Farming is Agribusiness

What ladycat is referring to is a tree plantation, which is a planted, managed forest. Without looking it up, I think farming probably refers to food,fiber and this day and age probably ornamental plant production, whereas anything else grown refers to forestry. For example those pecan trees someone mentiones would be farmed, since they are being grown for the nuts, even though in the end they probably are cut for lumber.

Back to the OP, the smaller family farms that are left are certainly businesses. They are also a way of life distinctive from other livlihoods. I think when you start using the term "agribusiness" you are referring to a business where the people involved in running them do not think of their jobs as a way of life that is much different from the average city person in that they have 8 hour days, days off every week, etc. Their workers may not live that way, but the owners do. To me that's "agribusiness".

Jennifer

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-Northern NYS

I just read that reply again and I didn't say what you think I did. I said what *other* people tend to think, which is my impression of what they think judging from the conversations I've had over the years with city people.

True.

I wish I had pictures. My understanding is the species they use was brought from somewhere else (Europe?). When the trees are harvested, the land is cleared and new seedlings are planted in precise rows. You'll see one tract where all the trees are a foot tall, and another where they're all 6 foot tall and another where they're all 15 foot tall, and so on.

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Id say forestry is the tree equivalent of gathering wild plants like mushrooms and blackberries while tree farming is like corn farming,planting a crop with a definite plan for their cultivation and harvest.

Yes. But it is generally called a plantation, not a farm.

Tree Farmer Magazine:
http://www.treefarmsystem.org/cms/pages/25_14.html

Tree farming website:
http://www.innovativetreefarming.com/

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Farming is the oldest occupation of common right known to man.
Only a bureaucratic regime interested in it's complete dominion, or the gluttonous citizenry that such a regime relies on for it's power, would coin and embrace such a term as "agribusiness", and that only for the purpose of receiving entitlements or recognition-- both of which are despised and shunned by the authentic men of the soil......

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“I would remind you that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice! And let me remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Barry Goldwater.
III

Your attempt to justify that statement by using a forest as an example showed us where your thoughts were. Then you attempted to justify that gaffe by including Christmas trees since they are often grown on what is called a tree farm. Next we'll be hearing that petroleum tank farms are agribusiness. You've got some other big farms down there in Texas that I'd like to see the seeds needed to get one started.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power_in_Texas

Martin

That came up in the monoculture thought. But as another poster pointed out, it is more properly called a plantation than a farm. When I googled it, most references also pointed out it's more properly a plantation.

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Glad to see that we've cleared that up and that you DON'T really consider them as "corporate ag companies" as stated.

Martin

I repeat: The term agribusiness refers to more than just farming. And it has absolutely nothing, whatsoever, to do with entitlements. It has to do with the fact that there is a significant, agricultural sector of our economy that is not directly connected to dirt.

If you want to speak of those who are only in farming and ranching, the term is "production agriculture"


And BTW, no self-respecting rancher would ever refer to himself by the "F" word.

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~*~Erin~*~
SAHM, ranch wife, sub and quilt shop proprietress
the Back Gate Country Quilt Shop

LOL Both sites start with the words tree farming.....
So a plantation isnt a farm?

All in all Id say its a nitpicky argument .

LOL does "tiny majority" mean just over half ? In other words MOST?
I think most people seeing a single species of tree planted in rows instinctively know they are being farmed.
Lets see the use the agricultural suppliers of machinery , fertilizer,water , labor and fuel,and even get a farm tax exemption in some places ,Idsay that connects them to agribusiness.
When walking through one of these farms most people feel the absence of diversity in both plant and animal life and will often comment "its just not a forest its creepy"

No, I'm trying to find who those "conglomerates" are that own millions of acres of farmland and where they are at. Other than the US Government, no one person owns as much as 2 million and the biggest ranch is less than a million. If it takes millions of acres to be a "corporate ag company", I think that we'd all like to know where one of those are. The manpower alone to operate such a thing would be huge. I doubt if it could remain hidden in some remote county for long!

Martin

You quoted a statement which has nothing to do with if it can be called a farm or not. My statement concerned the difference between agriculture and forestry.

Martin

If you have no animals and you are strictly growing just a couple of grains you have a monoculture. Farms raise a wide variety of animals and feed that all rotate and feed and manure each other.

Have you ever heard the word hyperliteral? I think you are focusing way too intensely on Ladycat's statement which was obviously a bit of hyperbole. So let's say thousands of acres shall we?

We'll have to use Wiki again to not only accurately describe monoculture but at the same time distinguish between agriculture and forestry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monoculture

Martin

BUT, there are always the 10% who would believe it! The amount of misinformation that is dished out here at times is astonishing! That's been proven many times. If one has to consider a certain percentage of a contributor's input here as hyperbole, then it becomes a problem later in determining which is fact and which is fantasy.

Martin

I have no idea what your point is here?

No offense Martin but I'd be surprised if anyone here took that literally. I think we are all pretty well versed in the basics of agri-business and mega farms.

Even though no single entity may be over a million acres collectively they do. Besides your statistics are inaccurate. The ultimate Ownership of lots of places are hidden. A company that owns 10 companies each with a half million acres would show up as owning none while in reality it owned 5 million