New Report Examines 100 Years of Changes in US Agriculture, Farm Policy

The structure of farms, farm households, and the rural communities in which they exist has evolved markedly over the last century. In a new report, “The 20th century transformation of US agriculture and farm policy,” the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) takes a look back at the century that was.

In the introduction to the report, its authors point out that a common point in the debate over US farm programs is that current policies were written for a time in American agriculture that no longer exists. That brings up questions about whether changes in policy have been sufficient, and what the effects are on US farmers and the economy.
Agriculture Online