The Way We Worked: Advancing Agriculture in America

U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Office Assistant Chief J.H. Evans makes rounds of local farms by horse-drawn buggy.

This 1925 photograph shows U.S. Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Office Assistant Chief J.H. Evans making rounds of local farms by horse-drawn buggy. 

In 1914, Congress created USDA’s Cooperative Extension Service to partner with land-grant universities for agriculture research and education. At that time, 30 percent of the U.S. workforce was engaged in farming. 

Today, with less than 2 percent of Americans farming for a living, the USDA has expanded its extension services to all communities, with offices in nearly every county in the U.S. These agents not only support farmers and ranchers, but also assist families with nutrition and home economics, and they provide youth educational services.

Did You Know?

There are more than 100 land-grant universities in America, including historically black and tribal institutions. Learn more at https://nifa.usda.gov/.

About the Society for History in the Federal Government

Photo from the Records of the Department of Agriculture, National Archives, courtesy of the National Archives History Office, in collaboration with the Society for History in the Federal Government (SHFG), bringing together government professionals, academics, consultants, students and citizens interested in understanding federal history work and the historical development of the federal government. To join, visit www.shfg.org.

The Way We Worked celebrates the past 100 years of public service through archival images.