|
The Femco Farms consisted of five farm properties established in Wilkin County, Minnesota, United States, in the 1920s and 30s to experiment with livestock breeding and agricultural diversification. They were created by Frederick E. Murphy, publisher of the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' newspaper, to demonstrate improved techniques like crop rotation that could benefit farmers. The Femco Farms became famous for their influential practices, and especially for their incredibly productive dairy cows. The best preserved of the five properties, Femco Farm No. 2, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for its local significance in the area of agriculture. ==History== Ordered by his doctor in 1918 to spend more time outdoors to combat frail health, newspaper publisher Frederick E. Murphy moved from Minneapolis to his wife's family farm in Wilkin County. He had long dreamed of experimenting with improved agricultural techniques, and began buying farm properties in the area.〔 Soon Murphy had amassed five farms around Wilkin County, totaling about . The name he gave them, "Femco", was based on his initials.〔 The Femco Farms grew oats, barley, corn, alfalfa, sweet clover, rye, and flax. More importantly, Murphy invested exclusively in purebred livestock, namely Percheron horses, Duroc Jersey hogs, McKarrow Shropshire sheep, white Orpington chickens, and Holstein dairy cows. The farms experimented with stock raising, crop rotation, and soil fertilization, and promoted diversified farming—rather than the usual focus on a few cash crops—as the solution to many of the agricultural challenges of the day.〔 However the Femco Farms were particularly famous for their dairy cows, winning numerous awards. One Holstein cow, Lady Pride, was showcased at the 1932 Minnesota State Fair. At the time she produced more butter than any other cow, yielding of milk and of butter in one year; at the time, the average cow yielded of milk and of butter. Another Holstein, Daisy Aaggie Ormsby III, produced of butter over the course of a year, a new record.〔 Murphy claimed that the yields his animals achieved could be reproduced by typical farmers using his techniques.〔 Murphy became president of the ''Minneapolis Tribune'' in 1921 and moved back to Minneapolis.〔 After his death in 1940, the Femco Farm properties were auctioned off to separate owners.〔 His award-winning dairy herds were sold as well, with some cows fetching $4,000 each.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Femco Farms」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|