There is a long history of agricultural mechanization that has been human and animal powered rather than engine powered. The difference in scale is quite staggering and is a measure of the economic gulf between the rich and the poor on this planet. For example, an average horse plowing the soil at an average rate will perform work at a rate of one horsepower (hp). In contrast, a 100 hp (75 kW) tractor could work (e.g. plowing the soil) at a rate one hundred times faster than the horse.
The dominant energy sources on conventional farms in the developed world are diesel oil (to power tractors and other self-propelled equipment) and electricity (to provide light, heat and refrigeration; and to power electric motors to run milking machines, animal feeding systems, ventilation fans, water supply and irrigation systems).

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There is a long history of agricultural mechanization that has been human and animal powered rather than engine powered. The difference in scale is quite staggering and is a measure of the economic gulf between the rich and the poor on this planet. For example, an average horse plowing the soil at an average rate will perform work at a rate of one horsepower (hp). In contrast, a 100 hp (75 kW) tractor could work (e.g. plowing the soil) at a rate one hundred times faster than the horse.
The dominant energy sources on conventional farms in the developed world are diesel oil (to power tractors and other self-propelled equipment) and electricity (to provide light, heat and refrigeration; and to power electric motors to run milking machines, animal feeding systems, ventilation fans, water supply and irrigation systems).

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