United States Department of Agriculture

Trends in U.S. Agriculture

A Walk Through the Past and a Step Into the New Millennium

Contents

• Introduction
• Farm Numbers and Land in Farms
• Farm Population and Labor
• Mechanization
• Oats and Soybeans
• Corn Hybridization
• Livestock and Dairy
• Broiler Industry
• Cold Storage
• Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice
• Productivity
• Land Values
• Agricultural Prices
• Market Basket
• Conclusion
• References

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the farmers, ranchers, and producers across the Nation who willingly participate in the censuses and surveys conducted by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), U.S. Department of Agriculture. They are the strength behind the census of agriculture, agricultural inventory, production, price and environmental information produced by NASS. We appreciate their support and cooperation. They are the cornerstone of America's food and fiber system.