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Agriculture during the cold war
In July, 1950 President Truman ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase agricultural production for the war. Part of the push to re-arm required farmers to increase or decrease production of specific farm products, a course of action that World War II practices had already prepared them to accept. The American public was again asked to conserve food supplies by growing gardens at home. -
Help during the war
The USDA's civilian research programs also continued during the 1950s. Their work dramatically improved the flavor and stability of soybean oil, making this once insignificant crop one of America's most important products. Agricultural research increasingly made invaluable contributions to modern society. -
New ways of agriculture
Science and technology were changing the way America farmed. Farms became mechanized, and new pesticides, weed killers and chemical fertilizers increased crop yields. -
Growth in Agriculture
In 1950 the average farm was two hundred and thirteen acres; by 1960 it was two hundred and ninety-seven acres and growing. The number of large-scale commercial farms continued to increase because they were more efficient and productive. Modernization, such as the introduction of the mechanical cotton picker and the mechanized processing of peas from vine to freezer, became the goal of many producers and processors in the United States rapidly shifting agricultural economy.
