A Trip Back in Time

Experience 300 years of history, bridged with modern agriculture at Living History Farms.

By Ann Thelen | Photos courtesy of Living History Farms

The 1876 town of Walnut Hill at Living History Farms represents a post-Civil War community in the Iowa farm belt.

IOWA AG NATIONAL RANKINGS

NO. 1:

Production of Corn, Eggs, Pork

NO. 2:

Production of Soybeans, Total Value of Ag Exports

NO. 3:

Number of Farms

NO. 4:

Beef Exports

NO. 7:

Turkeys Raised

NO. 9:

Cheese Production

Source: United States Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2020 A griculture anchors Iowa. The Hawkeye State leads the nation in many types of food and crop production and is home to global leaders in ag innovation.

Agriculture anchors Iowa. The Hawkeye State leads the nation in many types of food and crop production and is home to global leaders in ag innovation.

Although the state’s residents live amid the most fertile and productive farmland in the country, most people are now at least three generations removed from the farm. Iowans don’t have to travel far to connect with the generations of agricultural roots that bind the state together.

Living History Farms sits on 500 acres of sprawling land in the heart of central Iowa. This treasured outdoor and interactive museum celebrates Iowa’s iconic foundation in agriculture. Strolling through the fictional town of Walnut Hill, on the grounds of this farm, visitors are transported back in time across 15 essential stores and services. Like a scene from the famed television series Little House on the Prairie, the town is anchored with a church and flanked with the likes of a general store, blacksmith shop, millinery shop, bank and school.

Along with the Flynn Mansion and Tangen House – homes reflective of the times – three farms anchor these grounds. The farms show the progression of early to modern agriculture. Open each year from May 1 to Oct. 31, people of all ages create memorable experiences by learning about the foundation of Iowa.

Farming for Food – 1700

This farm prototype transports visitors back three centuries, where the farming techniques practiced by the Ioway Indians in 1700 pre-dated written history and varied from European methods. Ioway farmers raised corn, beans and squash. Women did the farming in the Ioway culture while men were responsible for hunting wild animals for food and making tools from wood, stone and bones. Ioway families were subsistence farmers, raising just enough for their family to survive throughout the year.

The Native Americans who lived and farmed in what would become the state of Iowa used their own power to plant and harvest crops. They did not have livestock. However, they had dogs, which helped in hunting and pulling travois – a type of sled used to carry heavy things when traveling long distances.

Ioway Indians had separate summer, winter and traveling lodges. Bark houses called náhachi kept the Ioway cool during hot summer months, while winter mat-houses called chákirutha, made from layers of sewn cattail leaves, protected the Ioway from harsh winters and stayed around 50 degrees inside. While traveling on hunting expeditions, the Ioway lived in a chibóthraje or tipi made from buffalo hides. Their villages also contained sweat lodges, food-drying racks, cooking areas, work areas, hide-scraping racks, pottery pits and gardens.

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Transitioning from Subsistence to Profit-Making – 1850 Pioneer Farm

On a mid-summer visit to the 1850 Pioneer Farm, the men might be in the fields cultivating corn and potatoes or harvesting wheat, the three main crops on the Iowa frontier. Inside the log house, the women work on domestic projects and prepare the midday meal. The meal, usually consisting of meat, bread and potatoes is served at noon and called dinner.

The 1850 Pioneer Farm – representing a farm that is just four years old after Iowa became a state in 1846 – is in transition between subsistence agriculture and becoming a profit-making enterprise. Most farms in 1850 averaged 160 acres in size, with farmers cultivating anywhere from 25 to 40 acres.

While the pioneers did a lot of work by hand, they also relied on oxen for heavy farm power, such as plowing the ground and moving trees to build fences or the log cabin. The Shorthorn was the most common breed of cattle in Iowa in the 1800s. This breed was popular because they were good milk and beef producers, plus they made good oxen.

Cows, sheep, pigs, chickens and other animals are now being raised for food. Most farmers used their corn crop to feed the pigs that were then sold for profit. Wheat and hogs were cash crops for farmers, and potatoes were a staple with nearly every meal and lasted throughout the winter.

1900 Horse-Powered Farm

Dramatic changes in farming occurred between 1850 and 1900. The end of the Civil War led into the Industrial Revolution, and changes resulted throughout the barnyard. By 1900, instead of performing fieldwork by hand, most farmers used draft horses for hard labor – 1,800-pound Percheron draft horses pull various machinery to plant, cultivate and harvest the farm's crops.

Commonly raised farm animals included sheep, chickens, hogs, milk cows, beef cattle, ducks, geese and turkeys.

The large barns were the center of daily activity on turn-of-the-century farms. Most farmers used the barn for multiple purposes, like storing hay and oats, stabling animals, milking cattle and storing tools and equipment. Farmers harvested hay in the summer, and then kept it in the barn to feed the animals during the winter months. The haymow, in the center of the barn, held more than 30 tons of loose hay.

Inside the farm kitchen, the woodburning cookstove and the Mason jar made food preparation and preservation much easier.

Follow the life of Soybeans in Iowa

The soybean is a species of legume that originated in Southeast Asia and was first domesticated by Chinese farmers. Its popularity among U.S. farmers took root in the late 1800s. By the early 1900s, acres planted to soybeans increased dramatically after George Washington Carver (a graduate of Iowa State University) discovered that soybeans were a valuable source of protein and oil and beneficial to soil quality when planted in rotation with other crops.

1920s

Early soybeans begin to be planted by farmers in the Midwest.

1930s

Soybean meal proves to be an essential ingredient in animal feed.

1940s

The U.S. is importing 40% of its fats and oils when supplies were cut off by World War II.

Soybean producers double production; processors build plants to produce soybean oil.

1950s

Average soybean yields are around 20 bushels per acre. Passage of Public Law 480, Food for Peace program, in 1954 helps fund market development and stimulates exports of soy products.

1960s

The Iowa Soybean Association is formed in 1964.

Iowa becomes the second largest state in soybean acreage and production in 1969, harvesting 171 million bushels from 5.5 million acres.

1970s

The Iowa Legislature passes soybean checkoff legislation in 1971. No-till agriculture gains popularity; this technique is used for growing crops without disturbing the soil.

1980s

Iowa Legislature passes soybean oil ink bill mandating the use of soy oil in government printing by July 1989.

2000s

Iowa Soybean Association launches its Environmental Programs and Services. The Soyfoods Council, the Soy Transportation Coalition and the Iowa Biodiesel Board are formed.

2010s

Iowa Soybean Research Center at Iowa State University is developed.

Iowa Food & Family Project created with a vote of approval by the Iowa Soybean Association.

TODAY

Iowa soybean farmers produce nearly 550 million bushels of soybeans or roughly 13% of the nation’s total, planted to 10 million acres.

Soybean meal feed in the U.S. goes to several segments of animal agriculture, aquaculture and companion animals.

Soybean oil remains the most common vegetable oil in the U.S.; 54.3% of the soybean oil used in the U.S. goes to the food industry.

Soybeans deliver a vegetable protein option in many forms, including tofu, tempeh and edamame.

Uses for soy-based products continue to expand, with more than 1,000 items currently on the market — from flooring and roofing products to candles and personal care items.

AG IN IOWA TODAY

FARMS: 86,104

AVERAGE FARM SIZE: 355 acres

FARMERS: 34% female; 66% male

Source: U.S. Ag Census, 2017

To view the full spread, view this magazine in your internet browser on your phone, tablet or desktop. This story is funded by the soybean checkoff.