Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “This Land of Ours”
How Buffalo Helped Transform the Grain Trade The movement of grain from farms to markets has always depended on transportation and efficient handling systems. In the early 1840s, a major innovation emerged in Buffalo, New York, that would dramatically change the way grain was moved, stored and loaded onto ships. The story of the modern grain elevator can be traced …
A Little-Known Figure in American Agriculture American agricultural history is filled with innovators whose contributions helped shape regional economies and agricultural industries. One of those lesser-known figures is Étienne de Boré, remembered for his role in the early development of Louisiana’s sugar industry. Born in 1741 in a small village along the Mississippi River in what is now Illinois, de …
A Leader Who Helped Shape Modern Agriculture American agriculture has been advanced by farmers, scientists, inventors and researchers—but some of the most influential contributors never farmed or developed an invention in a laboratory. E.T. York was one of those individuals. Born in Alabama in 1922, York built a career around agricultural education, administration and public policy. Through his work in …
An Agriculture Teacher Who Helped Launch the FFA The Future Farmers of America, now known simply as FFA, has become one of the most recognizable youth organizations in American agriculture. Its roots can be traced to a Virginia agriculture teacher who believed high school students interested in farming and agricultural careers could benefit from learning, leadership and fellowship. Henry Groseclose …
Native Americans and the Agricultural Landscape The landscape encountered by the first European settlers in North America was not simply a wilderness of untouched forests and pristine land. Long before European arrival, Native American communities had been actively managing and shaping their environments in ways that supported food production, settlement and survival. As Mark Oppold explains in this installment of …
Norman Borlaug stands among the most influential figures in modern agricultural history. An American agronomist born in the heartland, Borlaug dedicated his career to increasing agricultural production and helping address the challenge of feeding a growing world population. Born in Cresco, Iowa, in 1914, Borlaug maintained a lifelong connection to American agriculture. His work ultimately extended far beyond the fields …
America’s First Agricultural Organization Long before today’s agricultural associations, commodity boards, and farm organizations were established, American farmers and agricultural leaders were already working together to improve farming practices. According to this edition of American Agriculture History Minute, the first organization formed specifically to promote agriculture in America was the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture, established in 1785. The organization …
Archer and Daniels Begin a Linseed Business In 1902, two very different businessmen—George A. Archer and John W. Daniels—joined forces to establish a linseed crushing business that would eventually become part of the story of one of America’s largest agricultural companies: Archer Daniels Midland, better known as ADM. At the time, linseed oil was an important industrial product. Produced from …
Milk production has long been an important part of American agriculture, but determining the quality and value of milk required better ways to measure its components. One scientist whose work transformed the dairy industry was Stephen Babcock, whose research ultimately led to the development of the Babcock Test for measuring milk’s butterfat content. Born on a farm in upstate New …
The Great Depression Creates an Opportunity The Great Depression brought severe economic hardship to rural American families, but for some entrepreneurs, difficult times also created opportunities. One such entrepreneur was a young Missouri farmer named John W. Tyson, who recognized a growing need for fresh poultry in larger Midwestern markets. Beginning in 1931, Tyson began delivering chickens from southern Missouri …
