Changes In Agriculture (Past 50 Years)

Farming and Agriculture are rapidly evolving and constantly being made better. From the machinery getting bigger and faster, to the science behind farming becoming more understood, all aspects of this method that keeps all of us alive, are very fast pace.

After doing research for Farming with Cianna's first interview, I realized so many things have changed. Before looking into it, I expected the farm rates to have went up and the machinery to have improved, but I was partially wrong! There has been so much more change than that!

Farm Sizes and Numbers

 

As mentioned before, I thought that the number of U.S. farms had risen in the past 50 years. You would think since there are more people, there would be more farms raising our food.Well, research proved me wrong. The number of running farms in the United States has dropped over 8% in the last 5 decades. With that being said, commercial farms have gotten over two times larger to produce more foods.

Since people are growing crops more efficiently, more plants on less land, there is no need for more farms.  Because those large farms can afford modern machinery, they do not employee nearly as many people as they did years ago.

Modern Machinery

In the mid 1800's, people were working on machines to make their jobs easier. By 1892, the first successful gasoline powered tractor was ran in Iowa. Being so cheap and small, the first tractor model interested many farmers, but it wasn't until 1953 that there were more tractors doing the farm work than horses and men. The first machines could do the work of 17 men and 50 horses.

Tractors and the machinery they pull are so much more efficient today than they were any number of years ago. Like my grandma mentioned in the interview, she would have to sit on the back of a truck and hold the rake down with her feet while her father was driving. Now, our machines not only till the ground, but they can dig, plant seeds, harvest plants, and so much more. Modern technology really has us spoiled!

Irrigation Improvements

All throughout history, farms have been settled along bodies of water for easy access. In the 1840's, when Mormons in Utah dammed the river in order to flood their fields to soften the soil, they discovered the real benefits of irrigation. Water produced thriving plant growth throughout the desert. Congress took this into consideration and ended up passing several law in the few after to assist farmers in making costly irrigation systems.

Now, of course, we don't have to worry about flooding our fields because we have efficient irrigation systems to water, although some farmers still do it that way. Though many people depend on the rain to water their crops, we have a back up way just in case of drought.

Use of Pesticides

In the mid 1800's, they started using pesticides to cure powdery mildew on grape plants. Tons of pesticides were created after the first one helped the plants. Paris green (contained arsenic) was introduced to control the potato beetle, which was an insect native to the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains that rapidly ate potatoes grown by pioneers. By 1893, there were 42 known insecticides made by many manufacturers. These pesticides were around all through the 1900's.

Now, we know arsenic is poisonous to us, but many of the things they used in their pesticides were considered harmful to us today. They still use chemicals for pesticides on most of the food we eat today, but you also have the choice to go organic. Many people don't want to pay the price for the chemical-free food, which is sad because that's what the government planned. 

I found this awesome website that tells you what kind of pesticides are in the food you eat. It's really an eye-opener to see how many things have chemicals used on them. You really have no idea what they are doing to you. It's actually horrible that the government allows the amount of pesticides that they allow. Check it out: http://www.whatsonmyfood.org/
"What's on my food" is presented by "Pesticide Action Network" or PAN. They protest the uses of pesticides. Check it out: http://www.panna.org/

Location

Growing crops is usually thought to be outdoors, in a field, but we have changed that. Now, people grow their plants in greenhouses or in buildings with UV lights. This new way of raising crops is very efficient because you are able to grow food through all seasons, hot or cold.
As time goes on, this method is getting more and more popular.

There have obviously been more changes in agriculture than the ones I have listed. Because people will probably never stop growing vegetables, fruits, and other foods, there will always be room for improvement. Farming is a way of life that will never stop evolving. Who knows what the future will bring!

Who Did I Get It From?

I was talking with someone the other day about my animals, and the question came up: "Who did you get it from?"

To be completely honest with you, I never really had thought it before, but as we went on to talk about how they knew my family, I  realized that farming has really been in the family for many generations.

