Von Thnen Model Reection

Samantha McCall AP Human Geography 8B March 14, 2013 Part 1: 1. Three factors which inuence the choice of crops produced by commercial farmers are distance to travel with the crop, amount of space crop takes up, and the price of the crop. These would be factors that would effect if the farmer choose them because the distance effects how much it would cost to transport them, and that would effect the prot that they made, the amount of space the crop takes up limits the farmer to a certain amount of space and how much other space they have to grow crops, and the price of the crop effects if the farmer would choose it because it effects the prot they would make from the crop. 2. The signicant connection of dairying to the idea that the commercial farmer needs to have proximity to the market is that diary products require being close to the market (at least in the 1840s) because they didn't have refrigeration in the way of travel back then which is needed for diary products. 3. The two costs that the commercial farmers are most worried about are the cost of transportation and the cost if land. 4. "Distance to the market" is so critical, according to von Thnen, because transportation costs are directly proportional with the travel distance, and if you have a crop that requires refrigeration or is heavy, then you must be closer to the city, rather than if you raised cattle because they transport themselves to the market (or butchering). 5. The assumption that transportation is equally possible in all directions is invalid because there are intervening objects in the way of different places, enabling them to reach the market easily. The assumption that transportation costs a directly related to distance is valid because the further you have to travel the more that it will cost for you to travel there. The assumption that there is a homogenous physical environment is invalid because there are mountains and rivers that go through the different areas of cities. 6. In ring one, cows and goats would be raised to produce milk and other dairy products, they would be located here because they have to get to the market quickly so they don't spoil. In ring two, trees would be grown to produce lumber. They are located here because lumber is heavy and it would be a longer way to travel with it from further away. In ring three, corn and potatoes would be grown here because there is lots of

room for crop rotation and growing. In ring four, cows and sheep are raised. They are raised here because they have lots of room to roam around and they are able to walk themselves to the market. Part 2 (with Abigail Tempel): 1. a. An agricultural example that does support von Thnen's model is the rst ring because if you have a diary farm, far away from the market, then all of your product would spoil before you would make it to the market. b. An agricultural example that does not support von Thnen's model is if you have a goat farm in the mountains, it will be difcult for you to get the goats to the market, so Thnen's assumption that there won't be any environmental obstacles is not true for this situation. c.

A($)

2 miles 4m

6m

8m

10m

Cotton 0.25

100

0.60

0.03

29

23

17

11

Wheat 0.45

125

0.65

0.02

20

15

10

Diary

0.25

200

0.55

0.04

44

28

12

-4

-20

Corn

0.20

300

0.30

0.01

24

18

12

-70

Vegeta 0.20 bles

200

0.70

0.10

60

20

-20

-60

-100

Reection: In completing this assignment, I have learned more about the von Thnen model itself, and the advantages and disadvantages of it. This assignment helped me to better understand the model itself, and what each ring held. What I didn't like about the assignment was that in part two, the questions were somewhat confusing, and I couldn't really understand what they wanted. My response to the model itself is that it has good parts and bad parts.