As farming became fundamental to ancient societies in Central America, it had a drastic impact on the population of these societies. Identify what you believe to be the three most important effects of farming, and explain your choices thoroughly.

The discovery of farming by the people of the ancient societies of Central America was undoubtedly what ensured their survival. There are many ways that farming impacted these peoples, but three affects that are arguably (do not use I or me in your writing) the most prolific were the ability to produce more food in smaller areas, population growth, and the development of civilized societies (Faragher, Buhle, Czitrom, & Armitage, 2009).
Farming in Central America was a process that was developed over thousands of years, with a certain amount of creativity and ingenuity. The people of this land discovered that by gathering and replanting seeds from wild food sources, they could control the growth of the food, produce larger quantities, and condense it into a smaller space. According to Faragher and associates (2009), “…a foraging society might require 100 square miles to support 100 people, a farming society required only a single square mile.” (p. 8). This led to a great increase in food supply with a reduction in the distance to travel to collect it. This allowed people to become more settled in one area and enabled them to have larger families.
As farming developed, the need for more people to work in the fields as well as the ability to remain in one place prompted greater reproduction rates (Faragher, et al., 2009). The people were able to feed more people with less area and the more people there were to feed, the greater the need for people to work the fields. It did not take long for there to be a need for order and rule among the people, which created the civilized societies that we read about today.
With the growth of the population, soon towns and cities were formed, people gained trades and the management of the societies to become more civilized began (Faragher, et al., 2009). Farming in this era created a revolution that would forever change the people of this land. People grouped themselves into clans, generally comprised of different families, who took on social roles within the communities and were governed by leaders, often known as chiefs (Faragher, et al., 2009). With the development of these communities and chiefdoms there came division of labor, discoveries in science, astrology, and mathematics, and the organization of religion (Faragher, et al., 2009). Through farming, densely populated areas, now known as towns and cities, were born.
While farming was an important development of the times, it was not by any means a “superior way of life” (Faragher, et al., 2009 p 10). In fact, there were many peoples who did not adopt this way of life, seeing it as a waste of precious time, or living in parts of the land where farming simply was not possible. It is shown that farmers work longer hours, develop more physical ailments, and do not consume as many of the essential vitamins and minerals as foraging people do (Faragher, et al., 2009). Foragers are aware of the re-cultivation principles of farming, only they manage the land that they forage, ensuring that many varieties food will regenerate to continue to nourish them, instead of concentrating on only a few types and mass producing them (Faragher, et al., 2009).
Reference
Faragher, J. M., Buhle, M. J., Czitrom, D., & Armitage, S. H. (2009). Out of many: A history of the American people, Volume I, (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: