A Brief History of Farm Equipment
Farm equipment has undergone a lot of changes in just the past few hundred years. Tools and practices that were considered standard for centuries suddenly became obsolete. Mechanized agriculture has allowed for previously unimaginable crop yields. If you’re interested in learning a bit more about the history of agriculture, check out this guide from Manor Home Center.
Early Years
The earliest farm equipment was simple hand tools such as hoes, plows, and sickles. These tools might seem primitive to us, but they were a revelation at the time. These tools helped to make human labor far more efficient, so that one person could do far more work in less time. Many of these basic tools are still used in some forms today.
Animal Labor
Farm equipment’s next big technological leap came in the form of animal domestication. While some domesticated animals were bred directly as food sources, others contributed to the food supply in less direct but no less important ways. Draft animals like oxen and horses could perform as much work in a day as a team of human laborers could perform in a week. Of course, while these animals were far stronger and had much greater endurance than humans, they were still vulnerable to disease and fatigue. They also needed to be fed, so any farmer that used one of these animals had to dedicate part of their operation to producing feed.
New Tools
Over time, farm equipment grew in complexity. People spread out around the world, encountering new climates and terrain. A new agricultural challenge usually led to a new tool or an adaptation of an existing one. As technology progressed, tractors and other forms of mechanized agriculture eventually replaced draft animals. Machines didn’t get tired, didn’t get sick, and didn’t need to be fed. Mechanized agriculture has allowed for crop yields that once would have seemed impossible, allowing farmers to accomplish far more with the same amount of effort.
Shop farm equipment at Manor Home Center in Oakland, Maryland. We’re proud to serve the Garret County, Maryland area, as well as communities like Morgantown, West Virginia. We also offer equipment financing, servicing, parts, and promotions. We hope to see you soon!