How the Black Labor Movement Envisioned Liberty
To Reconstruction-era Black republicans, the key to preserving the country’s character was stopping the rise of a wage economy.
The Rise and Fall of Montana’s Christmas-Tree Harvest
Douglas firs weren't great for lumber, but they once made the small town of Eureka the Christmas-tree capital of America.
The Brooklyn College Farm Labor Project of the 1940s
The coronavirus pandemic left farmers falling back on students to pick crops. But it certainly wasn’t the first time.
The People Who Thought Farmers Without Radios Were Rubes
In the 1920s, some people thought that the new invention of radio would make American farmers less "backward."
So You Want to Buy a Pet Chicken?
Looking for a sense of comfort and security by buying a chicken? You'll get more than you bargained for.
Can Crops’ Wild Relatives Save Troubled Agriculture?
Cultivating a limited number of crops reduced the genetic diversity of plants, endangering harvests. Seed collectors hope to fix it by finding the plants’ wild cousins.
The Reindeer Games
In 1907, the U.S. Reindeer Service was organized as part of an effort to domesticate the animals...and Inupiat Eskimos.
Why You Should Visit a Farm This Summer
Agritourism may sound like a hot new trend, but it's actually been helping farms stay in business for over a century.
When Foster Care Meant Farm Labor
Before current foster care programs were in place, Americans depended on farmers to take care of kids in exchange for hard labor.
How Urban Agriculture Can Meet Its Potential
New York City's urban agriculture has not been found to provide benefits to either hungry people or the environment. How could city farms work better?