Von Thunen’s Theories of Land Use and Agricultural Organization

•How is agricultural land organized?•How does this impact the cost of rent/purchasing land?

Land Use and Agriculture

Terms

Fallow – the practice of farming land, harvesting, tilling (but not planting), and repeating the cycle

CBD – central business district (town, city, hearth)

Bid rent – how much someone is willing to pay for a particular piece of land

Terms

Three-Field Farming—One third of the field is fallowed, while the other two parts are harvested in Spring and Autumn. One third is usually a grain—winter wheat or rye, one third is crops like beans, peas or lentils

Enclosed fields—you have crops in some fields and animals grazing in others. The fields are enclosed—fenced—to keep the animals from wandering into the wrong areas. Then you rotate the pasture and crop land

Johann Heinrich Von Thünen

Developed an agricultural model to explain the locations and costs of agriculture in and around a CBD

He used mathematics to explain the cost of farming in multiple environments

R = Y(p − c) − YFm

R = rent p = production costs

Y = yield c = market price

F = transportation costs

m = distance to market

Applications

By analyzing the consumer costs, production, and geographic limitations, Von Thunen’s model could help landowners and agriculturalists determine adequate rent for land and potential profits

This model can be been modified to take physical features into account (for instance the “model modified by river” diagram in your books on page 330)

William Alonso

William Alonso used von Thunen’s model to evaluate the cost of land in an agricultural region (or industrial center)

The farther away from the CBD, the less money people were willing to pay due to the limited access to the CBD

How can this be applied today?

Weaknesses

Assumed that all land had similar site characteristics and uniform quality

Failed to consider that social customs and government policies influence the attractiveness of plants and animals for a commercial farmer

Isolated state, surrounded by wilderness, no roads, transport is by ox cart

More Weaknesses:

Didn’t take into consideration

Roads

Railroads

Refrigerated Trucks

Other modern technology

Relevant?

Land costs are still more closer into cities

Transportation costs continue to be relevant

Consider the “Buy Local” movement

**It does have application today, but probably a bit of limited application

Art Project

Make one ring for each of Von Thunen’s rings

Each ring needs to state WHAT is grown there and WHY it is in that ring

Color each ring like the item that grows/pastures there

On the back of your largest ring, write down the failings and assumptions made in Von Thunen’s model. Why might it not work perfectly in every situation?

Art Project