October 11, 2016
Purdue prof on 200 years of agriculture history in Indiana
R. Douglas Hurt, professor and head of the Department of History at Purdue University, can talk about Indiana's agriculture history as it relates to the state's bicentennial celebration.
Hurt can talk about:
- The role agriculture played in the development and settlement of the state.
- The evolution of the farm family.
- Production and commercial agriculture, as well as Indiana farmers' contributions to the state's manufacturing industry.
- How Indiana farmers have utilized agriculture technological advances.
- History of the Purdue Extension Service.
Hurt is the author of "American Agriculture: A Brief History," "The Big Empty: The Great Plains in the Twentieth Century," and "Problems of Plenty: The American Farmer in the Twentieth Century." He also has written about agricultural history and technology in "Agriculture Technology in the Twentieth Century" and "American Farm Tools from Hand-Power to Steam-Power." In 2012, he served as a program adviser for the Ken Burns documentary "The Dust Bowl."
Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu
Media contact: Howard Hewitt, Purdue News Service, 765-494-9541, hhewitt@purdue.edu
Source: R. Douglas Hurt, 765-494-4123, doughurt@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: Broadcast quality sound bites are available by request and can be previewed at https://youtu.be/Jc6PzF9NDx8