Harvest is racing ahead across the Corn Belt. Dry weather and a dry, mature crop have allowed this year’s harvest to be one of the fastest on record. Corn harvest has been completed in some parts of southern Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.

This is a welcome change from last year when wet conditions kept combines in the field until Christmas. According to the Indiana Ag Statistics Service, the Indiana corn harvest of 2010 will be the fastest ever recorded - much faster than the average 70 days in 1960 and the 50 days in the 1980s.

Not only has the harvest gotten faster, it has gotten easier. Enclosed combines with GPS and yield monitors have made harvesting corn and soybeans a much different experience that it was in the previous century.

When John Deere crafted his famous steel plow in his blacksmith shop in 1837, he also forged the beginnings of a technological revolution that has transformed this nation and the world. In 1902, J.P. Morgan purchased the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. and Deering Harvester Co., along with three smaller agricultural equipment firms and formed International Harvester.

The early 1900s was a period of fantastic mechanical innovation in farm equipment. It was a time when horses were replaced by horsepower as the main energy source on the farm.

In 1911, the Holt Manufacturing Co. of California produced a self-propelled harvester; and, in 1923 in Kansas, the Curtis brothers and their Gleaner Manufacturing Co. patented a self-propelled harvester which included several other modern improvements in grain handling. For the rest of the century, the equipment kept getting bigger, better and more expensive.

This technological revolution has allowed farmers to be much more productive and efficient. Today it is estimated that it takes less than two hours of labor and less than an acre of land to produce 100 bushels of corn.

In addition to sophisticated equipment, chemical fertilizers, hybrid seed and biotechnology have continued to increase yields at an astonishing rate.

Not only has yield improved, but plant health and adaptability has improved. Even in areas of the Midwest that received little to no rain from July through the end of September, corn yields are surprisingly good.

The agricultural revolution that took place in the 20th century had tremendous ramifications for farm families, rural communities, and the U.S. economy. Likewise, the forces that are bringing change in the 21st century will also force changes in the way we farm.
The question is: will the American public and the federal government be able to make the changes necessary to allow American agriculture to continue to grow?

First of all, most Americans have not caught up with the advances in agriculture from the last century. For most Americans, the family farm is 250 acres with a wide variety of crops grown, a big garden, a small orchard and a few animals wandering around a barnyard.
The highly mechanized and specialized operation that produces the majority of the food consumers enjoy at the supermarket is beyond their imagination.

Likewise, the lawmakers in Washington and the bureaucrats at the USDA, EPA, FDA and other agencies are clueless.

For the most part, they have no idea what policies will stimulate growth in the farm sector, what regulations will stifle that growth, or what is really needed to help farm families and rural communities. The policies of the past will not serve an industry impacted by global markets, a burgeoning renewable fuel sector, and rapid technological advances.

I have an old agricultural textbook on my bookshelf. It was published in 1930 and authored by Cassi Hammonds and Ralph Woods, both professors at the University of Kentucky.

In 1930, they said the key to the future of American agriculture was that “Farmers must get their fair share of the national income. It is the function of the government to make this possible.”

In the 80 years since, we have learned that the government is not too good at making sure farmers share in the national income. Yet, as we wrap up the first decade of this new century, the challenge remains the same. Farmers must share in the bounty and opportunity that our nation provides.

This year’s harvest stands as a testament to the hard work, productivity, efficiency, and technology of American agriculture. Only if these attributes are fostered and funded will American agriculture continue to be the foundation of the world’s food supply and a pillar of our nation’s economy.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.