American Agriculture History Minute: Native American Agricultural Practices

Mark Oppold presents an American Agriculture History Minute, focusing on the agricultural history of Colorado.

Mark Oppold describes how early settlers discovered Native Americans practicing the Three Sisters farming method, growing corn, soybeans, and squash in the Colorado territory.

Mark further explains that the Arkansas River served as a boundary between Mexican and U.S. territories, with Spanish-speaking settlers establishing irrigated farming along southern routes.

Mark also discusses how commercial agriculture emerged in the Pikes Peak region following the 1858 gold discovery, noting that many unsuccessful gold seekers eventually transitioned to farming in the lower Arkansas Valley.

That’s today’s American Agriculture History Minute. I’m Mark Oppold. Thanks for reading. I’ll see you next time.