If an ancient farmer were to somehow be transported to the present, he would be utterly confused. He would puzzle at how one man can control such a wild beast. A very large and very green machine that roars out black smoke as he rides on top. He would also wonder how the corn was so tall, or how the crops were planted in such beautifully straight rows. He would marvel at the extreme size of a farmers land and might say to him, "surely one man and his extended family cannot take care of all this land. How are you so efficient in the way you work?" The farmer would reply that it's because of modern technology that he can accomplish so much great work. But the farmer wouldn't mention that his children spend their days away from him at school, instead of on the farm helping their father. He also wouldn't mention that the nearest community is over 20 miles away, because the stench of his 4,000 pigs is too much for the town to be any closer. He also probably wouldn't mention that last year he accidentally sprayed manure into the towns local drinking water supply, killing several species of fish and contaminating the water for days."
With the rise of the industrial revolution, farming advanced indefinitely, with an inability to ever return to the way things once were. Previously, farming was a family affair, with several children and family members working day in and day out to keep the farm up and running. Now the majority of the work can be done by an unmanned machine that uses GPS navigation to locate itself. So if farming has changed so drastically, what effects is it having on families in rural communities?
Several factors could play into the effect of factory farms on rural communities such as environmental factors, economical factors, population size, sanitation effects, ethical effects, and family values to name just a few.
The Midwest is a great place to find our answers because here we find the greatest concentration of animal factory farms. According to factoryfarmmap.org, in 2012 Iowa had the greatest number of hog and lay farms (farms that harvest eggs) than any other place in the United States.
Factory farms have both a negative and positive effect on rural communities. While wages have increased offering a better payout for farmers and their families, many environmental factors beg the question of the higher paychecks being worthwhile.
“Factory Farm Map -.” Factory Farm Map, www.factoryfarmmap.org/#animal:hogs;location:US;year:2012.
With the rise of the industrial revolution, farming advanced indefinitely, with an inability to ever return to the way things once were. Previously, farming was a family affair, with several children and family members working day in and day out to keep the farm up and running. Now the majority of the work can be done by an unmanned machine that uses GPS navigation to locate itself. So if farming has changed so drastically, what effects is it having on families in rural communities?
Several factors could play into the effect of factory farms on rural communities such as environmental factors, economical factors, population size, sanitation effects, ethical effects, and family values to name just a few.
The Midwest is a great place to find our answers because here we find the greatest concentration of animal factory farms. According to factoryfarmmap.org, in 2012 Iowa had the greatest number of hog and lay farms (farms that harvest eggs) than any other place in the United States.
Factory farms have both a negative and positive effect on rural communities. While wages have increased offering a better payout for farmers and their families, many environmental factors beg the question of the higher paychecks being worthwhile.
“Factory Farm Map -.” Factory Farm Map, www.factoryfarmmap.org/#animal:hogs;location:US;year:2012.
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