Scottsbluff, Nebraska is a small rural community in western Nebraska that developed based on the fundamentals of agriculture. As of 2012, the population of Scotts Bluff County was 36,964. From the total population, farmers make up a large percent of the individuals included in this population. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, there were 730 farms in Scotts Bluff County, located over a total of 360,286 acres of land. This makes the average farm size in 2007, 494 acres (Scotts Bluff County Nebraska, 2007). For most people, these numbers may not sound like anything significant, but for my hometown community, these farms have a significant impact on the area and are important for the development of our society.
Many people know Scotts Bluff County as one of the best crop growing areas in the state. According to the 2007 Census of Agriculture, the top five crops grown in Scotts Bluff County were corn, forage, beans, sugar beets, and wheat. In fact, the quality and rates of bean production were so good in 2007 that Scotts Bluff County earned a number one ranking out of the entire state of Nebraska, and a number two ranking for the production of sugar beets. (Scotts Bluff County Nebraska, 2007).
In order for Scotts Bluff County to maintain these exceptional production rates, several different factors come into play for contributing to the successful outcome of the crop production in this area. One factor that plays an important role in the production is the amount of water resources that are available in Scotts Bluff County. If farmers are unable to get the quantity of water necessary to grow their crops, the crops will begin to suffer damage, resulting in a lower rate of crop production and profit. Therefore, in ...
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...our acceptance of different types of individuals and their beliefs. Furthermore, learning more about different types of influences and cultures.
Having a hometown developed from agriculture, and a hometown that has shaped into a diverse community, has given me the opportunity to not only observe and learn many different perspectives of farm life, but to learn about other cultures as well. In addition, living in a smaller rural area has also been nice because it gives you the ability to be able to get away from the hustle and bustle of an urban area and just be able to be out in an open and peaceful environment. Yet, if you do want to go to town for something you need or for entertainment, you do not have far to go and does not take long to get there. However, it is always good to be home on the farm to enjoy the open blue sky or a nighttime sky full of stars.
To begin with, the Utopian Community Brook Farm, was one of the most famous experiments in the U.S. that lasted for five years. The Brook Farm Community was created to bring human relationships together. Brook Farm consisted of a schooling system and physical laboring.The idea of the farm was created for people to have individual freedom as well as having a civilized relationship with one another. According to George Ripley, the founder of Brook Farm, "The purpose of his community was, in effect, to overcome the tensions and contradictions that, up until, had plagued human beings in the world." The Community members on the farm had to work for their way. The members of the farm received a fair amount of the excellent education Brook Farm had to offer. You were not judged by your class or wealth within the community for the sake of your education; however, everyone was given education evenly. The members were allowed to retain their own private land in the community. Brook Farm did not deprive the members of their own individuality and of their privacy.
...rn Alabama. Almost 10,000 acres of commercial citrus was grown in Mobile and Baldwin counties by 1920. In recent years Alabama farm income from cattle exceeded that from cotton. Alabama's landscape today is dominated by woodlands, pine plantations, scattered pastureland, and small rural and suburban homesteads that stretch between major metropolitan areas. Few modern Alabamians depend totally on agricultural production for their livelihood, but as of 2005 there were 43,500 farms on 8.6 million acres that sold over $3.3 billion worth of commodities” (Mitchell, 2007). The wiregrass region is agriculturally diverse producing cotton, peanuts, poultry, cattle, some vegetables, and forestry products. Following cotton, peanuts dominated the Wiregrass during most of the twentieth century. Therefore, Alabama and the Wiregrass agriculture continues growing for you and me.
agricultural development, they wanted to earn their own living on their own land. The homesteader's felt that by moving to the West would provide them wonder and promise. Loy states, (2001, p.45), Shane' shows the coming of wheat farmers who fenced in the open range to protect their crops.' Shane' portrays the on-going conflict between the homesteaders and the ranchers. The ranchers who occupy the tiny town and are led by greedy Mr Ryker feel the land taken by the homesteaders is their land. The ranchers increasingly terrorise the homesteaders in hope that they will disperse from their homes.
Harvey Parnell speech on crop conditions, 1931. Harvey Parnell Speeches and Clippings (MS/P24), folder 3. Special Collections, University of Arkansas Libraries, Fayetteville.
