Alaska Farm & Consumer Research: 1961

Abstract

Agricultural research has played a major role in developing the productive efficiency of the United States, ours is a strong nation because, alone among the world powers, it is self-reliant with respect to food and fiber. The industrial strength and standard of living enjoyed by the United States rests on less than 10 per cent of its labor force which grows more than enough food and fiber for the rest of the population. One farmer in this country today feeds 23 people at home and three more abroad This astonishing productivity has released the remaining 90 per cent of the labor force for industrial and service jobs, While Russia and China demonstrate that large agrarian populations can subsist in this modern world, they also demonstrate that urban welfare depends on the.skill of rural workers in growing more than enough for their own needs. The fundamental dependence of urban populations is often overlooked — especially here in Alaska — where most people take for granted a sophisticated and complex food production system envied by all other countries.