A study of labor productivity in Saskatchewan agriculture

For the greater part of its history Canada has been primarily an agricultural nation. Since the days of the fur trade more people have been employed in agriculture than in any other single occupation. Even today more people are directly dependent on farming as a means of making a living than on any other occupation except manufacturing as a whole. The predominance of agriculture has been due, in part, to the abundance of land suitable for farming, the comparatively steady demand for wheat in the world markets and the relative ease with which land could be exploited as a natural resource through farming. Although considerable amounts of capital are required in commercial farming today, it was possible for the first settlers on western farms to build up a farm enterprise with comparatively little original capital. Individuals are still able to work up to the position of farmer, through the stages of hired laborer, renter and owner. The total amount of capital required in an efficient size of farm unit can normally be acquired by plowing back farm earnings into the business throughout the productive years of the entrepreneur