…first version of the laser weeding system in his backyard after years of working with artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley. His goal was simple: apply advanced AI to solve real-world…
How 19th-Century Technology Transformed Corn and Wheat Farming
…1850, producing corn was an intensely labor-driven process. Farmers relied largely on hand tools and animal power, with few mechanical aids to speed the work. During this period, it is…
When American Farming Shifted From Hand Power to Horsepower
…1862–1875 Between 1862 and 1875, American agriculture entered a pivotal transition period. This era marked a decisive move away from hand power and toward horse-drawn and early mechanical technology, fundamentally…
Brooke Rollins in California, Potter Valley Dams, and Propane Tech: A Big Day for AgNet News Hour
…backup generators and irrigation engines to innovative tools like steam-based soil treatments that can reduce reliance on fumigants, plus flame weeding systems that may help organic growers control weeds efficiently….
Ohio: America’s First Agricultural Capital
…beyond production and processing into agricultural innovation. During the 1830s, Cincinnati was home to two inventors whose work would permanently change American farming. Cyrus McCormick invented the mechanical reaper, a…
AgNet News Hour: Policy, Innovation & the Future of Agriculture
…propane’s growing role in agriculture, including cost-saving opportunities, backup power generation, irrigation engines, and emerging technologies such as steam soil treatment and flame weeding. With increasing strain on the electric…
George Zhuang on Raisins, Innovation, and Fresno Grapes
…new raisin varieties designed for mechanical pruning and harvesting. Mechanization and the Future of Raisins Zhuang highlighted new raisin varieties such as Sunpreme, which show strong potential for near 100%…
California Raisins & Grape Innovation: AgNet News Hour Highlights
…at UC Kearney in Parlier, California. The full-day event features morning classroom presentations on raisin varieties, rootstocks, pest management, and afternoon field demonstrations of mechanical pruning techniques. Zhuang encouraged all…
Corn Shelling Bees: How Community and Early Technology Shaped American Agriculture
…Mechanical Corn Shellers As agricultural innovation advanced in the 1800s, inventors sought ways to reduce the labor required for corn shelling. Mechanical corn shellers were introduced as an early solution,…
Corn Shelling Bees: How Early Americans Processed Corn by Hand
…directly in the experience of handling dried corn cobs for hours on end. Innovation Arrives: Mechanical Corn Shellers As agriculture evolved, so did the tools farmers relied on. During the…
Ohio State University: The Land-Grant Vision That Shaped Ohio’s Agricultural Legacy
AI image created by ChatGPT Ohio State University, one of the nation’s leading public research universities, has its roots deeply embedded in agricultural and mechanical education. Founded in 1870, the…
How Hay Baling Began: The First Hay Presses and Early Innovations
Photo by Randy Fath on Unsplash The practice of baling hay is central to modern agriculture, but its roots extend back to the mid-19th century, when inventive mechanical solutions began…
The Legacy of Land-Grant Universities in American Agriculture History
The Morrill Act of 1862 and the Birth of Land-Grant Universities Courtesy od…
Kansas State University: The First Morrill Act Land-Grant College and Its Civil War Origins
…Act of 1862. The Morrill Act created a new class of land-grant colleges dedicated to agriculture, mechanical arts, and practical sciences—fields essential to a rapidly modernizing nation. Kansas seized this…