GCSE Revision - Agriculture - Arable & Sheep

Farming in the UK

Hill Sheep Farming in the Lake District
In the upland areas of Britain, sheep farming is the main farming activity due to the difficult conditions and human factors. Breeds of hill sheep, e.g. Swaledales, can survive the extremes of weather and poor quality pasture.

Characteristics of a hill sheep farm
Three zones of land use

  • The Fell - the tops of the hills over 300m altitude - sheep graze on this open land in the summer.

  • The Intake or Lower Slopes - divided into fields by dry stone walls - some pasture is improved by adding drainage and fertilizers

  • The Inbye - the small area of land on the valley floor close to the farm buildings - more fertile soils and sheltered. Used for lambing, shearing etc, and for growing some winter fodder crops

Recent Problems

  • Hill sheep farming is not always profitable

  • The threat of removal of subsidies from the E.U.

  • Costs, e.g. fuel, machinery, fodder have all risen but lamb prices in the 1990's have collapsed

  • Fewer young people want to carry on sheep farming

  • Conflicts with tourists and National Park Authorities

Changes and Improvements

  • New breeding stock to improve the quality and quantity of meat and wool

  • Greater use of fertilizers to improve the quality of the pasture

  • EU subsidies and grants to encourage conservation of dry stone walls, natural pastures, stone barns and hedgerows

  • Grants for new farm buildings so lambing can be done indoors

  • Diversification of farms to do organic farming, other animals such as deer/goats or non farming activities such as camping, sports activities and forestry

  • Some farms have been sold as second homes

Dairy Farming

  • Mainly found in the west and central UK

  • On gently sloping ground

  • Usually heavy clay soils

  • Mild and wet climate

  • Size is often 150 hectares with a herd of about 100milking cows

  • Machinery will include tractors, ploughs and hay cutting

  • Labour will consist of the farmers family

  • Output is mainly milk

Market Gardening

  • Located usually near large towns

  • Usually on flat well sheltered land

  • Soil is usually fertile loams

  • Climate is warm in summer with not too much rain

  • Farming is intensive with small area of land

  • Usually a small number of workers with a lot of specialised machinery

  • Output is mainly salad crops, fruit and vegetables

 

Arable Farming in East Anglia
The main type of farming found un East Anglia is Arable due to the gently sloping ground which allows large scale use of machinery, deep fertile soils usually consisting of boulder clay, an ideal climate of warm dry summers and cool winters which kill off bugs and encourage ripening in the summer

Changes in Arable Farming

  • Chemicals - have allowed the continuous production of wheat and Barley to be grown by using fertilisers and pesticides/herbicides to increase production

  • Land Reclamation - To produce more and more yields, hedges have been removed, fields enlarged, marshes drained, woodland cleared and hills flattened to make the area ideal for crop growing

  • Improved Buildings - Drying sheds have been built to store grain to protect the harvest

  • Mechanisation - Fields were increased in size to allow larger machines such as combine harvesters etc  to operate more easily. Also farms were joined together to increase profit margins and buy fertilisers etc more cheaply - This is called economy of scale

The Physical Factors affecting East Anglia

Links - Revision DVD - The changing Countryside
                                 - Subsidies

Common Questions

  • Using an example, explain what changes have taken place on a farm you have studied

  • Describe and explain the pattern of farming in the United Kingdom

  • What are the factors that make East Anglia suitable for Arable farming

  • For an extensive farming system you have studied explain the physical and human factors that affect this type of farming