…and communities into the world of agriculture. Youtsey notes that people increasingly care about where their food comes from and how it impacts their health, which creates new opportunities to…
First American Silo: How Fred Hatch Revolutionized Grain Storage in 1873
DepositPhotos image A Pioneering Moment in American Agriculture In 1873, Illinois farmer Fred Hatch built what is believed to be America’s first version of the modern silo. During this period,…
How the Cargill Brothers Built an Agricultural Empire in Iowa
The Birth of Cargill: From Iowa Grain Storage to Global Agribusiness Shelter for storage of corn and grain products. Large heaps of grain are built under the roof in the…
GUSS: Transforming Orchard Spraying Through Autonomy and Innovation
From Dairy Roots to Ag-Tech Leadership Gary Thompson At the FIRA USA event in Woodland, California, AgMeter sat down with Gary Thompson, co-founder of GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System)—a company…
The Birth of the FFA Blue Jacket: A Proud Tradition Since 1933
Courtesy of National FFA Organization The Beginning of a National Legacy I’m Mark Oppold with an American Agriculture History Minute. The history of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) is…
CAPCA 2025: PCAs, Innovation, and Leadership Take Center Stage
…technology and crop advising, with innovators and researchers presenting tools that promise to transform pest management, soil health, and precision farming. At the heart of the episode was Ruthann Anderson,…
George Washington and Slavery: A Complex Legacy
By Andrew David Lytle Sr./ Public Domain/Wikimedia Commons George Washington’s Complicated Relationship with Slavery George Washington, the first President of the United States, had a deeply complicated relationship with slavery….
F3 Innovate: Powering the Central Valley’s AgTech Revolution
…they inherit. “They’re thinking about regenerative ag, soil health, and how to make food better today than it was yesterday,” she explained. By giving students hands-on experiences—whether through science fairs,…
Van Groningen & Sons: A Century of California Farming
…or water,” Bryan explained. “Everything we do is focused on keeping the ground productive and healthy year after year.” In his view, farmers are the ultimate environmentalists—constantly improving the land…
Verdant Robotics: Revolutionizing Farming with Precision AI and Automation
…creating millimeter-accurate application maps and monitoring crop health, pest pressures, and stand counts. For forward-thinking growers, these insights unlock new efficiencies and potential revenue streams. Expanding Applications Across Crops Verdant…
How Ralston Purina Revolutionized American Agriculture
…nourished their livestock. Danforth recognized that consistent, balanced feed could dramatically improve animal health, growth, and productivity. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Danforth approached feed production with precision—applying early nutritional…
How Wheat Transformed Mid-Atlantic Farming Before the American Revolution
Photo by Ksusha Semakina/Pexels image Early Colonial Agriculture and Trade Before 1720, most colonists in the mid-Atlantic region lived through small-scale farming operations that provided both sustenance and a modest…
Bill Jones: Fixing California’s Water and Future
A Voice for Fair Elections and California’s Future Bill Jones Former California Secretary of State Bill Jones, a lifelong farmer from Firebaugh, has spent decades balancing agriculture and politics in…
Early 19th-Century American Farming and Westward Expansion
Photo by Tom Fisk/Pexels image America’s Agricultural Roots In the early 1800s, American agriculture was the backbone of the national economy. As Mark Oppold explains in An American Agriculture History…