Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “early American agriculture”
Early Farmers and the Realities of Supply and Demand In this American Agriculture History Minute, Mark Oppold explains how early American farmers and ranchers quickly learned a fundamental economic principle: the law of supply and demand. These producers discovered that market forces could just as easily boost their prosperity as threaten it, depending on how supply aligned with global demand. …
A Myth of Responsible Farming Many Americans like to believe that early farmers and ranchers were responsible caretakers of the soil—working the land with the same respect and sustainability that define modern agriculture. Today’s producers take pride in soil conservation practices, using science-based management to maintain soil fertility for generations to come. But historical evidence tells a different story. The …
How Plantation Agriculture Shaped America’s Farming Roots Plantation agriculture stands as one of the most significant chapters in the history of American farming. Emerging during the 1600s and 1700s, this large-scale agricultural system began in Virginia, spread to Maryland, and later expanded throughout the Southern Colonies. In this episode of American Agriculture History Minute, historian Mark Oppold explores how plantations …
