The Benefits of the Development of Agricultural Equipment

From antiquity until about 200 years ago, agricultural endeavors were accomplished by hand, with hard work on the part of men and women and their beasts of burden, toiling for weeks to keep their crops alive and well with simple tools. Then, during the latter part of the 19th century, innovative farmers began to develop machines that used the new steam- and gas-powered combustion engines to make much quicker work of all their tasks, from tilling to harvesting.

Today, you get to benefit fully from those decades of development with all the handy farm equipment at your disposal. Here are just a few of the specific ways that agricultural equipment has changed the landscape of farming forever.

1. Better Techniques

With the use of farm machinery, soil erosion is reduced, land reclamation is much improved, and watering systems are all the more efficient. Because you can use your tractor to cultivate your land, you can increase how much arable land you have by tilling the soil and removing the weeds. Irrigation equipment helps to more accurately target the roots of your seedlings, avoiding water waste.

2. More Crop Space

Because machinery helps to make difficult pieces of land arable, farmers don’t have to worry so much about cramming in crops on a small parcel of their property. The land can also be used more efficiently to grow more varieties of crops than in the past.

3. Increased Income

You get much more money for your work than farmers did in the past, thanks to your farm equipment. The time and labor saved by using machinery reduces the need to pay dozens of laborers, while crops are harvested more efficiently, resulting in higher yields that you can then sell. Finally, the farms of today can operate on a much wider scale than they did prior to the 1800s because machines make it possible to farm more land in the same amount of time.

4. Reduced Labor Needs

Farmers of today worry much less than their ancestors did about a sudden labor shortage. Machinery helps to automate a lot of the tasks previously done by hand, so fewer workers are needed to manage a farm’s output. While laborers are still necessary for picking some crops, many facets of growing crops have been turned over to machines.

In search of farm tools and ag equipment for your acreage? Come see us at our dealership near Oakland, MD, to take a look at our stock of new and used farm equipment for sale. We offer plenty of promotions and can help you locate the parts or tools you’re looking for. Manor Home Center serves Garrett County, MD, and Morgantown, WV.