History of Agriculture

AGR 199

The Question of FOREVER

OR

Agriculture & Food

Which came first?? Food NOT agriculture

- hunter / gatherers - small food plots - larger food production for subsistence - “sellable food”

Agriculture over past 10,000 years

Usable Land Area

Oceans ¾ of earth (1/4 land mass) 1/8 is desert, swamp, artic, etc and cant be

used Remaining 1/8 is where people live Slice this remaining 8th into 4 pieces, 3 of

them are cities and unusable soil, The remainder is what we have left to farm.

Early Civilizations

Egypt – Nile River agriculture Iraq – Tigris-Euphrates Rivers Mexico – Ancient Indian civilizations Europe – Roman Empire

Era’s

1). Agriculture Era’s (1600-1900’s) 2). Industrial Era (1900 – 1970’s) 3). Computer Era (1980 – 2000) 4). Biotechnology Era (2000 - ?) 5). Space ? ? ?

Crop Origins

Broad beans – Europe Soybeans – China – Ben Franklin Corn – North American/Central American

Indians (Maize) Most common Squash – Central – So. America Tobacco – So. America (Brazil area) Potato – Andean Highlands (Peru/Ecuador)

Crop Origins

Tomato – South and Central America Cotton – Mexico area Peanuts – Brazil (soil like Georgia)

Temp, humidity, soil conditions Chocolate – Aztecs, Used seed for currency

Origins

1/3 of all crops originated in America’s Cattle Came to US in 1525 1609 – First corn grown 1611 –First wheat planted in Va. 1612 – First tobacco by English Settlers

Early Ag Developments

Indians used fish and shells as fertilizer Grass, roots, ashes, etc as well

Other forms of Fertilizer: Manure Organic Matter Other Forms

4 Principal Food Crops

These 4 feed the world in order of greatest to least:

1.) Rice 2). Wheat 3). Potatoes 4). Corn (Maize)

6 Breadbaskets to the World

1). Central North America (Iowa, etc) 2). Middle East (Syria) 3). Asia (Manchuria) 4). South America (Argentina) 5). Eastern Europe (Ukraine – old USSR) 6). Asia (Mongolia)

AGR Developments

1701- Seed Drill 1786 – Thresher (Wheat) 1793 – Cotton Gin Invented 1797 – Cast Iron Plow 1804 – Canning 1831 – McCormick Reaper invented

AGR Developments

1837 – John Deere Plow built (steel plow) 1839 – Congress made 1st agricultural

appropriation 1858 - Harvester 1874 – Barbed wire invented 1892- Gasoline tractor produced

Land in the 1700-1800’s

Land was sold for $1.00-1.25 per acre by the government to individuals

40-80 acres was sold at first Then determined that one needed 150 to stay

profitable in the mid-west Late 1700’s – 96% of pop. Involved in

agriculture

An acre was / is ?

The amount of land a man or Beast of Burden could plow in the late 1700’s

About the size of a football field 43,560 sq. ft. Cost $10.65 acre in 1900 in Calloway Co. Cost $2,500 acre in 2000 in Calloway Co. Cost $6,500 acre in 2011 in Calloway Co.

Land Distribution Theories

1) . Alexander Hamilton – - Large tracts of land (European)

- Wealthy to have land, others to work for them

- Maximize profit for Government at sale- Southern plantation style (European)

Land Theories

Thomas Jefferson –- Small tracts of land (60-80 acres)- Everybody (family) gets a chance to own- Sold at reasonable prices (cheap)- Promote subsistence farming and more democratic state in U.S.- Eventually won out

Land Development

Hamlet – Township – 5000 acre pie shaped structure in North East – Did not last long

Plantations – South – large tracts owned by few families, slavery, commodity based

on cotton, corn, tobacco Western U.S. – 640 ac. Perfect squares

Other Characteristics of Early Ag.

Subsistence Farming Surveying became more common Recording of deeds of land

description/ownership Fight for water rights in west Barbed Wire Cattle Barons

History of Food & Agriculture1800’s

Much of country on subsistence farmsRobert Reid – 1846, crossbred two different types of Indian Corn, Guordseed and Flint Corn and developed field corn.Heredity – Gregor Mendel – father of genetics, laws of heredity

Robert Reid

Utilized principles of heredity from his knowledge of Gregor Mendel – father of genetics.

One of the first agriculture and science integrators!

U.S. Department of Agriculture

1862 – The Department of Agriculture wasestablished by President Lincoln.

Washington wanted one even earlier Was called the “Peoples Department” Two Objectives in the beginning:

Distribute Seeds Gather, disseminate and distribute information

Agriculture Higher Education

1862- Morrill Land Grant Act Established Land Grant Universities in States Primarily for Agriculture and Mechanics Texas A & M, etc. Huge sums of land were granted to the states This was the “study” aspect of agriculture ed. 1890- Land Grants for African Americans

Research

1887 – Hatch Act Created the Agricultural Experiment Stations These were a research component attached to Land

Grant Universities Modeled after German research stations Practical research for farmers and students- This

was the “research aspect” of education Started with research on commercial fertilizers.

