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Boom of the 1970s
Only 4.6% of the American workforce were farmers in the early 1970s. This small minority generated 19% of American exports and fed an average of 48 people per farmer. -
Agricultural Trade After the Cold War
The Soviet Union experienced wheat crop failure. At this time buying American grain was massive outside North America, so farmers were encouraged to increase production. Foreign trade enlarged the market for agriculture. -
Energy Crisis
The Arab members of OPEC wouldn't ship oil to the U.S, Western Europe, or Japan because of them supporting israel during the Yom Kippur war against Egypt. This resulted in the price of oil rising and an energy crisis. -
Agriculture and Renewable Energy
The energy crisis made farmers rely on petroleum-powered equipment and on fertilizers derived from natural gas. The crisis made people take interest in renewable energy sources. -
Tractor Technology
Tractors are now provided with GPS systems which is a huge help in the agriculture industry. -
Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
The USDA was established by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. Then under the Food and Agriculture Act of 1977, the USDA was set as the leading federal agency for agricultural research, extension, and teaching programs. -
Science
Research has greatened and they developed improved crops. Scientist also developed a vaccine for the foot and mouth disease and eliminated Hog Cholera, a disease which killed a huge amount of pigs and cost pork producers tens of millions of dollars in losses each year. -
Farm Crisis
President Jimmy Carter cancelled sales of American grain to the Soviet Union, because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Drought during this decade affected many regions of the country. -
Alternative Farming
The farm crisis in the 80s made farmers explore outside of traditional farming. For example, they started commercially growing herbs and wildflowers, fish-farming, and organic farming. -
Low Land and Values and High Debt
President Ronald Reagan signed the 1981 Farm Bill so American farmers can compete with European farmers again. But even with government help farm prices, income and land values continued to go down. This made it hard for farmers to pay their debt. -
Conservation Payments
The 1985 farm bill mandated that farmers implement conservation farming practices to receive benefits from the USDA. As a result, the Conservation Reserve Program began to pay landowners to protect environmentally sensitive cropland. -
Smart farms
During the 1990s farm management became important because the cost of inputs rose in the 1980s. Farmers realized they needed to be better at managing.