In the early 20th century, as the American West solidified its identity as the backbone of livestock production, a bold vision emerged—one that would unite ranchers, breeders, and agricultural leaders …
National Western Stock Show: A Legacy of American Agriculture
A Historic Beginning in Denver According to agricultural historian Mark Oppold, the National Western Stock Show in Denver first began in 1906, establishing itself as one of the most enduring …
Seeds of Survival: How Irrigation Shaped Early Colorado Agriculture
The Beginnings of Agriculture in Colorado Agriculture in what is now Colorado began to take shape in the early 1850s, during a time when much of the region was considered …
Early Agricultural Experiments in Kansas: A Government-Led Effort
Expanding West After the Louisiana Purchase In the early 1820s, following the landmark Louisiana Purchase of 1803, the United States government began turning its attention toward agricultural development in the …
Colorado Irrigation: How Greeley Transformed Western Agriculture
The Birth of Agriculture in Greeley Greeley became Colorado’s first major agricultural settlement, marking a turning point in the development of farming across the state. Early settlers arrived with optimism …
From Soldiers to Sodbusters: How Union Veterans Settled Kansas
At the close of the Civil War, a new chapter in American agriculture began across the Kansas prairie. Through government homestead programs, Union Army veterans were offered land as an …
From Mail-Order Roots to Rural Retail Giant: Tractor Supply’s Rise
A Humble Beginning in 1938 American agriculture has always depended on innovation—not just in the field, but in how farmers access the tools they need. In 1938, Charles E. Schmidt …
From Failed Crops to the Wheat State: Early Kansas Agriculture
Settlement and the Promise of Kansas Farmland Early agriculture in the state of Kansas was not always successful. When Kansas was opened to settlement in 1854, waves of settlers began …
Daniel Morgan Boone and the Struggle of Early Kansas Farming
Early Agriculture in Kansas Was Far from Easy Agriculture in what is now the state of Kansas began under extremely difficult conditions. The wide open plains that would later become …
Ellis-Chalmers: Steam Power and the Machinery Behind Early American Agriculture
Reviving a Bankrupt Manufacturing Company American agriculture has long been tied to machinery innovation, and one small but important story in that history begins in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in the mid-19th …
Colonial Fur Trade and Wheat Demand Shaped Early American Farming
International trade played a powerful role in shaping agriculture in early America. Long before the United States became a global agricultural powerhouse, colonial farmers and traders were already responding to …
Early American Farmers and the Cycle of Moving West
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 …
The Hard Lessons of the Great Plains: Early Settler Struggles
Early Settlers vs. Harsh Realities The promise of the Great Plains as fertile, open land for farming drew many settlers westward in the 19th century. However, as Mark Oppold highlights …
The Homestead Act: How Free Land Transformed North American Agriculture
Opening the Frontier to Farmers In the mid-19th century, governments in North America began actively encouraging farmers to settle and cultivate vast areas of frontier land. These policies would dramatically …