Miracles From Agriculture (1960)

Supermarket symbol of the high standard of living in this country today the sus these products come from farms and ranches despite distance and season they are the result of a miraculous agriculture tremendous advances on the farm and in the marketing system have created this miracle the miracle whereby American agriculture has advanced more in the space of a single lifetime than World agriculture had in more than 7,000 [Music] years today agriculture is going far beyond nature to produce new miracles for an even better more Abundant Life the work of the men behind the scenes is done on the farm in the laboratory and in the marketplace on the farm today wherever you look you see the handiwork of scientists improve crops more productive soils more useful more efficient Machinery credit the men behind the agricultural scene with increasing the marketability of most crops today's cabbage packs more vitamin C the stringless string bean has more snap new potatoes are now Avail all the year not only has agriculture miraculously increased yields feed more people machines have take this combine it harvests 400 an hour scientists working to improve plant quality through breeding have given potatoes shallow eyes so they're easier to he and they have also improved storage methods modern Communications are helping this farmer sell his lettuce this is just one of 200 perishable products which move to Market when and where needed thanks to an intricate Market information system as for celery production could only keep up with demand through research in soilborne diseases in weed control in field trimming and field packing great new harvesting systems and distribution methods had to be developed to bring these crops from far away Farms fresh to our tables and so a rolling Factory gathers together the goodness of Nature and does it economically through imagination and hard one knowledge through Science and Technology agriculture Works newer and newer Miracles our camera is taking you behind the scenes to show you how throughout the Marketing System Pro handling processing and packaging maintaining Farm Fresh quality all the way to your dinner table here powerful vacuum coolers and ice water preserve the quality of sweet corn today's parade of improved crops is sometimes taken for granted plant research has bred into them special qualities for fresh use freezing and canning marketing research has improved methods of handling and storing here is maid service made service on a grand scale for America's millions of salad bowls even little radishes are cleaned until they shine like cherries before automatic packaging protects their quality behind the miracle of our abundant meat Supply are better breeds of livestock and improved feeds cattle and other meat animals are carefully inspected for safety and wholesomeness meat products are better today than they were a generation ago and more plentiful this feed lot uses a train to help finish cattle for high-grade meat meat the most important item in the American American food budget turkeys which used to be a holiday feast have been bred in smaller sizes and with more white meat to please you and your family one of the most remarkable food Miracles is the story of Chicken a Triumph of research on the farm and in the Marketing System once something special for Sunday dinner chicken inspected and grated is now Thrifty every day yes in one generation people of this country have doubled their consumption of poultry farm research has led to the control of disease Improvement of breeds advancement of production marketing research has developed lowcost methods of mass distribution in processing storing handling and packing and these boxes join the never-ending parade of food food on the move crisscrossing the country the boxes are loaded on trains and trucks these huge refrigerators on Wheels bring farm products to assembly points and connect Central Markets with retail stores transportation and Terminal Markets are being developed to serve the growing America to bring products from Farm to city in the most economical way possible this great City Market is the result of modern marketing research inspecting and Grading at various points assure you of high quality vegetables and fruits certain farm products are stored to make make them available the year round thus balancing periods of Plenty and periods of scarcity some crops now keep from season to season these apples for instance scientists have found that polyethylene liners can best preserve their quality in storage and so agriculture advances as research creates new Industries to produce new products meet some of the cooks you hire when you buy convenience Foods these women are checking fresh potatoes before making them into instant mashed the work goes on in large plants of the United States and Canada where millions of bushels are process this new use gives the potato farmer greater stability for his crop after being cooked potatoes are dried and rolled into tissue thin dehydrated sheets these are broken into flakes or granules of standard quality texture color and taste packaged instant potatoes give the housewife a new convenience this shelf item will save her 23 minutes of cooking time research with consumers helped put the new product on the market other sign s have fixed the glutens and flour so that industry Cooks can make your favorite bake and serve products in this case a mechanical cook fries chickens then combines them with pre-cooked vegetables to be frozen on individual serving trades now anyone who can heat and serve can cook a meal when scientists stabilized shortening Ready Mixed bread cake and rolls became a reality scientists are also working on such things as a powdered whole milk that dissolves instantly in cold water and tastes like fresh milk once more they are studying the best ways to package and Market this product thus agricultural research in colleges industry and government goes forward result new products new businesses more jobs greater buying power for the products of both farm and Industry among the many valuable new products created in agricultural Laboratories are man-made vitamins films and fibers from high amalo starch mass-produced antibiotics and the blood plasma extender dextran made from sugar while scientists conduct research and new uses for Farm crops they also try to improve those products already in use from cotton H fiber science has given us the Miracles of wash and wear Fashions cotton Fabrics with permanent pleats and clothes that res wrinkles treatments have been developed for wool garments to keep them from shrinking when washed and Tanning agents now made from a new kind of starch produce Leathers that are soft and luxurious each advance in agricultural knowledge helps everyone whether you farm or not eventually all the good things reach the retail stores yes the Corner Grocery has really grown up Shoppers enter the supermarket on one side while on the other a steady stream of products is delivered on a tight schedule it is here that the Miracles of research and services are tied together for the consumer every day from American farms and ranches from parts of the world from packing sheds and processing plants Across the Nation comes the great variety of foods Americans demand the supermarket created by research and Industry is the Showplace of today's agriculture help yourself to a miracle yes here is where the sharper benefits from the work of the scientist and the farmer the processor and the marketer now in one shopping trip the average family can buy a full week supply of groceries much of it with built-in made service and getting the food to the customers requires many more workers than are needed to grow the food this has been made possible by the fact that each American Farm worker feeds more people than any other Farmer on Earth history teaches that grows according to its agriculture the very basis of life and most of our children are stronger and grow up to live longer eating more nutritious food and drinking more milk in school helps Safeguard their health for it is only with today's food that tomorrow's citizens can grow healthy and so Americans of all ages in cities suburbs and rural areas will remain the best fed best clothed best housed people in the world thanks to more and more miracles from [Music] [Applause] agriculture