1870’s

53% of U.S. population involved in agriculture

Average farm was 153 acres

Agricultural Extension

1914 – Smith Lever Act Created Agricultural Extension Service Attached to Land Grant Universities Carry information and research to the farmer “Outreach aspect” of education in agriculture

1800’s Transportation

Turnpikes Canals Steamboats Railroads – fast & cheap Refrigeration – beef industry Interstates – Military,Germany, after WWII

1900’s

1890-1920

Called Golden Age of American Farmer 1910 – Agriculture was 31% of labor Good production for the most part Farmers were “labor” and “management”

What are they now?

Early 1900’s in Agriculture

1916- Federal Farm Loan Act – land banks 1926- Commercial hybrid seed corn 1920’s – Overproduction in agriculture 1929 – Stock Market Crash Early 1930’s- Dust Bowl 1933 – Soil Erosion (Conservation) Service

Prior to Depression

Wheat acreage up 42% within 6 years.

Wheat production up 27%

Wheat prices tripled!

1919 – 33 million more acres than 5 years earlier.

Livestock were up 29 million head.

Land was 5 times greater than 1900.

Dust Bowl

Aftermath of the Depression

Diversified Farming Federal Farm Loan Act Marketing Acts Farm Credit Administration Soil Conservation The Beginning of Urban Sprawl

American Farm Bureau

1919 – American Farm Bureau Federation Founded to help formulate a national farm

policy Conservative Believes in free trade among countries Supports all aspects of agriculture

1920-30’s

WPA – Works Projects Administration CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps – improving

soil conditions 1920’s – Food, Drug and Insecticide

Administration – protected farmers from false labeling of chemicals, and consumers from false labeling

Start of Social Programs and Work Programs

Structured Ag Policy

The three beginnings of organized farm policy: American Farm Bureau – producer side Agricultural Adjustment Act – gov. side Farm Credit Administration – financial side

Ag Adjustment Act of 1933

1933- Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) Roosevelt Administration Raised money from taxes on commodities

bought by processors and consumers Cash relief payments to farmers for debt,

farmers had to limit their production Goal was to raise prices by making commodities

scarce Beginnings of modern day agricultural policy

Mid 1900’s in Agriculture

Labor and Credit were scarce during WWII Women helped fill the gaps in agriculture

WWII GI’s did not return to the farm (suburbs) 1947- General Agreement on Tariffs/Trade

(GATT) 1950’s- Massive farm subsidies

1950-1960’s

1950 – Farmers were 12.2% of labor force 1956- Food Stamp Program (social program) 1957 – 4 wheel drive vehicles 1960’s – Chemicals and fertilizers cause

explosion in crop production

Malthus Theory

Thomas Malthus Predicted large scale starvation as the population

grew faster than the food supply. Malthus was wrong! The advances in agriculture allowed food

production to outpace the population explosion.

Green Revolution

1950-1960’s Norman Borlaug Creation of new varieties, higher yields Boosted by: GENETICS, fertilizers, pesticides,

technology and early biotech World wide boom in agriculture production Targeted Mexico, Brazil Thanks Norman!

1960’s

Chemicals, fertilizers and genetics cause an explosion in crop productivity

Known as “The Green Revolution” Agriculture was good Good access to capital ($) Expansion mentality

1970’s Agriculture

Farmers were 4.6% of labor force Large scale production-industrial agriculture Corporations Modest profits – high commodity prices Large scale expansion Fence Row to Fence Row Philosophy (Its Back) Land prices soared! Late 70’s interests rates soared (18% +)

1980’s Agriculture

CRASH! Did we not learn our lesson? 1981-82 – Ag Economy Plunged Bankruptcy, foreclosures, auctions Land was to high, commodity prices plunged due to

overproduction of the 1950, 60 & 70’s People expanded too fast Rest of the 80’s spent digging out of debt, for those

left No-till farming became widely used

1990’s Agriculture

1993 – NAFTA 1993- GPS adapted to agriculture Lots of mergers and integration after 1980’s Agriculture was up and down for most commodities It depended on which commodity as to how

profitable. Hogs 10c lb., cattle plummeted

poultry rose, tobacco steady

Agriculture Today

2% (1.8%) involved in Production Agr. (U.S.)

20% involved in Agriculture/Agribusiness

(U.S.) Food and Fiber ------ 1 U.S. Farmer Feeds

155 people + worldwide

Modern Definitions

Definition of Agriculture: Biological Control of Plants and Animals for Human and Food Production

Definition of a Farm: (IRS) any entity that produces and sells $1,000 of commodities

(no limits on land acreage)

How has Norman Borlaug’s impact played a key role in the issues that the agriculture sector is currently facing?

How has Agricultural Education from the 1700’s until now, advanced the society?

Why should we study and be aware of history? 1920’s? 1970’s?

Will there be more of this pattern in Agriculture?