User:RandomSTAY/Agriculture in the United States

Lead
note: bolded sentences are my added work, non-bolded is original article for context

Article body
Soybeans were not widely cultivated in the United States until the early 1930s, and by 1942 it became the world's largest soybean producer, due in part to World War II and the "need for domestic sources of fats, oils, and meal". Between 1930 and 1942, the United States' share of world soybean production grew from 3% to 47%, and by 1969 it had risen to 76%. By 1973 soybeans were the United States' "number one cash crop, and leading export commodity, ahead of both wheat and corn". '''Although soybeans developed as the top cash crop, the importance of corn must not be forgotten. As the basis for "industrial food," corn is found in most modern day items at the grocery store. Be it food items like candy and soda, which contain high-fructose corn syrup, or the shining wax on the store advertisements, corn is everywhere. '''

Significant areas of farmland were abandoned during the Great Depression and incorporated into nascent national forests

After the "wheat frontier" had passed through an area, more diversified farms including dairy cattle generally took its place. Warmer regions saw plantings of cotton and herds of beef cattle. In the early colonial south, raising tobacco and cotton was common, especially through the use of slave labor until the Civil War. '''With an established source for labor, and the development of the cotton gin in 1793, the south was able to maintain an economy based on the production of cotton. By the late 1850s, the south produced one-hundred percent of the 374 million pounds of cotton used in the United States. ''' In the northeast, slaves were used in agriculture until the early 19th century.[citation needed] In the Midwest, slavery was prohibited by the Freedom Ordinance of 1787.


 * Agriculture in the U.S. makes up approximately 75% of the country's pesticide use. Agricultural workers are at high risk for being exposed to dangerous levels of pesticides, whether or not they are directly working with the chemicals.[39] For example, with issues like pesticide drift, farmworkers are not the only ones exposed to these chemicals; nearby residents come into contact with the pesticides as well. The frequent exposure to these pesticides can cause significant long-term illnesses. In total, 34% of pesticides used have chemicals known to cause cancer and other adverse health reactions, such as the development of disorders. Migrant workers, especially women, are at higher risk for health issues associated with pesticide exposure due to lack of training or appropriate safety precautions.[44][45] United States agricultural workers experience 10,000 cases or more of physician-diagnosed pesticide poisoning annually.[46]
 * Be it food items like candy and soda, which contain high-fructose corn syrup, or the shining wax on the store advertisements, corn is everywhere.
 * changed to
 * Aside from the expected food items, like candy and soda which contain high fructose corn-syrup, corn is also found in the shining wax on store advertisements.
 * Although soybeans developed as the top cash crop, the importance of corn must not be forgotten. As the basis for "industrial food," corn is found in most modern day items at the grocery store. Aside from the expected food items, like candy and soda which contain high fructose corn-syrup, corn is also found in the shining wax on store advertisements.
 * changed to
 * Although soybeans developed as the top cash crop, corn also remains as an important commodity found in many modern foods. As the basis for "industrial food," corn is found in most modern day items at the grocery store. Aside from items like candy and soda, which contain high fructose corn-syrup, corn is also found in non-edible items like the shining wax on store advertisements.
 * and
 * For example, with issues like pesticide drift, farmworkers are not the only ones exposed to these chemicals; nearby residents come into contact with the pesticides as well.The frequent exposure to these pesticides can cause significant long-term illnesses. In total, 34% of pesticides used have chemicals known to cause cancer and other adverse health reactions, such as the development of disorders.
 * changed to
 * For example, with issues like pesticide drift, farmworkers are not the only ones exposed to these chemicals; nearby residents come into contact with the pesticides as well. The frequent exposure to these pesticides can have detrimental effects on humans, resulting in adverse health reactions associated with pesticide poisoning.
 * Within the United States, land ownership has been racialized and solidified by laws such as the Homestead Act. Initially created to give Americans farmland ownership over government-owned land, the Homestead Act of 1862 excluded African Americans, who were not considered freed citizens. Even after the passage of the 14th amendment and the abolishment of slavery, racialized land ownership continued in the form of black land loss. This land loss was a result of African Americans' lack of documentation proving land ownership, as well as an unequal access to governmental programs that helped facilitate the land ownership process. Into the 1900s, the technique of red-lining kept African Americans within low-value neighborhoods, separate from whites, preventing them from getting loans from the bank. in modern times, that means African Americans have less established wealth from owning land than whites do.
 * As of 2019, six states—Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Dakota, and Oklahoma—have laws banning foreign ownership of farmland. Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma are looking to introduce bills banning foreign ownership as of 2019. The state with the most foreign ownership as of 2019 is Maine, which has 3.1 million acres that are foreign-controlled, followed closely by Texas at 3 million acres. Alabama, at 1.6 million acres, Washington, at 1.5 million acres, and Michigan, at 1.3 million acres, round out the top five, according to the Midwest Center’s analysis.

Feedback from instructor
Please see the suggestions I left for you earlier in the semester on the sandbox in which you evaluated the existing "Agriculture in the United States" article. Please incorporate that feedback going forward.Saguaro23 (talk) 19:49, 21 October 2021 (UTC)