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The USDA also stepped up research during the war, in order to assist the military in solving the scores of new problems brought on by modern warfare. New fabrics were developed to help shield soldiers from burns, and to help protect wounds from infection. Dextran, a sugar produced from bacteria acting on cane or beet sugars, was developed to assist blood transfusions. The USDA’s civilian research programs also continued during the 1950s. Their work dramatically improved the flavor. -
In 1950, Communist North Korea invaded South Korea. Once again the United States re-armed, with agriculture playing a fundamental role. The U.S. military and Korean civilians needed new food supplies. In July, 1950 President Truman ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to increase agricultural production for the war. Part of the push to re-arm required farmers to increase or decrease production of specific farm products, a course of action that World War II practices had already prepared. -
"On July 21, 1950, the President asked the Secretary of Agriculture and other agency heads to undertake a detailed review of programs with a view to lessening the demand upon services, commodities, raw materials, manpower, and facilities in competition with those needed for national defense. One result of the President's request was that steps were taken in the farm housing program to curtail the use of building materials for non-defense purposes and to prevent Government loans from adding. -
When President Dwight D. Eisenhower took office in 1953 he believed that government had imposed too many rigid federal controls on farmers that bottlenecked the flow of business, and took away competition in agriculture. -
With the end of the Korean War came new farm bills to assist the United States government in dealing with a surplus of commodities such as corn, cotton, and wheat. Both the Agricultural Act of 1954 and the Agricultural Act of 1956 dealt with issues with supply and demand that lingered following the boom in production surrounding the Korean War. -
Edward F. Knipling of the USDA, using the sterile insect technique (a method of biological control) led to the eventual eradication of the screwworm, a parasite that had caused severe losses of livestock for many years. USDA scientists also developed DEET, a widely used and highly effective insect repellant, for the Armed Forces -
The United States has a long history of providing emergency food assistance to foreign countries following natural disasters and wartime famines. In 1954, President Eisenhower laid the foundation for a permanent U.S. food assistance program by signing Public Law 480 into law. This law, still in effect today, allows the government to send American farm surpluses abroad to help countries facing food shortages. President Eisenhower said, "Food can be a powerful instrument for all the free world. -
American eating habits changed along with American lifestyles. In 1954 T.V. dinners were introduced and became an instant success. Fast food restaurants became popular after the first McDonald's franchise was bought in 1955. More and more prepared foods entered the marketplace while supermarkets began to replace the corner grocery store. The frozen food industry boomed as Americans bought larger refrigerator freezers and sought more convenience foods. -
Farms changed considerably during the Fifties. In 1950 the average farm was two hundred and thirteen acres; by 1960 it was two hundred and ninety-seven acres and growing. The number of large-scale commercial farms continued to increase because they were more efficient and productive. Modernization, such as the introduction of the mechanical cotton picker and the mechanized processing of peas from vine to freezer, became the goal of many producers and processors in the United States rapidly shift -
During the 1960s people became increasingly aware of the effects of pollution on the environment. In the early 60's, Dr. Rachel Carson condemned the widespread use of chemicals in the environment in her controversial book Silent Spring. Her 1963 testimony before Congress led to dramatic changes in the years ahead. The need to conserve and protect the environment became clearer to the American public. -
When President John F. Kennedy was elected in 1960, he promised a broader government role in rural America. By then the definition of rural populations had expanded beyond people involved in agriculture to include those working in manufacturing, mining, or recreation; retirees; college students; and military personnel stationed at military bases in rural areas. -
The fruits of research during the 1960s were staggering. USDA research led to the development of new processes such as automated irrigation systems, and new products like permanent press cotton fabrics that could compete with synthetics. A range of crop and livestock diseases were identified, researched and treated. Better breeds of animals, and new plant varieties (including Fortuna wheat, Rainer cherries, and Hood strawberries), provided even more abundant and inexpensive food for Americans.