This Week In Ag #152
“No other human occupation opens such a wide field for the profitable and agreeable combination of labor with cultivated thought, as agriculture.”
This wasn’t just eloquent prose orated along a campaign trail by a politician who would become the most quoted man in US history. It was a vision for America.
Before he was a rail-splitter, a country lawyer, the Great Emancipator and a figure worthy of immortality on Mount Rushmore, Abraham Lincoln worked on his family farm while growing up in Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois.
He witnessed first-hand the impact that a recent invention of a fellow Illinoisan — a blacksmith named John Deere — had on releasing the potential of the rich prairie soil. Deere’s steel plow would go on to tame the prairie, and in doing so, would unlock some of our richest natural treasures. Agriculture was clearly a key to transforming this young nation. Perhaps that’s what inspired him to say:
“No community whose every member possesses this art (of deriving a comfortable subsistence from the smallest area of soil) can ever be the victim of oppression in any of its forms. Such a community will be alike independent of crowned-kings, money-kings and land-kings.”
As a farmer himself, Honest Abe knew that for America to realize this vision, we must create an environment for American agriculture to thrive.
Lincoln established the United States Department of Agriculture in 1862. This provided the resources and focus for “putting the soil to the top of its capacity – producing the largest crop possible from a given quantity of ground.” His commitment to improving ag research and education included the Morrill Act that established land-grant universities, using public lands, to teach agriculture and mechanical arts. His famous Homestead Act provided 160 acres of the public domain to any American or prospective citizen who was the head of a family or over 21 years of age. These homesteaders gained ownership of the property after residing on it for five years and making improvements on it
On Thursday, we celebrate the 218th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. In describing his upbringing, he proudly stated, “I was raised to farm work.” And for that, Mr. President, we’re eternally grateful.
Related Posts
It’s ALIVE!
by Heather Jennings, PE . . . the lagoon sludge layer, that is. I’ve seen many lagoons full of sludge, and the general attitude I find in the water industry is that the sludge layer is inert and really can only be mechanically dredged. To a certain point, that is correct: sand, soil, grit, plastics—basically
Discover Three Products to Prep Your Soil for Spring Planting
As I begin to write, I’m reminded of an excerpt from Ode to the West Wind — “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” Well, spring is certainly not far behind, especially for those of us working in the agriculture sector. Winter can be a tricky time for growers, as many of them face
Do Constructed Wetlands Improve Water Quality?
By Jael Batty Constructed wetlands, which mimic natural wetlands, treat municipal and industrial wastewater, mine drainage, small business and household greywater, animal wastes, and agricultural and stormwater runoff. They are recommended by regulatory agencies as a best management practice to control urban runoff.
