I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Agricultural production continued to expand in the early 1800s, but still by 1850, it took 75 to 90 labor hours to …
American Agriculture History Minute: Minnesota the Early Flour Capital of the U.S.
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. You wouldn’t think Minnesota would be the flour capital of the U.S., but indeed in 1915 it was. Over 20 million …
American Agriculture History Minute: Mechanization Improves Labor Hours and Corn Production
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1850, it’s estimated that it took 75 to 90 labor hours to produce 100 bushels of corn and took about …
American Agriculture History Minute: Ferguson’s Three-Point Hitch Changes Agriculture
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Irishman Harry Ferguson is part of American Agriculture History. He’s credited with developing and patent the first hydraulic lift with automatic …
American Agriculture History Minute: Agriculture Continues Expansion and Diversification
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In the early 1900s, American agriculture continued to expand and diversify. The first ten years of the century, George Washington Carver, …
American Agriculture History Minute: First Major Agriculture Revolution
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The 1870s was the first major agricultural revolution with moving from hand power to horsepower. But also in the 1870s, silos …
American Agriculture History Minute: Development of the Wealthy Apple
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1860, Horace Greeley wrote in his New York Tribune newspaper, “I would not live in Minnesota because you can’t grow …
American Agriculture History Minute: Anna Baldwin Changes the Dairy Industry Forever
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Anna Baldwin is part of American agriculture history. In 1879, she patented the first milking machine that replaced hand milking. Her …
American Agriculture History Minute: Future Bright for Colorado After Discovery of Gold, Silver, and the Railroad
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Early settlers found a lot to like once they crossed the Appalachians and settled in states like Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and …
American Agriculture History Minute: First Motor Truck for Agriculture Hauling Introduced
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Machinery, livestock, and crops have always been needed to be moved around the farm or to market. Two-wheel carts suffice for …
American Agriculture History Minute: Advancement of Soybeans
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Soybeans were not widely cultivated in the U.S. until the early 1930s, but by 1942, the U.S. became the world’s largest …
American Agriculture History Minute: First Grain Powered Grain Elevator Developed
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Joseph Dart is part of American agriculture history. Though born in Connecticut, he soon moved to Buffalo, New York and it …
American Agriculture History Minute: Conservation to Control Flood Waters Begins
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. In 1885, Harriet Strong made a study about the shortage of water in Nevada, including control of floodwaters and water storage. …
American Agriculture History Minute: Wheat Production Grows with the Railroad
I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. Wheat production grew as new railroads connected farms and markets. In between 1875 and 1890, bonanza farms, as they were called, …