As Black farmers, activists and even some in the government work to make changes and reparations for the farmland lost by Black farmers during the 20th century, one number is often tossed…
Tag: History
The Surprising Home of Arbor Day Celebrates 150 Years of Planting Trees
Nebraska City, population 7,273, sits right on the border with Iowa, in the southern part of Nebraska. Less than an hour south of Omaha, the city is flanked by the Missouri River…
A Shift to Farming Made Our Ancestors Shorter
When most people think of farmers, a measly or malnourished person is likely not the first descriptor that comes to mind. Recent research, however, suggests otherwise about some of the earliest farmers….
Tracing the Link Between Slavery and Peanut Farming
Most Americans think of peanuts in terms of peanut butter or as a snack at baseball games. The history of peanuts in America, of course, is more complicated than that, and it…
Honoring the Ukrainian Roots of American Wheat
Every slice of bread has a link to Ukraine—and not just because the country is a major wheat exporter. What we eat has biological ties to both Russia and Ukraine, because our…
Tobacco Field Where Martin Luther King Jr. Worked Preserved as Historic Site
Last fall, an unassuming tobacco field in Connecticut formalized its place in American history. Now officially preserved for historic purposes is the 285-acre property known locally as Meadowood, once a thriving tobacco…
The Legacy of Campbell Soup’s Tomato Breeding Program
What comes to mind when you think of Campbell Soup? You might picture cans of tomato soup or perhaps an iconic Andy Warhol print of them. You probably don’t think much about…