Agricultural Expansion and Innovation As America moved into the late 19th century, farming continued to evolve beyond the grain fields that once defined early agriculture. By the 1880s and 1890s, attention shifted toward improving animal production and enhancing meat quality. This era of innovation marked a pivotal moment when farmers and entrepreneurs alike began to see livestock nutrition as the …
How Railroads Transformed American Agriculture
The Iron Tracks That Changed Rural America I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Railroads dramatically changed the face of agriculture and rural America as the nation expanded westward. The idea of a “rail highway” was first envisioned by Colonel John Stevens in 1812, marking the beginning of a transportation revolution that would reshape how goods—and people—moved across …
Henry A. Wallace: Innovator, Journalist, and Statesman
A Pioneer in Agriculture Henry A. Wallace is widely celebrated as the father of hybrid seed corn and the founder of the Pioneer Hybrid Seed Company. His groundbreaking work in developing hybrid corn transformed American agriculture, significantly increasing crop yields and shaping modern farming practices. Wallace’s contributions to agriculture were both scientific and entrepreneurial, establishing him as a pivotal figure …