 So, who did I actually get my love of agriculture from?

For the first time on Farming with Cianna, we have conducted an interview to find an answer to my question.

I decided to interview my Grandma Vicki knowing that she could give me all the details about my family's history.

Interview





Opening

Cianna: I was talking to some people the other day about the farming and animals, and the question came up "Who did you get it from?"
I was very caught off guard and realized that I've never really thought about it. That night, I was thinking about who I actually did get it from, but I really had no knowledge on the previous farming generations in our family. I knew about the farm that was by your house and how many of my loved ones were invovled, but I didn't know any details.
That is why I decided my next blog should be about my family's farming background and "Who I got it from."
If you don't mind, I have a few questions to ask about our family's history.

Background:

Farming is obviously a very fast evolving way of life. With new machinery being made, to science gaining knowledge, many things are constantly changing.
In the past 50 years, farming has drastically changed it's ways.
Some examples are:

• People figuring out ways to produce more on less land.
• New findings on genetics allowing us to modify foods for our liking.
• Improved pest management programs.
• Better fertilizer.
• Larger, faster machinery.
• Rapid and more accurate soil testing.

Questions and Answers

Cianna: How have you seen farming change in the past 20 years?

Vicki: They have developed better seeds that are disease resistant and produce more and they've created better machinery that makes everything easier.

Cianna: How many generations before you have been involved in agriculture?

Vicki: It all started with Samuel Huntly and his wife, Cathren Wolfe-Huntly. There have been 4 generations before me.

Cianna: What type of farming has ran in our family?

Vicki: We have raised crops and animals.

Cianna: Did you help out on the farm?

Vicki: Yes, my sister and I helped our dad with the raking and animal care.

Cianna: Did you have any daily chores around the farm that were meant for only you?

Vicki: Yes, I collected the eggs and when grandma didn't have time to milk the cows (Poke and Jers) I would milk them for her.

Cianna: What was it like living on a farm?

Vicki: It was very hard work working in the acre garden, feeding, and doing barn work, but it taught us a lot.

Cianna: Were their any animals on the farm that you were attached to?

Vicki: Poke and Jers, the dairy cows, and Dirty Sally, the sow.

Cianna: Are you glad you were raised in a farming atmosphere?

Vicki: Yes! Being raised in a farming atmosphere taught us how to respect hard work, how to respect each other, the animals and life itself. You get to experience things being born and death because of whatever reason. But, you learn not to take life for granite because it's a precious thing that only God can give and it doesn't last for very long, just like on the tombstones you have a birth date and a death date and that little dash in the middle is all the life you've got.

Cianna: Does farming still interest you?

Vicki: Yes.

Cianna: If you could go back to farming in the past, would you?

Vicki: I probably would because things weer still "natural". Today, everything is so fast-pace and we want to preserve everything by adding these preservatives that we don't even know what they are. I think we need to go back to a more natural state instead of putting chemicals in everything.

Cianna: What is YOUR definition of a farm?

Vicki: A place to raise animals, food, and family where there is a lot of love.

Cianna: What are the first words that come to your head when I say "animals, farm, outdoors,etc.."?

Vicki: Beautiful and calming. That's because when I'm upset, I know I can go talk to Velvet, and she'll calm me down and let me know everything's going to be okay. She's probably the one animal that knows more about the Bible than any other animal because I go down to the barn and read Psalms with her.

Closing

Cianna: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Vicki: I don't think.

Cianna: Well thank you very much for finally answering my question: "Who did I get it from?"
It's pretty cool to know where it all started and about the traditions we have carried on for many generations.
I am very glad to follow in their footsteps!

So it all started back in the 1820's when Samuel H. Huntly cleared the fields of his property to begin raising crops and animals. The land has been in our family ever since! How great!
I am so happy I got to interview my grandma. Again, I thank her for teaching me.

I hope you've learned a lot about my family and "Where I got it from"! I've really learned a ton!