History of Agriculture

1. History of Agriculture AGR 199

2. The Question of FOREVER • OR

3. Agriculture & Food • Which came first?? • Food NOT agriculture - hunter / gatherers - small food plots - larger food production for subsistence - “sellable food” Agriculture over past 10,000 years

4. Usable Land Area • Oceans ¾ of earth (1/4 land mass) • 1/8 is desert, swamp, artic, etc and cant be used • Remaining 1/8 is where people live • Slice this remaining 8th into 4 pieces, 3 of them are cities and unusable soil, • The remainder is what we have left to farm.

6. Early Civilizations • Egypt – Nile River agriculture • Iraq – Tigris-Euphrates Rivers • Mexico – Ancient Indian civilizations • Europe – Roman Empire

7. Era’s • 1). Agriculture Era’s (1600-1900’s) • 2). Industrial Era (1900 – 1970’s) • 3). Computer Era (1980 – 2000) • 4). Biotechnology Era (2000 - ?) • 5). Space ? ? ?

8. Crop Origins • Broad beans – Europe • Soybeans – China – Ben Franklin • Corn – North American/Central American Indians (Maize) Most common • Squash – Central – So. America • Tobacco – So. America (Brazil area) • Potato – Andean Highlands (Peru/Ecuador)

9. Crop Origins • Tomato – South and Central America • Cotton – Mexico area • Peanuts – Brazil (soil like Georgia) Temp, humidity, soil conditions • Chocolate – Aztecs, Used seed for currency

10. Origins • 1/3 of all crops originated in America’s • Cattle Came to US in 1525 • 1609 – First corn grown • 1611 –First wheat planted in Va. • 1612 – First tobacco by English Settlers

11. Early Ag Developments • Indians used fish and shells as fertilizer • Grass, roots, ashes, etc as well • Other forms of Fertilizer: • Manure • Organic Matter • Other Forms

12. 4 Principal Food Crops • These 4 feed the world in order of greatest to least: • 1.) Rice • 2). Wheat • 3). Potatoes • 4). Corn (Maize)

13. 6 Breadbaskets to the World • 1). Central North America (Iowa, etc) • 2). Middle East (Syria) • 3). Asia (Manchuria) • 4). South America (Argentina) • 5). Eastern Europe (Ukraine – old USSR) • 6). Asia (Mongolia)

14. AGR Developments • 1701- Seed Drill • 1786 – Thresher (Wheat) • 1793 – Cotton Gin Invented • 1797 – Cast Iron Plow • 1804 – Canning • 1831 – McCormick Reaper invented

15. AGR Developments • 1837 – John Deere Plow built (steel plow) • 1839 – Congress made 1st agricultural appropriation • 1858 - Harvester • 1874 – Barbed wire invented • 1892- Gasoline tractor produced

16. Land in the 1700-1800’s • Land was sold for $1.00-1.25 per acre by the government to individuals • 40-80 acres was sold at first • Then determined that one needed 150 to stay profitable in the mid-west • Late 1700’s – 96% of pop. Involved in agriculture

17. An acre was / is ? • The amount of land a man or Beast of Burden could plow in the late 1700’s • About the size of a football field • 43,560 sq. ft. • Cost $10.65 acre in 1900 in Calloway Co. • Cost $2,500 acre in 2000 in Calloway Co. • Cost $6,500 acre in 2011 in Calloway Co.

18. Land Distribution Theories • 1) . Alexander Hamilton – - Large tracts of land (European) - Wealthy to have land, others to work for them - Maximize profit for Government at sale - Southern plantation style (European)

19. Land Theories • Thomas Jefferson – - Small tracts of land (60-80 acres) - Everybody (family) gets a chance to own - Sold at reasonable prices (cheap) - Promote subsistence farming and more democratic state in U.S. - Eventually won out

20. Land Development • Hamlet – Township – 5000 acre pie shaped structure in North East – Did not last long • Plantations – South – large tracts owned by few families, slavery, commodity based on cotton, corn, tobacco • Western U.S. – 640 ac. Perfect squares

21. Other Characteristics of Early Ag. • Subsistence Farming • Surveying became more common • Recording of deeds of land description/ownership • Fight for water rights in west • Barbed Wire • Cattle Barons

22. History of Food & Agriculture1800’s Much of country on subsistence farms Robert Reid – 1846, crossbred two different types of Indian Corn, Guordseed and Flint Corn and developed field corn. Heredity – Gregor Mendel – father of genetics, laws of heredity

23. Robert Reid • Utilized principles of heredity from his knowledge of Gregor Mendel – father of genetics. • One of the first agriculture and science integrators!

