It’s an understatement to say that farming has undergone a transformation throughout history. Think back to the first walking plows. Now, fast forward to today’s advanced self-driving tractors – it’s pretty incredible how far we have come.
While the agriculture industry has transformed so has your local agricultural cooperative. Here at Agfinity, we have proudly provided The Cooperative Difference for over 115 years now and through innovation and technology, we will continue to do so. We understand that in order to improve we must first reflect on how far we have come. Below, we’ll take a brief look at the exciting history of farming.
The Ancient Beginning of Farming
It’s impossible to know exactly when humans stopped being hunters and gatherers. Historians believe it was around 9500 BC when early civilizations began to form around river valleys, such as the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers.
After the last Ice Age, historians believe that wild grains were cultivated and developed into the grains that we know and love today. In terms of livestock, wild boars were domesticated around 10,000 years ago, sheep shortly followed, while cattle were domesticated from wild aurochs around 8500 BC.
Farming developed independently in different areas of the world. Rice was grown in ancient China, while maize was grown in Mexico. It truly is fascinating how farming slowly evolved in these ancient civilizations where tools were extremely limited compared to today’s standards. To us, it symbolizes the ingenuity and the resiliency of humans.
Ancient Farming Around the World
As humans continued the search to grow more food, better farming techniques were implemented. The need to replenish nutrients in the soil was quickly realized, as were the benefits of crop rotation. With the Iron Age, came better farming tools. Mills came about for processing grains, and animal power began to be utilized. Soon the trading of crops progressed beyond the barter system into trade, which then progressed to commodity markets.
As technology plowed ahead (pardon the pun), so too did farmers. When more farmers migrated to cities, the remaining farmers banded together and used technology to increase productivity to the point where today just one percent of the US population still farms. This one percent of growers produce a dizzying array of products to export, including maize (corn), wheat, potatoes, sugarcane, and rice.
As we reflect on the vast and exciting history of agriculture, the advancements and innovations are simply beyond brilliant – and they must continue to be so as we solve the many challenges facing the agriculture industry today.
Partner with Agfinity
Agfinity is proud to be your innovative agricultural cooperative of choice. We are more than just your co-op farm supply, we are your one-stop-shop. We are your agricultural supplier, your fertilizer supplier, your energy supplier, your feed supplier, and much more. Times are changing and so are we. We are working harder now more than ever to ensure you have the tools you need to achieve your operational success. When you search for “farmers co-op near me” we will be there and we’ll be ready to serve your operational needs. Connect with a local expert today to discuss how we can better serve your needs.
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