Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “American Agriculture History Minute”
Midwest Migration Transformed American Agriculture By the 1850s, migration into the American Midwest had grown into a massive movement of families seeking new opportunities and land to settle. As Mark Oppold explains in an American Agriculture History Minute, thousands of settlers made their way westward, crossing the Mississippi River on their journey toward Iowa and territories farther west. The Mississippi …
During the 1850s, westward migration helped transform American agriculture as settlers crossed the Mississippi River and established farms in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. These pioneers brought more than the supplies needed to build new homes and communities. They also carried agricultural knowledge, improved seeds, fruit-tree varieties and livestock that helped shape the developing farming economy of the American Midwest. …
Before tractors and modern farm machinery transformed American agriculture, farmers depended on animals to provide the power needed to work their fields. During the mid-1800s, changes in agricultural equipment created a growing demand for stronger, more powerful draft horses, helping establish the Midwest as an important center for draft horse breeding. In this edition of American Agriculture History Minute, Mark …
Bonner Springs, Kansas, Is Home to Agriculture’s Hall of Fame Every major sport has a Hall of Fame, and many other institutions have established halls to recognize individuals whose achievements have made a lasting impact. American agriculture has its own Hall of Fame, located in Bonner Springs, Kansas, near Kansas City. The National Agricultural Hall of Fame was federally chartered …
Wheat Boom During the Civil War Gives Way to a Market Collapse During the Civil War, strong wheat prices encouraged many American farmers to plant more of the crop. With wheat bringing attractive returns, producers expanded acreage to take advantage of the favorable market. But the situation changed dramatically when the war ended. Wheat prices fell sharply, leaving farmers who …
Fred Hatch and the Early Farm Silo In 1873, Illinois farmer Fred Hatch developed what is believed to be one of America’s earliest variations of the modern farm silo, addressing a problem that farmers had faced for generations: how to safely store grain while protecting it from spoilage and rodents. Before modern grain-storage systems became common, farmers relied on a …
The iconic blue corduroy jacket worn by FFA members across the country has become one of the most recognizable symbols in American agriculture. But the tradition began nearly a century ago with a group of Ohio FFA members who arrived at the national convention wearing something different. The First FFA National Convention The first National FFA Convention was held in …
Grain Storage Becomes a Growing Challenge As grain production expanded across the American Midwest during the mid-1800s, farmers faced a growing problem: they were producing more grain than they could immediately use or sell. Without adequate storage, farmers could be forced to sell their crops simply because they had nowhere to keep them. The development of additional grain storage capacity …
From Grain Production to Better Animal Nutrition As American agriculture expanded in the late 19th century, farmers continued looking for ways to improve the production and quality of grain. But by the 1880s and 1890s, agricultural innovation was increasingly moving beyond crop production and toward livestock. Farmers and agricultural businesses were paying greater attention to animal production and meat quality, …
Immigration Brought Diverse Farming Traditions to America The story of American agriculture was shaped by more than fertile soil and abundant land. The people who settled the nation also brought farming traditions, tools and agricultural practices from their homelands, helping create the diverse agricultural system that developed in the early United States. In this edition of the American Agriculture History …
