ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Johann Heinrich von Thünen

Johann Heinrich von Thünen was a man who lived a long, long time ago. He was a farmer and a scientist who lived in Germany.

One day, Johann became very curious about how the land around him was being used by farmers. He noticed that some farmers were growing different crops than others, and he wanted to figure out why.

So, Johann took some notes and did some experiments. He found out that farmers would grow different crops depending on how far away they were from the city.

He figured out that crops like wheat and rye were grown closer to the city because they were heavy and hard to move. But, crops like apples and potatoes were grown farther away from the city because they were light and easy to transport.

Johann’s ideas were very helpful for other farmers who wanted to know the best way to use their land. People still use Johann’s ideas today to help them figure out how to use their land in the best way possible.