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Machinery has gotten a lot bigger.
There are fewer smaller farms and more larger farms. Or rather, farms are increasing in size but decreasing in number.
The average age of the farmer is past +. There are more older farmers than young farmers, or those that are under to years of age.
Much more technology. Making use of GPS systems and robotic systems which enable a producer to operate machinery without having to sit in the tractor seat–or rather, operate any of the controls–because the machine does it all itself. More use of computers, more popularity using social networking sites and blogs to communicate about farming, and larger networks form as a result thanks to the Internet.
More concerns for the environment. People weren’t as concerned about pesticide use and fertilizer runoff as they are now. Fifty years ago people didn’t consider the cow as a source of greenhouse gas. “Green energy” was nonexistent then as it is now. People never even considered climate change even existed.
More concerns for animal welfare. Back then PeTA and HSUS didn’t exist and the majority of the farming community didn’t have any concerns for the welfare of their animals. Now, more pressure is put on by animal rights groups and animal welfare organizations to utilize practices for better animal husbandry to make handling animals much less of a rodeo and more safer for both the handlers and the animals themselves. Back then, issues with animal rights extremists and the Animal Liberation Front was nothing to worry about because these people were so few and far between they were considered nonexistent.
Monsanto was considered the good guy. Fifty years ago this company wasn’t considered to be the big monster company like it is today. GMOs didn’t really exist back then either.
I could go on, but those are some of the changes that have been experienced in the farming community in the US over the past years.
bigger and better farm machinery and much larger farms when my dad farmed back in the he had about acres nowadays acres is considered a hobby farm are neighbor who still farms does around acres a year