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Lush Soybean Field on Dean and Julie Folkmann's Hog Farm in Newhall, Iowa, August 8, 2016

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Image shows a soybean field in Benton County near Newhall Iowa. The image shows soybeans for as far as one can see.
Courtesy of Library of Congress, Highsmith, Carol M., "Lush soybean field on Dean and Julie Folkmann's hog farm in Benton County, near Newhall, Iowa," 8 August 2016

Description

This photograph shows the farmstead of the Folkmann family in Benton County, Iowa. As of 2016, the Folkmann hog farm has been in the family for 162 years. At any time, approximately 50 million hogs are being raised in the state with just over 3 million people. That is about one-third of all the pigs raised in the United States. The soybean fields, which are shown in the foreground, are used to create hog food for the farm.  

Source-Dependent Questions

  • The soybeans shown in this photo are grown to feed hogs. Refer to the Recognize Iowa as Agriculture State article. Why would this cop be important to grow?
  • Refer to The Crop Outlook article written in 1906. Are soybeans mentioned as a crop? What does this indicate about the changing nature of farming?
  • Compare this photo to Checking the Corn in Hills. How is the land use similar? How is it different? How does this demonstrate how farms and farming have changed over time?

Citation Information 

Highsmith, Carol M., "Lush soybean field on Dean and Julie Folkmann's hog farm in Benton County, near Newhall, Iowa," 8 August 2016. Courtesy of Library of Congress