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| | Farming was punishment for Adam after the Fall, around 4000 B.C., as explained in the [[Book of Genesis]], chapter 3. [[Civilization]]s based on agriculture then developed around 3000 B.C., and ever since most human populations have been dependent on agriculture by some 2,000 years ago.<ref>http://courses.washington.edu/anth457/agorigin.htm</ref> | | Farming was punishment for Adam after the Fall, around 4000 B.C., as explained in the [[Book of Genesis]], chapter 3. [[Civilization]]s based on agriculture then developed around 3000 B.C., and ever since most human populations have been dependent on agriculture by some 2,000 years ago.<ref>http://courses.washington.edu/anth457/agorigin.htm</ref> |
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| − | The cultivation of [[plants]] for [[food]], often called [[gardening]] or [[farming]], is the most efficient way to produce your own food for the purpose of achieving a [[Self-sufficient living|self-sufficient lifestyle]]. There are many different types of plants you can grow for food, each will have its own advantages and disadvantages. | + | The cultivation of [[plants]] for [[food]], often called [[gardening]] or [[farming]], is the most efficient way to produce your own food for the purpose of achieving a self-sufficient lifestyle. There are many different types of plants you can grow for food, each will have its own advantages and disadvantages. |
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| − | Various amounts of care are involved, from little more than scattering [[seed]]s and later checking for a [[harvest]], to [[permaculture]] [[homestead]]s to large scale industrial agriculture where thousands of [[acre]]s are devoted to growing one [[crop]] ([[monocrop]]s), using carefully bred and selected [[seed]]s (often [[genetically modified organism]]s), highly processed [[man-made]] chemical [[fertilizer]]s, and a variety of [[insecticide]]s, [[pesticide]]s, and [[herbicide]]s. | + | Various amounts of care are involved, from little more than scattering [[seed]]s and later checking for a [[harvest]], to [[permaculture]] homesteads to large scale industrial agriculture where thousands of [[acre]]s are devoted to growing one [[crop]] (monocrops), using carefully bred and selected [[seed]]s (often [[genetically modified organism]]s), highly processed [[man-made]] chemical [[fertilizer]]s, and a variety of [[insecticide]]s, [[pesticide]]s, and [[herbicide]]s. |
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| | The plants themselves have been selectively bred ([[hybrid seed]]s) since the early days of agriculture for many characteristics, including [[fruit]] size and yield, [[disease]] and [[pest]] resistance, [[drought]] or wetness tolerance - in fact, any trait that could be imagined to be useful. | | The plants themselves have been selectively bred ([[hybrid seed]]s) since the early days of agriculture for many characteristics, including [[fruit]] size and yield, [[disease]] and [[pest]] resistance, [[drought]] or wetness tolerance - in fact, any trait that could be imagined to be useful. |