the market, farming is not as intensive as it is closer to the market.
5.1.2. The field crops mainly consist of grains
5.1.3. Von Thunen mainly intended for this land to be used to grow cash crops
5.1.3.1. The main Cash Crop during Von Thunen's time was rye
5.1.4. Grains can be used to produce breads, cereal, and pasta
5.1.5. In addition to being light, it is pliable and able to be cut into smaller pieces
5.1.6. A major reason for crops being cultivated in the third ring is due to rental costs for land being cheaper on the outer edges, so the money saved is able to offset the costs of transportation
5.1.6.1. Grains are also suitable to be placed in the third ring as they do nonperishable goods