early American

Early American Farmers and the Cycle of Moving West

Dan Agri-Business, American Agriculture History Minute, This Land of Ours

American agriculture has always been shaped by the land—and by how farmers chose to use it. In today’s American Agriculture History Minute, agricultural broadcaster Mark Oppold highlights the work of historian Louis Hacker, who documented how early American settlers managed the land as they pushed westward across the expanding United States. The Pioneer Expansion Era According to Hacker’s historical research, …

early American farmers

Early American Farmers and the Lost Art of Soil Stewardship

Dan American Agriculture History Minute, Soil, This Land of Ours

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 …