This old tractor was at one time a modern piece of equipment. Today it is a quaint relic of bygone times. In 100 years, people will look on today's tractors the same way we look at this antique today.
Main Street, Savage, 1911. First State Bank building still stands today.
Crowd at Sidney station west of track, depot partially completed. It was reported that 3,000 people were there.
State Street, Fairview, 1913.
Lambert, 1916.
Farming and ranching built Sidney and have played a crucial role in the health of the community for the past 100 years. The faces of farming and ranching have changed in that time period, particularly the farming aspect of agriculture. Farming made an abrupt shift about 50 years ago when it moved from a resource and tradition enterprise to a science-based business. The science based aspect of farming has led to more reliable production and larger harvests, which translates to better food stability and security for the world.
People tend to forget that for centuries, farming was an uncertain, unstable business and crop failures meant widespread famine and starvation. This rarely happens any longer because agricultural production performs extremely well, thanks to a sound understanding and adherence to scientifically proven facts.
Farmers now understand that crops require certain nutrients in order to produce a good bounty, and management practices make a huge difference in the success or failure of a crop. With the rediscovery of Mendel's laws of genetics, plant breeding made huge strides. Along with knowledge of genetics, the farming community uses improved seed and has a better understanding of soil, how it works, and what it needs to remain healthy and productive. The farming community has also moved towards natural methods to control weeds, diseases and insect pests.
Farming no longer consists of simple cultivation and the grazing of some livestock. Agriculture today has become totally intertwined with technology. The sophistication of equipment allows for precision farming and variable rate applications. GPS technology can pinpoint trouble spots within a field. Computerized equipment and instruments can ease workloads, apply fertilizer or chemicals with accuracy, and even steer tractors. Computerized irrigation equipment saves water as well as allowing farmers to grow a diversity of crops under the same sprinkler. The Internet provides a global market for the buying and selling of commodities, including livestock, without anyone leaving home.
Fuel prices have become a major concern in the past few decades and will continue to affect how agriculture proceeds into the next century. Energy efficient equipment has made an appearance in response to the fuel issue, and cultural practices such as no till along with the search for alternate energy has increased in the last decade. Wind farms have sprung up, mainly on farm and ranch land, and farmers and ranchers make use of solar power to pump water in remote areas. Organic production has increased while chemical usage has decreased, in part because of the cost of chemicals and feed and in part because of consumer demand.
Agriculture faces many challenges in the years to come. Issues that will need resolved in the coming years include dealing with increased government regulations, food quality and safety issues, and counteracting outrageous claims of animal rights and other anti-agriculture groups. The population explosion along with the corresponding increased demand for food will take a front seat, and this in turn will continue to spark debate on GMO crops. The GMO issue will need resolution within the next few decades.
Because in 2011 only about 2% of the U.S. population makes a living by farming, people no longer understand where their food comes from. It has become apparent in today's times that feeding an overfed nation seems to be a thankless job for the most part because of this lack of understanding. The agricultural community will learn to better utilize Twitter, Facebook, blogs, and other on-line communications to educate the public about agriculture and the work involved to produce food. Putting a face to agriculture will go a long way in counteracting negative messages put out by anti-agriculture organizations.
In spite of the challenges facing agriculture, farmers and ranchers remain the most resilient, innovative people in the world. Agriculture will have to use this resilience and innovation in the future to overcome the problems and issues facing food production in today's world.
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