Century Of (Continued from Page At) plows that allowed the luxury of riding on a sturdy steel seat. Multiple mole boards increased the speed a field could be covered. The hand hoe gave way to riding cultivators. Disk harrows and other tilling equipment made farming faster and easier. And a good thing too. The number of people in cities increased rapidly and they demanded food on their tables. This drove farmers, to increase production by adding new mechanical devices and turn over greater portions of land with the increased capability. Soon production was increasing every year. The demand was good and prices high in comparison to input costs and soon farmers had money to buy more new machinery and more acres. Not only did the American Fanner feed the people at home; a great deal of the farm production was traded over the oceans. When the war in Europe drew U.S. soldiers into the conflict, the call went out to dramatically increase food production. Farmingbecame not only a good Attention Dairymen! ★ Reduce SCC ★ Improve milk quality ★ increase profits & bonuses ★ Keep lines clean ★ Reduce cleaning compounds Millers Water Works 1-800-991-9188 High-Quality Genetics, Great Yields Curt Cooper (215) 257-3071 Jeff Vance (717) 560-8894 Always read and follow label directions. Roundup Ready® is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company. 00/6590 Farming business but also a patriotic occupation essential to the strength of our country. By 1925 tractors started to replace horses. Soon, combines replaced threshing rigs, and com binders and silo fillers made the storage of feed for winter more practical. Production of milk and meat increased too, as county extension agents made the research findings at the land grant colleges and universities available at the farm level. But when the Depression hit the cities in the late 1920 s and into the 19305, the economic bust whipped back into the farm economy as well. Credit was tight, debt, loads became unbearable, and almost everyone was faced with hard times. But farmers continued to increase production and soon the buzzwords were “supply management.” Many of the farm programs that are only now being phased out began in the 1930 s and 19405. As World War II unfolded, surpluses again vanished, and farmers became the heroes of the decade. Food from the American FOR SALE - MANURE L 20-25 ton trailer loads A W $9/per ton depending % L on distance 2 r VINTAGE SALES STABLES, INC. j W Paradise, PA 17562 L (717) 442-4181 J W L. Robert Frame, President * Farmers literally fed the allied tropes. Farmers were proud to be farmers. And they were honored along with the nation’s other war heroes. Production increases were tied to better farming practices. Input costs were relatively low in comparison to farm prices. If a fertilizer was good, a little more couldn’t hurt. Excess nutrients in the soil were considered a plus to next year’s crop* production. Chemicals such as 2,4-D came on the market to kill the weeds. Insecticides could control the bugs. As the war ended, the industrial production that had gone into the military machine became available to produce agricultural equipment. Larger tractors, along with new tillage and harvesting equipment made farm life easier and helped increase farm productivity. Electricity, telephones, and other modern home appliances came to rural families making them equal with their city cousins. But again the fervor to feed the world at war had put farm production in such high gear that when the war ended, surpluses brought depressed prices to farm products. This scenario was later Steve Ferrara (814)353-9146 John Wysolmerski (610) 779-9788 begins with premium seed. What do you ask for very best soybean harvest? ndup Ready® soybeans, with high-quality genetics it-yielding varieties available today. And wuh more iup Ready® soybeans to choose from for the 2000 ;eason, you'll be sure to find the right one for the ou farm. So ask for the best. High-quality genetics, great yields and added value. Ask for Roundup Ready® soybeans. For more information, contact your local dealer or Monsanto rep, visit www.farmsource.com or call 1-800-ROUNDUP. repeated with the Korean War. The trend moved toward fewer farmers farming larger farms. The felt need to produce more to make up for the lower prices continued through the century. Soon, the credit lender and the farm consultant became necessary partners in the everyday life of the farmer. Government subsidies, population growth, and exports only partially helped to offset the cost of the farmer’s debt load. Input costs increased dramatically. Both fuel and fertilizer costs doubled within a decade, but commodity prices reverted back to Depression levels. In the 1990 s farmers were still pinched between the cost of production and the prices received at the farm gate. And new forces were at work. Environmental concerns over excesses earlier in the century were shaping government policy. Nutrient management laws began to restrict farmers’ abilities to farm efficiently. Recommendations for low input and organic farming became more comrronplace. Some farmers were backing off from maximum production in favor of lower input costs. Chickens could be seen out on range again in these operations. Rotational grazing of dairy and beef cattle became popular discussion topics at farm meetings. But in tremendous contract, biotechnology shaped the other side of farming. Genetic engineering so affected plant production that Bt com eliminated the need for pesticides. As this writer stated; ‘The corn plant now eats the corn bore.” Jeff Martin (717) 630-2504 Brian Parsons (814) 632-8671 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 1, 2000-A33 Cloning of animals gave focus to new and uncharted paths to future animal husbandry. Farmers become more specialized with larger concentrated operations. This caused opponents of agriculture to decry the methods and mechanics of the modern farmer. Instead of applause for feeding the world and being the best example of efficiency in production, farmers are accused, often falsely, of non-point pollution of our streams and waterways wlile excess nitrates from city and industrial sewage plants go unnoticed by public opinion. When the century, began one farm worker supported himself and one city worker. In 1999 one farmer supported himself and 360 city workers. “Farming as a way of life” was replaced in the middle of the century with “farming as a business.” But farming never lost its feeling as a way of life- The feel of wheat in a bin when you plunge you hand in to your elbow. The smell of new mown hay or corn silage in the manger. The joy of a newborn calf, or kid, or foal. The feel of the night as darkness settles over the fields, with only tractor lights and the stars in the sky to give orientation to the night work at hand and communion with nature. The pure pleasure of watching hogs eat. Yes, farming is a business. But the farmer is so tied to the earth— the seedtime, the harvest, the cold and the heat, the summer and the winter, the day and the night—so tied to the spirit of farming that his business is his way of life. ifcaefy. SOYBEANS
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers