American Agriculture at 250: A Legacy Worth Securing
Key takeaways:
- It’s National Agriculture Day! America’s farm families provide us with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply the world has ever known.
- As our Nation approaches its 250th birthday, we celebrate that legacy, but recognize that the current state of the farm economy has put the future of many family farms at risk.
- This National Agriculture Day, let’s celebrate a legacy worth securing. As lawmakers consider the path forward for emergency assistance and Farm Bill 2.0, Congress must stand by America’s farm families.
Happy National Agriculture Day! Let’s get to work.
Today is National Agriculture Day, and this year, it carries extra weight.
As our Nation approaches its 250th birthday, we here at Farm Policy Facts are reflecting on the powerful legacy of American agriculture – and the urgent need to strengthen and secure this storied sector from which so much of our national output is derived.
The hardworking men and women who provide our nation, and the world with the food, feed, fuel, and clothing have carried this tradition – but can they pass it on to the next generation?
National Agriculture Day comes this year at a tough time for America’s farm families – years of high and rising input costs, low commodity prices, steep weather-related losses, and negative returns have created a dire financial situation in farm country.
The stakes on this National Agriculture Day couldn’t be higher. American agriculture, as we know it, has weathered countless storms. Today, the average American farmer feeds over 160 people with remarkable efficiency: we produce more on less land, using fewer inputs, and as a result, Americans enjoy the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply the world has ever known.
This productivity and innovation did not happen overnight. At countless turns throughout our national history, agricultural innovators and pioneers have revolutionized our agriculture sector to meet the needs of our growing nation.
A Story of Ingenuity and Innovation
Why it matters: American agriculture is the foundation of this nation, and America’s farm families have embraced every frontier.
- 1794: Eli Whitney’s cotton gin transforms Southern agriculture
- 1831: McCormick’s mechanical reaper launches an era of harvesting mechanization
- 1892: The first gasoline tractor- the “Froelich,” is invented in Iowa
- 1900s: George Washington Carver diversifies the Southern farm economy, crop by crop
- 1933: The first ever “Farm Bill”, the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, is signed into law
- 2018: The 2018 Farm Bill is passed and signed into law. It is the latest full-fledged, 12-title, 5-year Farm Bill passed by Congress.
- 2025: The farm safety net receives the largest investment in a generation – providing a meaningful backdrop for producers – but its impact won’t be felt for some time.
- Today: Congress is weighing a path forward for emergency assistance for both market and weather losses, as well as “Farm Bill 2.0”. Farm families can’t wait – Congress must act.
This National Agriculture Day, as lawmakers consider the path forward for Farm Bill 2.0, and emergency assistance for producers facing deep economic and production losses, let’s honor this legacy by standing by the men and women who make it all possible.
Federal spending on the farm safety net accounts for less than half of one percent of the federal budget, yet it provides a backing of support for America’s farm families in times of downturn and drives economic growth and investment – thus fortifying our food supply, and in turn, our national security. Every American benefits from this smart investment in farm policy.
Happy National Agriculture Day! Let’s get to work.
Need a Farm Bill refresher? Find a high-level, title-by-title history and overview of this crucial piece of legislation that impacts every American, from the field to the dinner plate, here. Plus, learn about agricultural policy straight from America’s heartland on the Groundwork podcast.