In central France pastures, fields, and forestland mix, creating a “bocage” landscape. April 10, 2016. PlanetScope image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

Weird & Wonderful Agricultural Landscapes

Almost everywhere there are people, there are farms — almost half the Earth’s land surface is occupied by cropland. Fields are shaped not only by climate & terrain, but also by the history, culture, & economics of the people that farm them. We found some of our favorite images captured by our Dove & RapidEye satellites that show the diversity of agricultural practices around the world.

Take a look:

On the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, rice paddies follow the course of a vanished river. March 21, 2016. PlanetScope image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

Solar farms sprout on the U.S. side of the border between California & Mexico, while wheat, alfalfa, cotton, green onions, & asparagus are major crops south of the border. March 2, 2016. PlanetScope image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

In Kenya, massive plantations growing coffee, tea, & other exports are bordered by tiny subsistence farms. March 23, 2016. PlanetScope image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

A monumental modern canal cuts through millenia-old fields along the Euphrates River in Iraq. March 9, 2016. PlanetScope image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

World-class vineyards surround the village of Chablis in north-central France. March 18, 2016. The most valuable vineyards cover warm, south-facing slopes. RapidEye image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

Small farms spread perpendicular to a road cutting through the Amazon rainforest in the Brazilian state of Acre. March 24, 2016. PlanetScope image ©2016 Planet Labs, Inc. cc-by-sa 4.0.

If you know of other unique agricultural landscapes, drop us a line on Twitter —we may feature it in a future series.