24. U.S. Department of Agriculture • 1862 – The Department of Agriculture was established by President Lincoln. • Washington wanted one even earlier • Was called the “Peoples Department” • Two Objectives in the beginning: • Distribute Seeds • Gather, disseminate and distribute information

25. Agriculture Higher Education • 1862- Morrill Land Grant Act • Established Land Grant Universities in States • Primarily for Agriculture and Mechanics • Texas A & M, etc. • Huge sums of land were granted to the states • This was the “study” aspect of agriculture ed. • 1890- Land Grants for African Americans

26. Research • 1887 – Hatch Act • Created the Agricultural Experiment Stations • These were a research component attached to Land Grant Universities • Modeled after German research stations • Practical research for farmers and students- This was the “research aspect” of education • Started with research on commercial fertilizers.

27. 1870’s • 53% of U.S. population involved in agriculture • Average farm was 153 acres

28. Agricultural Extension • 1914 – Smith Lever Act • Created Agricultural Extension Service • Attached to Land Grant Universities • Carry information and research to the farmer • “Outreach aspect” of education in agriculture

29. 1800’s Transportation • Turnpikes • Canals • Steamboats • Railroads – fast & cheap • Refrigeration – beef industry • Interstates – Military,Germany, after WWII 1900’s

30. 1890-1920 • Called Golden Age of American Farmer • 1910 – Agriculture was 31% of labor • Good production for the most part • Farmers were “labor” and “management” What are they now?

31. Early 1900’s in Agriculture • 1916- Federal Farm Loan Act – land banks • 1926- Commercial hybrid seed corn • 1920’s – Overproduction in agriculture • 1929 – Stock Market Crash • Early 1930’s- Dust Bowl • 1933 – Soil Erosion (Conservation) Service

32. Wheat acreage up 42% within 6 years. Wheat production up 27% Wheat prices tripled! 1919 – 33 million more acres than 5 years earlier. Livestock were up 29 million head. Land was 5 times greater than 1900. Prior to Depression

33. Dust Bowl

39. Aftermath of the Depression • Diversified Farming • Federal Farm Loan Act • Marketing Acts • Farm Credit Administration • Soil Conservation • The Beginning of Urban Sprawl

40. American Farm Bureau • 1919 – American Farm Bureau Federation • Founded to help formulate a national farm policy • Conservative • Believes in free trade among countries • Supports all aspects of agriculture

41. 1920-30’s • WPA – Works Projects Administration • CCC – Civilian Conservation Corps – improving soil conditions • 1920’s – Food, Drug and Insecticide Administration – protected farmers from false labeling of chemicals, and consumers from false labeling • Start of Social Programs and Work Programs

42. Structured Ag Policy The three beginnings of organized farm policy: • American Farm Bureau – producer side • Agricultural Adjustment Act – gov. side • Farm Credit Administration – financial side

43. Ag Adjustment Act of 1933 • 1933- Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) • Roosevelt Administration • Raised money from taxes on commodities bought by processors and consumers • Cash relief payments to farmers for debt, farmers had to limit their production • Goal was to raise prices by making commodities scarce • Beginnings of modern day agricultural policy

44. Mid 1900’s in Agriculture • Labor and Credit were scarce during WWII • Women helped fill the gaps in agriculture WWII • GI’s did not return to the farm (suburbs) • 1947- General Agreement on Tariffs/Trade (GATT) • 1950’s- Massive farm subsidies

45. 1950-1960’s • 1950 – Farmers were 12.2% of labor force • 1956- Food Stamp Program (social program) • 1957 – 4 wheel drive vehicles • 1960’s – Chemicals and fertilizers cause explosion in crop production

46. Malthus Theory • Thomas Malthus • Predicted large scale starvation as the population grew faster than the food supply. • Malthus was wrong! • The advances in agriculture allowed food production to outpace the population explosion.

47. Green Revolution • 1950-1960’s • Norman Borlaug • Creation of new varieties, higher yields • Boosted by: GENETICS, fertilizers, pesticides, technology and early biotech • World wide boom in agriculture production • Targeted Mexico, Brazil • Thanks Norman!

48. 1960’s • Chemicals, fertilizers and genetics cause an explosion in crop productivity • Known as “The Green Revolution” • Agriculture was good • Good access to capital ($) • Expansion mentality

49. 1970’s Agriculture • Farmers were 4.6% of labor force • Large scale production-industrial agriculture • Corporations • Modest profits – high commodity prices • Large scale expansion • Fence Row to Fence Row Philosophy (Its Back) • Land prices soared! • Late 70’s interests rates soared (18% +)

50. 1980’s Agriculture • CRASH! Did we not learn our lesson? • 1981-82 – Ag Economy Plunged • Bankruptcy, foreclosures, auctions • Land was to high, commodity prices plunged due to overproduction of the 1950, 60 & 70’s • People expanded too fast • Rest of the 80’s spent digging out of debt, for those left • No-till farming became widely used