Adjusting to Changes in Agriculture and Rural America

A M E R I C A T O D A Y

PROGRESSIVE FARMER

Third Annual Butler/Cunningham

Conference

Montgomery, AlabamaNovember 8-9, 2004

A RICH HISTORY

WITH MANY TRANSFORMATIONS

1940 1965 1970 1990 1997

Thousand Farms

8,000

7,000

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

Acres Per Farm

600

500

400

300

200

100

Number of Farms

Acres per Farm

The Trend

SOURCE: Economic Research Service, USDA 2000

FARMS VERSUS ACREAGE

The Trend CATTLE FARMS

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1,000,000

1,100,000

1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002

Number of Cattle Farms

1,024,935

796,436

The Trend CORN FARMS

200,000

300,000

400,000

500,000

600,000

700,000

800,000

900,000

1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002

Number of Corn Farms

883,309

348,590

The Trend COTTON FARMS

10,000

30,000

50,000

70,000

90,000

1974 1978 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002

Number of Cotton Farms

89,536

24,805

Commercial Farms157,518

Intermediate Farms192,042

SOURCE: Economic Research Service, USDA 2000

The Market

Residence Farms1.8 million

SYNGENTA

Ciba

Novartis

Zeneca Ag Products

Merck Crop Prot.

Sandoz Crop

Protection

Ciba-Geigy

Occidental

Ciba

Geigy

ICI America Inc.

Diamond Shamrock

Zoecon Crop Prot. of Sandoz

Michigan Co.

Zoecon

Hooker Chem. Co.

Hooker Subsid. of Occidental

Zoecon

Velsicol Co.Velsicol (subsid. of NW Indust.)

Sandoz

Maag

Esso Res. And Engineering

ICI United States

(C-P bought by Unilever, PLC) Stauffer (subsid. Of Chesbrough-Pond’s) Stauffer

Stauffer

Chipman of Canada

ICI UKAtlas

Canett Corp.

Ishihara (purchaser)

SDS Biotech

Showa Denko

ISK Biosciences Fermenta ASC Fermenta Pl. Prot. Fermenta AB

G.B. Biosciences

Ansul ag prod

Shamrock Oil and GasDiamond Alkali

- Kohler Chem.

- Black Leaf

Internat. Minerals and Chem. (pesticides)

Victor Chem. Works

1971 1967

1985

1972

1959

1971

1995

1970

1998

(except Asia/Pacific)

1993

(sold acetachlor to Dow)

19862000 1895

1987

1985

1967

(sold Dacthal to AMVAC, 2001)

1990

Rural no longer means remote.

From “The Rural Rebound” by Kenneth M. Johnson and Calvin L. Beale

Our research shows that between 1990

and 1996, the population of America’s

rural counties grew by nearly three

million, or 5.9 percent. In July 1996,

about 53.8 million Americans, or just

over 20 percent of the U.S. population,

lived in areas officially classified as

“nonmetropolitan.”

“The Rural Rebound”

The migrants of the 1990s have settled in the Mountain West, the

Upper Great Lakes, the Ozarks, parts of the South and rural areas

of the Northeast. Population losses have occurred only in the

Great Plains, the western Corn Belt, and the Mississippi Delta.

More Metropolitan People Are Moving To Small Town America

looking for a simple, family-oriented lifestyle

1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

Thousands

Tractor Sales Under 40 Horsepower

SOURCE: EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS INSTITUTE

Growth Market

FARMLIFE EDITION INTRODUCED IN JULY 2001

FARMLIFE SECTION

FARMLIFE SECTION

FARMLIFE SECTION

THE RANGE OF TOPICS

SUBJECTS IN COMMON

Commercial Farmers “Farms” As Lifestyle

No Till

Marketing

Seeds/Chemicals

Farm Bill

Commodity News Tractors/Equipment

Business Mgmt.

Crop Production

Farm Shops

GPS Weed/Brush Control

Pasture Mgmt.

Tax Planning

Home Offices Mudrooms

Estate Planning Timber Mgmt.

Water Quality Cooking

Nature/Wildlife Pond Mgmt.

Farm Safety Health Care Decks and Patios

Fencing Farm Heritage Yard Care Antiques

Horses Schools Dried Flowers

Barns/Buildings Environmental Issues Chickens

Cattle

Animal Health Tools Flower Gardening

Real Estate Vegetable Gardening Bed & Breakfasts

Soil Conservation Land Values Goats and Sheep

Country FestivalsLand-use regulations Local Gov’t Issues

SEPT BUSINESS COVER COMING

BUSINESS SECTION

BUSINESS SECTION

BUSINESS SECTION

BUSINESS SECTION

BUSINESS SECTION

FOR LANDOWNERS

FOR LANDOWNERS

FOR LANDOWNERS

LAND & FARMSTEAD

LAND & FARMSTEAD

LIVESTOCK & FARM ANIMALS

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT

HOME & GARDEN

HOME & GARDEN

HOME & GARDEN

RURAL SPORTMAN & OUTDOORS

RURAL SPORTMAN & OUTDOORS

IDEA HOUSE & FARMSTEAD

DREAM SHOP

DREAM SHOP

SHOP MAKEOVER

SHOP MAKEOVER

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most

intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”

-- Charles Darwin