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Home Local Stories

Pre 1800’s: The Early History of Virginia Agriculture

February 3, 2023
in Local Stories, Local Stories
Reading Time: 7 mins read
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History of Virginia Cooperative Extension

By: Laura Dainton, Jacob Hodges, Jama Coartney

 

The timeline was primarily organized by a team of undergraduate and graduate students at Virginia Tech. Jacob Hodges and Jama Coartney led the team with assistance from Nicole Nunoo and Maggie Daly. 2021 VCE Intern Laura Dainton worked to improve the timeline and provide the ADA compliant version.

 

The land currently known as Virginia has always thrived with agricultural activity. As early

as the 1100s, Native Americans mastered plant breeding and cultivation with corn from

Mexico and mixed culture agriculture with the well-known “three sisters” (corn, squash

and beans).

 

1800-1850s: The Agricultural Revolution and Agricultural Fairs

While an agricultural revolution was at hand, there were few educational opportunities to

learn and study how to become a successful farmer. Sharing information broadly was

difficult; however the organization of county, in 1819, and state, in 1854, fairs created

one such place to share agricultural information and host friendly competitions.

 

1855: Michigan State Agricultural School

In 1855, Michigan authorized the creation of a state agricultural school with the goal of

educating common people in both classical studies and practical knowledge. The

Agricultural College of the State of Michigan was created and opened to students in

  1. The success of the college encouraged the continued effort to pass the Morrill Act

and have federal land grants to fund higher education in every state.

 

1861: The Education of Slaves, Free Blacks and Mulattos in Hampton, Virginia

Going against the 1831 law forbidding education to slaves or free blacks, Mary Peake, a

free Negro, taught a class on September 17, 1861. The class was held underneath a

simple oak tree, now known as the Emancipation Oak since it was where the first

southern reading of the Emancipation Proclamation occurred (1863), located at what is

now Hampton University.

 

1862: Morrill Land Grant Act

Through the Morrill Land Grant Act, 30,000 acres of federal land was given to each state

to be sold and the proceeds used to create a land-grant institution. The goal was to

educate the industrial class in both classical and scientific studies as well as agricultural

and mechanical arts. Enrolling the working class, and dedicating scholarly resources to

solving practical problems revolutionized the university system.

1865: 13th Amendment

The 13th Amendment, added to the U.S. Constitution in 1865, abolished slavery, thereby

formally ending Virginia’s major agricultural labor force.

 

1868: Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute

Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute (later Hampton Institute) was founded in

1868 to provide industrial education and experience for African American students. In

1872, it was provided one third of the federal funds from the Morrill Land Grant.

 

1872: Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College

Once Virginia was readmitted to the Union (1869), higher education institutions began

competing in a lengthy struggle, named the “War of the Colleges,” to earn the provisions

stated in the Morrill Land Grant Act. In 1872, Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical

College (now known as Virginia Tech) received two thirds of the funds for its founding.

The institution would later become home to agricultural extension and demonstration

Work.

 

1882-1887: Hatch Act

The Hatch Act provided funding for the creation of experiment stations at land-grant

institutions. Experiment stations perform production and operation research to provide

farmers with scientific data about the most effective methods in their industry.

 

1882: Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute

In 1882 Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute (now Virginia State University) was

founded and over a year later, in 1883, the institute finally opened. The institute was the

nation’s first fully state-supported, 4-year institute of higher education for African

Americans. In 1902 the name was changed to Virginia Normal and Industrial Institute.

 

1906: Seaman Knapp

Seaman Knapp created the idea of demonstration work, teaching low-income farmers

how to become more profitable and self-sustainable by demonstrating the new findings

from Experiment Stations. By allowing farmers to see first hand how beneficial scientific

farming could be, it spread the knowledge beyond the well-educated members of society.

His successes provided a basis for what would eventually become extension agents.

 

1906: T.O. Sandy

Thomas Oldham Sandy was chosen to be the first state agent in Virginia. Teaching the

scientific farming practices he already used on his own farm, Sandy served as a traveling

agent and exhibited the Knapp method of demonstration across the state. Known as the

father of demonstration work among white farmers in Virginia, Sandy chose assistant

demonstration agents to continue to spread his work.

