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New Pesticides and Herbicides
Farmers began using new pesticides and herbicides that were developed in the 1970s. This helped with the foreign trade with the Soviet Union. -
The Agricultural Act
The Agriculture Act of 1970 was signed into law by President Nixon on after 16 months of making its way through the legislative branch. This bill caused a major controversy among farm groups, Congress, and the administration. -
Energy Crisis
Arab members of OPEC refused to send oil to the United States -
The Agriculture and Consumer Protections Act
The Agriculture and Consumer Protections Act included provisions and guidance for many areas of agriculture including milk, butterfat, the dairy product pesticide indemnity program, dairy imports, the wheat set-aside program, set aside programs for crops of feed grain, set aside programs for cotton, maintains eligibility for food stamps, and additional provisions for food stamps. -
USDA: Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching
USDA was established as the leading federal agency for agricultural research, extension, and teaching programs. -
The Food and Agriculture Act
Included in this farm bill were income supports and the establishment of a farmer-owned reserve for grain and a two-tier program for peanuts. -
Grain Embargo to the Soviet Union
The US lauches a grain embargo, which prohibited selling grain to the Soviet Union -
Alternative farming
The farm crisis led more farmers away from traditional crop production and toward growing alternative or high-value crops that were becoming increasingly popular with consumer. -
The Agriculture and Food act
The Agriculture and Food Act of 1981 was created, containing 18 sections. -
The Farm Crisis
The Farmers Home Administration placed a two-year moratorium on farm foreclosures, and many banks held off as long as possible on past due loans in order to assist desperate farmers. -
Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education
As an alternative to competing with large farms, many small farm owners are now marketing specialty products directly to consumers through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). -
"Smart" Farms
During the 1990s farm management became increasingly important. Because the cost of inputs (the things a farmer needs to produce a crop) rose sharply during the 1980s, farmers needed to become better business managers and computer users in order to succeed.
