A Glimpse Into America’s Agricultural Past America’s rural landscape is dotted with barns of all shapes and sizes—each one telling a story of innovation, hard work, and agricultural progress. These …
From Hand-Husking to Horse Power: The Evolution of Corn Harvesting
The Labor of Early Corn Harvesting Coming up on This Land of Ours, it’s the daily Ag History Minute. Mark Oppold brings us a glimpse into the demanding realities of …
Livestock Legacy to Corn Innovation: The Story of Eugene Funk
The Roots of Agricultural Excellence Mark Oppold, in his American Agriculture History Minute, highlights the remarkable journey of Eugene Funk—a figure whose contributions helped shape modern corn production in the …
From Gold Rush to Green Fields: The Agricultural Roots of Colorado
Early Agriculture in Colorado: Before Statehood When early settlers first arrived in what is now the state of Colorado, they encountered established agricultural practices already in place. Native American communities …
Butler Manufacturing: From Water Tanks to Steel Buildings
The Founding of an Agricultural Innovator In 1901, brothers Charles Butler and Newton Butler established the Butler Manufacturing Company in Kansas City. What began as a modest operation would grow …
Birth of the National Western Stock Show: A Legacy That Shaped American Agriculture
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 …