I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. By the 1850s, the migration to the Midwest had become a great wave. Families camped at the Mississippi River, waiting their …
American Agriculture History Minute: Grain Silos Developed
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1873, Fred Hatch, a farmer from Illinois, built what is believed to be America’s first variation of the modern silo, …
American Agriculture History Minute: Cargill Brothers Develop Grain Storage
I’m Mark Oppel with an American Agriculture History Minute. As grain production grew in the mid -1800s, it became evident farmers could not use all the crops they grew and …
American Agriculture History Minute: Official Blue Jacket Adopted for FFA
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The first FFA national convention was held in Kansas City in 1928. Kansas City would, by the way, host the FFA …
American Agriculture History Minute: Ralston Purina Company Formed
I’m Mark Opel with an American Agriculture History Minute. As American agriculture expanded, farmers continued to make improvements in their production of grain, and by the late 1880s, 1890s, attention …
American Agriculture History Minute: Opening New Areas for Agriculture
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The U.S. economy was still primarily agriculturally based in the early 19th century. Westward expansion continues, including the Louisiana Purchase, plus …
American Agriculture History Minute: George Washington on Both Sides of the Coin
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. George Washington had a complicated relationship with slavery during his lifetime. He controlled a cumulative total of over 577 slaves forced …
American Agriculture History Minute: Early Export Trade
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Before 1720, most colonists in the mid-Atlantic region worked in small-scale farming operations and they paid for imported manufacturing goods by …
American Agriculture History Minute: Ethnicity in Early Agriculture
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Ethnicity made a difference in early American agriculture. German immigrants brought different practices and traditions to the New World than English, …
American Agriculture History Minute: Ethnic Groups Important Role in Early Agriculture
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Ethnic groups played an important part in early American agriculture. German immigrants brought different practices and traditions than English, Scottish, or …
American Agriculture History Minute: First 4-H Clover Pin Given to Students
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Jessie Shambaugh is part of American Agriculture History. A farm wife, Shambaugh was very active in her community and very focused …
American Agriculture History Minute: Railroads Changed Agriculture
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Railroads dramatically changed agriculture and rural America as the country continued to grow. The concept of a rail highway was first …
American Agriculture History Minute: Cooperative Extension Service Created
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The United States Congress created the Cooperative Extension Service as part of the Smith-Lever Act in 1914. The act enabled producers …
American Agriculture History Minute: Tennessee Valley Authority Act Passes
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In the early 1930s, roughly 9 out of 10 rural homes were still without electric power. Farm families quickly learned to …