 

1906: J.B. Pierce

John Baptist Pierce became the first African American farm agent in Virginia, after

attending Hampton Institute from 1898-1902, and grew to be the district agent for Negro

demonstration work in Virginia and the Carolinas. Teaching the live-at-home method of

being a self-sustaining farmer, Pierce wanted to help increase yields so that even the

lowest income farmers were able to live at home and educate their children.

 

1910: Ella Agnew

Ella Agnew became the first home demonstration agent in the United States and the first

woman field worker in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She created Tomato Clubs for

girls, similar to the Corn Clubs for boys, with additional lessons about canning and

storing goods. Home demonstration work and agricultural education for women grew out

of her work.

 

1913: Lizzie A. Jenkins

Lizzie A. Jenkins was the first African American home demonstration agent in Virginia.

She organized clubs and supervised Jeanes teachers who spent summers traveling to

homes to teach skills such as canning, sewing, and gardening. By visiting homes Jenkins

was able to tailor her programs to focus on what families needed most, leading to

incredible community improvement.

 

1915: Demonstration Trains

Demonstration trains were a popular project conducted by Extension with the Norfolk

and Western railroad. The train traveled with agents who spoke, and exhibition cars

which showed machinery, farm products, and livestock. Demonstration trains reached

areas of Virginia which previously knew nothing of extension work and its benefits.

 

1922: 4-H All Stars

The 4-H All Stars program was created as an opportunity to recognize leadership,

service, and accomplishment. Being named a 4-H All Star has been the highest honor of

the 4-H organization since 1922. All Stars give back service to 4-H through program

planning, implementation, evaluation, reporting, fundraising, and speaking on behalf of

the organization.

 

1938: Maude E. Wallace

In 1938 Maude E. Wallace became assistant director of Extension in charge of home

demonstration work, a position she held until 1958. During her time she grew home

demonstration work in Virginia to a new level of effectiveness and efficiency, developing

the Virginia Federation of Home Demonstration Clubs to be the largest organization of

women in Virginia at the time, and worked to enable women in Extension to get paid

equal to men.

 

1942: Victory Garden Program

The Victory Garden Program advocated for each rural family to raise enough food to feed

themselves and their livestock. Extension formed the State Extension Garden Committee

to promote the effort. Victory Gardens were so successful that they spread to urban areas

as well.

 

1945: Homemakers Organizations

Future Homemakers of America and New Homemakers of America were established as

segregated home economic student organizations for girls. In 1965 these two

organizations merged; in 1974 males were allowed to join, and in 1999 the name was

changed to Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).

 

1947: 100-Bushel Corn Club and the Corn War

Inspired by the original Corn Clubs, pamphlets instructing farmers how to produce 100

or more, bushels of corn per acre were published by the Extension agency. The program

was open to both youth and adults and attempted to show how useful Extension research

could be. The growing interest led to Virginia challenging North Carolina to a friendly

Corn War to see which state could produce more. Virginia ended up winning both years.

 

1964: The Civil Rights Act

The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964 and prohibited discrimination on the basis of

race, color, religion, sex or national origin in federally assisted programs which included

the Cooperative Extension system and land-grant colleges. Within the next year the Virginia Extension service had integrated its offices and programs.

 

1966: First Racially Integrated 4-H Boys and Girls

The first racially integrated 4-H Boys’ & Girls’ Short Course is held at Virginia Tech. The name was changed to State 4-H Congress the following year.

 

1991: Clinton Turner

Clinton Turner was appointed as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer

Services for the State of Virginia in 1991, which made him the first African American in

the nation to hold a cabinet level position in agriculture. Additionally, he studied at VSU,

was a housing and structure extension agent for Virginia, and became the first

African-American District Director for the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service in

1980.

2014: Virginia Cooperative Extension Centennial

2014 marked 100 years since the Smith-Lever act and the creation of the Cooperative

Extension System. In 100 years, Virginia Cooperative Extension grew to include 107 unit

offices, 11 ARECs, and 6 4-H educational centers.

 

2018: Jewel Bronaugh

In 2018, Jewel Bronaugh was appointed Commissioner of the Virginia Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services. Bronaugh became the first female African American

to serve in this position. Additionally, in 2021, she was chosen to serve as the Deputy

Secretary for the United States Department of Agriculture.

 

2020: Economic Impact of Agriculture

In 2020 it is reported that $91 billion and 442,000 jobs are generated annually in Virginia

from agriculture and forestry industries. About 90% of Virginia’s farms are small farms,

run by an individual or family

 

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