Knox County, Ohio, was established in 1808 with Mount Vernon as its county seat, and nearly 15,000 of the county's 45,000 people now reside in its principal town. The county's eastern portion is hilly and rough, but the fertile soil on its gently rolling hills to the west is well suited to a variety of crops.

Today, agricultural production accounts for approximately 86 percent of all Knox County land use. Corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay cover much of the landscape throughout the summer months; fields are dotted with drills and tanks drawing oil and natural gas for the market and for heating the farmhouse. Livestock grazes on the hillier slopes, with dairy and beef cattle, swine, poultry, and sheep in abundance. 

Family farming has been a significant part of life in central Ohio for at least a thousand years. The Adena introduced agriculture as early as 1,000 B.C., and Late Woodland peoples relied upon maize cultivation as the dominant form of subsistence to support a growing population. By 1800 the first pioneers settled the land along a winding river the Indians called Owl Creek, clearing away heavy timber, erecting a log house, and plowing a few acres to plant grains and corn. Some early settlers, fearing the advance of over development or else drawn by new economic opportunities further west, sold their improved plots to newcomers, who added fence and expanded the fields to create established farmsteads. Farmers often built onto an original log structure to complete a finished house, which became the family home place, passed on through the generations. 

Despite the introduction of machinery, family farming remained remarkably unchanged in Knox County, as elsewhere in the nation, until well into the twentieth century. Farms were small, typically about one hundred acres–land that the successful farm family owned free and clear by their middle years. The acreage was sufficient to support a diverse, largely self-sufficient operation. Farmers kept a few dairy cows for milk, chickens for eggs, and some hogs for meat. The animals were fed from hay and corn grown in the fields. A large garden provided vegetables. Surplus from one of these efforts, or from some specialty like maple syrup, supplied the cash needed for purchasing additional goods from the town store. Farm work was accomplished principally by family members, with men, women, and children of all ages taking on productive tasks. Long days of agricultural labor could prove isolating, yet farm families relied upon one another to help with harvesting and other collective tasks. Farmers gathered in each others' kitchens, while Grange meetings and church offered support and broader sociability. 

Family farms changed dramatically after World War II.New technology enabled farmers to plant and raise more than ever before. As combines replaced threshers, tasks previously dependent on days of collective labor could now be accomplished by a single individual, reducing an important source of neighborhood interaction. To make efficient use of expensive machinery, farms got bigger and farmers took on increasing debt. In order to stay competitive, farmers adopted scientific innovations in planting, weed control, animal care, and marketing. Formerly diverse operations started to specialize in one primary product for sale on national and international markets.

These nationwide trends toward agribusiness accelerated rapidly in the 1970s. Encouraged by low interest rates, growth-oriented government policies, and predictions of expanding markets, farmers–and some non farm corporation--speculated on agriculture's future. But rising interest rates and falling commodity prices in the late 1970s and early 1980s brought economic ruin. Though some of the very largest operations continued to profit, farming became too costly and financially uncertain a way of life for many families. Young farmers, in particular, lacked the large capital required to get started, and a good number left farming for other occupations. Determined to maintain a valued family heritage and their chosen way of life, some farmers held on only because one or more family members took outside employment. 

Between 1973 and 1990 the number of farms in Knox County declined by over 25 percent, and the size of an average farm increased by over 22 percent. The total number of acres in farmland declined by nearly 9 percent. Over 42 percent of all farm operators in the county are over fifty-five years old, and only about 35 percent are full-time farmers working no days off the farm. 

Despite these changes, agriculture continues as a vital part of the county's life. The large-scale corporate farming common further west has not taken hold here, in part due to the topography, which impedes the use of massive machinery. Today's family farms are more diverse: though most are still only a few hundred acres, some operations farm several thousand. Knox County has preserved its diversity of agricultural products, although individual are more like only a few hundred acres, some operations farm several thousand. Knox County has preserved its diversity of agricultural products, although individual farms are more likely to specialize in only a few of these. Farming techniques are more varied now, in part reflecting the experiences of different generations of farmers. Younger farmers are most likely to adopt the latest scientific practices, and they sometimes view older farmers' more traditional ways as inefficient holdovers from a romanticized image of farming. At the same time, a small number of farmers have had success with alternative agriculture, including organic farming, that they find ecologically sound and economically profitable. In eastern Knox County, an expanding Amish community expresses farming's continued vitality and keeps alive farming practices continuous with those used by all farmers a century ago. 

Family farming sustains the broader community in a variety of ways. Farming contributes greatly to the local economy through sales of agricultural products and commerce with dealers of agricultural equipment and supplies. The granges and the Farm Bureau sponsor many social activities and volunteer services, and 4-H and the Future Farmers of America are defining experiences for many of the county's youth. The Knox county's youth.The County Fair celebrates all aspects of agricultural life and is the highlight of social activity each July. Farmers continue to champion the widely held values of hard work, independence, and commitment to place. The open expanses of fields punctuated by family farmhouses and outbuildings define a distinctively beautiful landscape in which residents take great pride. 

Today, family farming in the region faces three challenges. A globalized, competitive agricultural economy demands expansion, increased technological sophistication, and management strategies more typical of the boardroom than the family room. While economic conditions have stabilized somewhat since the crisis of the 1980s, current talk of reduced farm subsidies in the U.S. Congress may again bring significant changes to American agriculture. The rapid expansion of metropolitan Columbus, the state capital, presents the challenges of significant alteration of local land use, increases in population density, and the influx of urban residents with little understanding of farm life. Anticipating these changes, civic leaders have begun to discuss the community's character in hopes of managing its future.

Additional Farming Resources:

• Current Knox County Agricultural Statistics