Growing a Nation Growing a Nation  
    A History of American Agriculture 1950  
    by decade by category      
     
   
Economic Cycles



1950-56
Korean War and postwar readjustment
1957-58
Recession





Farm Economy



1950
Large agricultural surpluses
Farmers & the Land

1950
Total population: 151,132,000; farm population: 25,058,000; farmers 12.2% of labor force; Number of farms: 5,388,000; average acres: 216; irrigated acres: 25,634,869
1956
Legislation provides for Great Plains Conservation Program






Farm Machinery and Technology
1950-59
Commercial fertilizer use: 22,340,666 tons/year
1950
One farmer supplies 15.5 persons (est.)
1954
Number of tractors on farms exceeds the number horses and mules for the first time
1955
6 1/2 labor-hours required to produce 100 pounds (4 acres) of wheat with tractor, 10- foot plow, 12-foot row weeder, harrow, 14-foot drill, self-propelled combine and trucks.
Late 1950s
Anhydrous ammonia increasingly used as cheap source of nitrogen, boosting yields
1959
Mechanical tomato harvester developed
Crops & Livestock




1955s
Sterile flies used for screwworm control
Transportation



1950s
Trucks and barges compete successfully for agricultural products as railroad rates rise
1956
Interstate Highway Act



Agricultural Trade and Development


1950-59
Agricultural exports: $3.53 billion/year or 22% of total exports
1954
Agricultural Trade Development and Assistance Act (Food for Peace)
Life on the Farm

1950s
Television widely accepted; many rural areas lose population as farm family members seek outside work
1954
70.9% of all farms have cars; 49% have phones; 93% have electricity;Social Security coverage extended to farm operators





Farm Organizations & Movements



1950s
10,051 cooperatives with 7 million members
1955
National Farmers Organization formed





Agricultural Education & Extension




1958
National Defense Education Act
Government Programs & Policy
1950s
Debate about level of farm price support and surpluses
1954
Agricultural Act re-establishes flexible price supports, authorizes commodity set-asides, and provides support payment for wool
1955-72
Increased emphasis on rural development and renewal
1956
Soil Bank Program authorized
1957
Poultry Inspection Act
1958
Humane Slaughter Act
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