Shift in Agricultural Policy Echoed by Discontinuation of Educational Film on Family Farming

A vintage educational film, "1967, Autumn On A Farm," widely viewed by middle school students, ceased its circulation around 1976, a period coinciding with significant shifts in U.S. agricultural policy and the decline of the traditional family farm. Brian Roemmele, the author of a recent tweet, highlighted this discontinuation, stating, "It was stopped in 1976. Nothing replaced it. This is what it was like when we supported family farms.

The film was part of a four-part series produced by Encyclopaedia Britannica Films, depicting the daily life and seasonal work on the Markham family farm in Whitewater, Wisconsin. These films, including "Farm Family in Autumn," "Farm Family in Winter," "Farm Family in Spring," and "Farm Family in Summer," offered an authentic glimpse into farming in the late 1960s, a time when family-owned operations were still prevalent. The series was even featured on the popular children's television show "Captain Kangaroo," further cementing its reach.

The mid-1970s marked a pivotal era for American agriculture, heavily influenced by then-Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz's directive for farmers to "get big or get out." This policy encouraged large-scale commodity crop production and industrial farming practices, leading to a rapid consolidation of agricultural land and a decrease in the number of small and medium-sized family farms. Economic pressures, including fluctuating commodity prices and rising input costs, made it increasingly difficult for smaller farms to compete. This era saw a shift towards agribusiness, with policies favoring large corporations and vertical integration in the food supply chain.

The disappearance of educational content like the "Farm Family" series from school curricula around this time reflects a broader societal and economic transition. While direct reasons for the series' specific discontinuation are not widely documented, the prevailing agricultural policies and economic realities likely diminished the perceived relevance or necessity of such portrayals of traditional family farming. The emphasis moved away from diversified, smaller-scale farming to industrial models, which may have influenced the content and focus of educational materials available to students.

The period following 1976 did not see a direct replacement for films emphasizing the traditional family farm. Instead, agricultural education evolved to reflect the industrialization of the sector, focusing more on efficiency, technology, and large-scale production. This shift, as noted in the tweet, left a void in the educational narrative regarding the role and struggles of the family farm, mirroring the profound changes occurring in rural America.