Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “This Land of Ours”
In the ever-evolving world of agriculture, few names carry the weight of tradition and innovation like Massey-Ferguson. But how did this iconic brand come to be? It all began in 1891, when Hart Massey and Allison Harris merged their companies to form Massey-Harris Limited. Their early innovations included threshing machines and, interestingly, safety bicycles—a surprising reflection of the company’s versatility …
Long before tractors revolutionized American agriculture in the 1930s, a different machine was already transforming the harvest: the threshing machine. In 1847, Daniel Massey launched the Newcastle Foundry in Ontario, Canada, producing some of the world’s first mechanical threshers. These devices separated grain from stalks—an essential but once backbreaking task. Above: A vintage threshing machine at work during a historical …
Ag History Minute: From Ancient Innovation to American Farms In this edition of the American Agriculture History Minute, we take a closer look at one of the most enduring tools in rural landscapes: the windmill. This historical moment honors the windmill’s essential role in farming history. Modern windmills, as we recognize them today, trace their origins back to the 8th …
American Ag History Minute: Santa Fe, Oregon, and California Trails In this edition of the American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold takes us back to a pivotal time in westward expansion when early settlers pushed beyond Kansas City into the great unknown. Once they reached the city of Independence, Missouri, three major trails offered different paths into the West—each playing …
Evolution of Corn Planting in the U.S. In this edition of American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold takes us back to the late 1700s and early 1800s, a period when corn planting was a labor-intensive, hands-on process. Early American farmers used a method known as cross-check planting, where hills of corn were planted in evenly spaced rows running north-south and …
American Agriculture History Minute: Deere and Mansour’s Breakthrough in the 1800s In the mid-1800s, the American agricultural industry faced a critical need: a more accurate corn planting solution. Rising to meet this challenge, Charles Deere—son of the legendary John Deere—and Alva Mansour, a family business partner, joined forces to form the Deere and Mansour Company. Operating out of a modest …
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute reports that by the 1930, more than 90% of rural homes still used kerosene lamps for lighting. Running water and indoor bathrooms were still impossible without power. That would all change in the early 1930s. In fact, for many rural Americans in the 1930s, one of the most memorable experiences of a …
Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute says One-room schoolhouses are an important part of American agriculture history. Early settlers knew the importance of education since a large portion of the population lived in small rural communities or isolated rural areas. The local one-room school was the answer, often built by nearby farmers. In fact, most of the teachers …
Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute looks into why a farmland auction usually draws a good-sized crowd. But, on a bitter, cold February morning in 2025, temperatures outside in central Iowa nearly zero, a group so large it was standing room only. Why? They were watching an Iowa farm change hands for the first time since 1882. 636 acres …
I’m Mark Oppold with an American agriculture history minute tells us today about how One-room schoolhouses are part of American agriculture history. The Eureka Schoolhouse in Springfield, Vermont, was one of the earliest recorded one-room schools built in 1785. As settlers moved west, the one-room schoolhouse model moved with them. Abraham Lincoln attended a one-room school in 1822 in rural …
