ABSTRACT
Agriculture is one of the most intractably material vocations there is. By their labour, farmers – women and men, young and old – have for 10,000 years sought to produce food and fibre directly or indirectly from the soil, using seeds, animals, fodder, compost, fertilizer, water and other material inputs. Knowledge and skill are, of course, extremely important, informing and improving these practices. But the material nature of the biophysical world that defines agriculture is always evident. Climate, hydrology, geology and topography, as well as proximity to markets, transportation infrastructure and storage facilities, underscore the physical nature of the agricultural enterprise.
