…couldn’t be produced on the homestead, such as sugar, coffee, thread, and cotton cloth. Growth, Profit, and Taxes When goods were sold rather than traded, the income often went toward…
Pioneering the Midwest: How Settlers Turned Iowa’s Prairies into Farmland
…soybeans, and livestock production. The transformation from wild prairie to fertile farmland is not just a story of settlement; it’s a story of innovation and resilience in the face of…
Inside the 2025 Almond Market: Supply, Pricing, Tariffs, and Global Demand
…recalled interviewing Toor during a period of panic, when prices fell below $2/lb and the industry feared a three-billion-pound crop. Toor remained calm. His advice is unchanged: Focus on production,…
Trump, Trade & U.S. Beef: Kevin Kester on Cattle Markets
…USDA is moving forward with new sterile fly production facilities in Texas. Some components may be ready soon, but full operational capacity may not arrive until late 2026. Safety Concerns…
Building the Future of Ag Tech: Danny Bernstein and The Reservoir at FIRA 2025
…Bernstein sees enormous potential — and necessity — in this intersection of technology and agriculture. “There’s no bigger market than food and food production,” he said. “If we can marry…
Building the Future of Ag Education at Merced College
…but also for research, development, and hands-on experience — giving students a full understanding of modern production systems. “We want to be ahead of the curve,” Jacobsen added. “That’s how…
How Draft Horses Powered American Farming
…rise of draft horse breeding in the Midwest helped revolutionize farming. Fields could be plowed faster, more land could be cultivated, and production efficiency increased dramatically. For decades—before the widespread…
Post–Civil War Wheat Crash: How Farmers Turned to Corn and Livestock
…wheat than ever before. Fields that once held diverse crops were converted to wheat production in hopes of capturing the booming wartime market. However, the prosperity didn’t last. The Post-War…
Building the Future of Farming: Insights from UC ANR’s Gabe Youtsey at FIRA USA 2025
…in decades. To him, this is a warning sign. California grows many of the foods Americans should eat more of—fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and dairy. Losing that production to other…
How the Cargill Brothers Built an Agricultural Empire in Iowa
…old granary. Image by veloliza/DepositPhotos Surplus Grain Sparks Innovation In the mid-1800s, America’s agricultural landscape was changing rapidly. As grain production soared, farmers across the Midwest began facing an unexpected…
Van Groningen & Sons: A Century of California Farming
…The area’s moderate climate allows them to extend watermelon production through October. “We usually start in mid-June, while growers farther south begin in late May,” Bryan explained. “The advantage we…
How Ralston Purina Revolutionized American Agriculture
…By the 1880s and 1890s, attention shifted toward improving animal production and enhancing meat quality. This era of innovation marked a pivotal moment when farmers and entrepreneurs alike began to…
How Wheat Transformed Mid-Atlantic Farming Before the American Revolution
…international demand for wheat. Colonists quickly recognized the crop’s profitability and shifted their focus toward wheat cultivation. Fields expanded, and production methods became more efficient, transforming local farms into key…
How Immigrant Farmers Shaped Early American Agriculture
…blended crop cultivation with a strong tradition of herding cattle and sheep. Their experience managing grazing animals brought valuable livestock skills to the colonies. This balance between crop production and…