1920 | Agriculture
Agriculture
The U.S. soybean harvest reaches 1 million bushels, a figure that will increase more than 600 times in the next half-century (see 1924; wartime circular, 1918).
California legislators enact a new Alien Land Law to prevent Asians from renewing their leases on farmland (see 1913; Oregon, 1923).
The Federal Trade Commission orders the separation of the Deering and McCormick harvesting machines manufactured by International Harvester Co. The FTC acts under terms of the Clayton Anti-Trust Act of 1914 (see 1902).
The American Farm Bureau Federation founded at Chicago in November is an outgrowth of the country farm bureau movement that has helped farmers by using county demonstration agents, extension workers, and agricultural experts. It will soon begin sponsoring a variety of political measures and grow to become the driving force behind mobilizing right-wing political efforts, aligning itself with agribusiness while representing itself as the champion of family farmers, opposing environmentalists, gun-control laws, minimum wage laws, and civil rights legislation as it invests its farmers' dues in an insurance company and other non-farm activities and its membership becomes less and less farm-oriented.
California vineyard owners begin to diversify their production as a result of Prohibition. They will market as table grapes much of the fruit that has gone into wines and brandies, and improve their methods of producing raisins, which will soon be marketed under the Sun-Maid label.