The nature of the Southern Plains soils and the periodic influence of drought could not be changed, but the technological abuse of the land could have been stopped. This is not to say that mechanized agriculture irreparably damaged the land-it did not. New and improved implements such as tractors, one-way disk plows, grain drills, and combines reduced plowing, planting, and harvesting costs and increased agricultural productivity. Increased productivity caused prices to fall, and farmers compensated by breaking more sod for wheat. At the same time, farmers gave little thought to using their new technology in ways to conserve the
During the 1930s many families were encouraged to move into the Southern plains and begin farming. This push for more farming and even new methods of farming came from the government’s efforts to get past the depression, produce more crops, and boost the economy. Farming would help these families...
The dust bowl has a long history for its impact on agriculture. Starting around the early 1930s, the dust storms were becoming visible in the middle region of the United States (Ganzel, 2003). This middle region was known to farmers as the Great Plains, which consisted of several states such as Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico (Ganzel, 2003). These middle states were recognized for the farmers who grew wheat. Farmers worked day and night to establish large wheat fields in the Great Plains. The fields of the Great Plains were mainly grown with wheat, for it was the crop that farmers thought will lead them to a wealthy life (Documentary, 2014). Unfortunately, the land of the Great Plains was being overran by too many wheat fields. To make matters worse, farmers did not know what good agricultural techniques were; as a result, the land was tilled, over-plowed and abused (Documentary, 2014). The farmers did not know that the land has its limits, and ignoring it will have a consequence. In this case, the consequence was the dust bowl.
On one of my parents’ first dates together, my father described cattle they drove past as “amazing creatures” telling my mother someday he would like to have land and livestock of his own. That wish to transition from the big city to the country led him to buy a house in the middle of nowhere Indiana, soon raising his own amazing livestock. Growing up, I often complained about the amount of work living on a farm entailed, from cleaning pens to taking care of my 4-H animals. But my dad never complained because such duties were his reward for starting an idea from scratch. Following his footsteps in pursuit of a dream of my own, I chose to attend a large university where I studied abroad to contrast and challenge my rural perspective. Through that transition, I began to respect the difficulties my father experienced following his goal. And while the responsibilities he undertakes are stressful and uncertain, I now
...elopment of diverse understanding through my life. I found that The further you explore and understand your own culture, you will be better prepared to face counseling issues in other cultures while avoiding possible pitfalls like bias.
Agriculture relies on water just as much as it relies on the land. The different sectors of agriculture, livestock and crop production, seem to be divided by the Missouri River. The landscape and the soil type have determined that livestock should be raised in the west while crops should be raised in eastern South Dakota. Farmers and ranchers have developed an industry that produces
The two major communities that individuals live in are urban and rural. Both types have both positive and negative aspects. The focus of this paper is on rural communities. From my research rural environments are not as popular as urban ones; however, the citizens who live in these communities are very happy with the lifestyle they chose. The word rural is generally associated with communities that lack accessibility to public services such as transit, shopping, and entertainment. This is generally used in communities where farming is a primary occupation. In my study I interviewed three individuals who identify as living in a rural community.
You all live in a small town, so you know what it's like to be here! It's like a quaint community, a family you can spend your life with. They are way better for living and raising children. Also in the rural areas, you can look out your window and see nature, not a whole bunch of cars. There are so many reasons why a small town is better.
As farmers and small farming communities become more and more distanced from the land and one another, a greater dissatisfaction results in the farmer's perception of his/her life. In Kent Meyers' novel, "The River Warren," Two-Speed Crandall becomes a victim of this trend. To understand why this dissatisfaction is becoming more prevalent, we must look at the decline of more traditional methods of farming in favor of contemporary agriculture. Also, we must explore the disintegration of community in the lives of rural farmers. These two factors are inevitably correlated; a transition to industrial, corporate farming leads to the farmer feeling less a part of a farming community.
...al to have an open mind to be able to gain insight toward learning new information and to gain new perspectives toward the other culture. Every group of people or country has their own issues that can impact its cultural beliefs, values, and attitudes. If a person has not had to face oppression, understanding how to relate to another person can be challenging. A person’s positions will impact his or her interests toward resolving issues. The expectations about others will affect everyday relationships. We all make mistakes, but minimizing conclusions and stereotypes will help to gain the trust of the other person.
Sandra Postel, on the other hand, has a different opinion than Danielle’s. She proposed that “without increasing water productivity in irrigation, major food-producing regions will not have enough water to sustain crop production”.