Maria Mannarino and Anita Lin

This paper focuses on how the different methods for food transport impacted the geography of food production and consumption from the pre civil war era through the industrial era, 1830-1940. As transportation became more efficient, it impacted the geography of food production and therefore consumption as well. The different technologies include animal powered wagons, canals, railways, and motor trucks.

All data was obtained from various types of sources. Journal articles discussing agricultural land use were used, as were articles discussing the expansion of railways throughout the United States, and the use of canals and wagons. Census records as well as books published during the given era were also used to provide statistical data.

The data gathered was then analyzed in order to find trends when it came to the improvements and advancements in food transport technology, with a correlation to the geography of food production.

It was found that as the public demanded increased efficiency, different modes of transportation emerged as improvements in technology occurred. With this, the land use of the outer-boroughs of New York City was able to transform from agricultural to suburban. Due to the improvements in technology, food was able to move across further distances in shorter amounts of time. Food production of the south and west could be transported to New York City. This new competition within the food market put pressures on New York City farmers, along with the demand for increased housing.

As technologies for food transport became more advanced and efficient, foods could be shipped to New York from the south and the west. Therefore, the agricultural land use of New York City decreased.

chapter – Lin and Mannarino

Rachel Ilg, Ralph Dweck, Eon Goldson, Kimberly Fung, Maria Enache

The urban market of the early nineteenth century was far from idle.  In fact, from 1790 to 1860, markets in New York filled daily with local residents and wholesale buyers from New York and beyond.  While most markets did not relocate, more markets opened as Manhattan expanded northward and the population grew.

This chapter examines the marketplace in detail. The discourse explores production of grains, meat, seafood, produce (fruits and vegetables), and beverages, and their respective markets.  In collecting information, researchers accessed maps as well as primary and secondary analyses, and non-fiction narratives. The chapter represents a synthesis of research focused on the five individual food types.

While technology was still developing during this era, some advances changed the urban market drastically.  As transportation allowed shipment of grains from more distant areas, the growth of produce began to dominate the fields close to Manhattan. This occurred because technology had only advanced enough to foster cheap shipping of lighter goods, but not yet produce.

Class distinctions and policy changed the urban marketplace perhaps more than anything. During the temperance movement, alcohol sales decreased.  However, before this the rich drank champagne and the poor, lager beer. This does not mark the only instance in which social dynamics affected the marketplace. In the early nineteenth century, social status determined where and what one ate, from seafood, to shellfish, to meat.

Food production during this era provides several possible implications for processes going forward. For one, we see that a lack of technological and infrastructural advancements led to issues with disease and logistics of shipping food. This provides insight into what resources are required to sustain a successful growing city, and which can be developed gradually in congruence with growing markets. The events of this era can also be examined as precursors to problems that arose later on, such as overharvesting of oysters or the weaknesses of prohibition.

The technological revolution of recent history has affected virtually every aspect of American life, and the food New Yorkers consume has been no exception. The development of new technologies since 1940 has facilitated an increase in food and beverage variety, production, and consumption. This was determined by collecting data provided by US government agencies, reading newspaper articles, journals, case studies, and books both past and present. The findings from these sources indicate that indeed, technology has had a significant role in increasing New Yorkers’ consumption of food and beverage items in terms of volume and types of items. Similarly, food production and transportation of products has increased as well. These phenomena inevitably cause other trends to emerge, including detrimental impacts on the environment, including but not limited to species depletion and pollution. Other such effects include changes in infrastructure to accommodate the ever-increasing volumes of food being transported. Within the research there is reasonable evidence to assume these patterns will continue, leading to increased diversity in food importation and consumption and less production of food in New York.

Write some conclusions here!

45.    Breads, grains, etc (processing and production of breads and grains, location of markets and how this changed during the early years)
a.    Where are the markets for these products and how did their location change during this period?
b.    What are these markets like?
c.    How does the food get to the market?
d.    What technologies are involved in processing food for marketing?

46.    Meats (processing and delivery of meats, market locations and how this changed during this period)
a.    Where are the markets for these products and how did their location change during this period?
b.    What are these markets like?
c.    How does the food get to the market?
d.    What technologies are involved in processing food for marketing?

47.    Seafood and shellfish (processing and delivery of seafood, market location and how they changed during this period)
a.    Where are the markets for these products and how did their location change during this period
b.    What are these markets like?
c.    How does the food get to the market?
d.    What technologies are involved in processing food for marketing?

48.    Vegetables and fruits (processing and delivery of vegetables and fruits, markets and how they changed during this period)
a.    Where were are markets for these products and how did their location change during this period?
b.    What are these markets like?
c.    How does the food get to the market?
d.    What technologies are involved in processing food for marketing?

49.    Beverages (processing and sale of beverages and how it changed during this period)
a.    Where are the markets for these products and how did their location change over this period?
b.    What are these markets like?
c.    How did the beverages get to the market?
d.    What technologies were involved in processing beverages for marketing?

39.    Grains (types of grains, location of production and technologies to produce them)
a.    Where are these items grown in and around New York City and how does this change during this period?
b.    What types of products are commonly provided?
c.    What are the technologies used in the production of these foods and how does they change?

40.    Meats (types of seafood, location of production and technologies to produce them)
a.    Where are these items grown in and around New York City and how does this change during this period?
b.    What types of products are commonly provided?
c.    What are the technologies used in the production of these foods and how do they change?

41.    Seafood and shellfish(types of seafood and technologies to hunt and gather them)
a.    Where are these items hunted in and around New York City and how does they change?
b.    What types of fish were commonly provided?
c.    What were the technologies used in the production of these foods and how does they change?

42.    Vegetables and fruits (types of fruits and vegetables, location of production and technologies to produce them)
a.    Where are these items grown in and around New York City and how does this change during this period?
b.    What types of products are commonly provided?
c.    What are the technologies used in the production of these foods and how do they change?

43.    Beverages  (production and types of beverages and how they changed during this period)
a.    What are the common drinks of this period and how do they change?
b.    Where and how are these products made?
c.    What are the technologies used in the production of these foods and how do they change?

44.    Food imports and exports (the types and amounts of food that were imported and exported during this period)
a.    What foods are imported and exported from the city/country during this period?
b.    What are the volumes of food trade and how does they change?
c.    How were these activities related to port growth and change in New York City and the region?

Chapter 12: The changes in distribution technologies during the global era

37.     The changes in freight technologies
a.    What are the major freight technologies for distribution food in the USA during this period and how do they change?
b.    What is the annual tonnage moved by the different freight categories and how does this change during this period?
c.    What are the technologies advances in freight technologies for food (refrigeration, etc)?

38.    The emergence and growing importance of truck freight
a.    What are types of truck freight technologies during this period and how do they change?
b.    How do aspects of truck related infrastructure change during this period (roads, engines, truck making, etc…) and how do they change during this period?
c.    What is the current state of truck freight for food distribution in the USA and New York City region?