Skip to main content

Farming Methods Collection (#2)

"Farming Methods: A Glimpse into the Past and Present" From medieval times to modern-day America, they have evolved significantly, shaping the way we cultivate our land

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Fuel tank on the Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Fuel tank on the Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Fuel tank on the Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi. ['J.H. Aldridge & Co. "Standard" Tractor Fuel. We use Farmall Tractors and Other McCormick-Deering Equipment']

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton, Chesnee, South Carolina, 1937

Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton, Chesnee, South Carolina, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Oldest son of a sharecropper family working in the cotton. Chesnee, South Carolina

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Delta cooperative farm, Hillhouse, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Delta cooperative farm, Hillhouse, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Delta cooperative farm. Hillhouse, Mississippi

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: One of a group of western Oklahoma wheat farmers congregated at crossroads service station, 1938

One of a group of western Oklahoma wheat farmers congregated at crossroads service station, 1938
One of a group of western Oklahoma wheat farmers congregated at crossroads service station. "In 1934 I had four renters, and I didn't make anything

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Hillhouse, Mississippi Delta cooperative farm, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Hillhouse, Mississippi Delta cooperative farm, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Hillhouse, Mississippi Delta cooperative farm

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractor on Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tractor on Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractor on Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cultivating cotton cooperatively at Lake Dick, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cultivating cotton cooperatively at Lake Dick, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cultivating cotton cooperatively at Lake Dick, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Farmers with mule teams and cultivators, Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Farmers with mule teams and cultivators, Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmers with mule teams and cultivators. Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Farmers about to begin cooperative cultivation of cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938

Farmers about to begin cooperative cultivation of cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farmers about to begin cooperative cultivation of cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cultivating cotton cooperatively at Lake Dick, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cultivating cotton cooperatively at Lake Dick, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cultivating cotton cooperatively at Lake Dick, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Ex-tenant farmer, now a day laborer on large cotton farm near Corsicana, Texas, 1937

Ex-tenant farmer, now a day laborer on large cotton farm near Corsicana, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Ex-tenant farmer, now a day laborer on large cotton farm near Corsicana, Texas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractors on Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tractors on Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractors on Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tenant farmer spreading grasshopper bait... 5 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1937

Tenant farmer spreading grasshopper bait... 5 miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tenant farmer spreading grasshopper bait in his alfalfa field, five miles from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractor driver, Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tractor driver, Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractor driver. Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: The tractor is driving cotton workers off the land, Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi Delta, 1937

The tractor is driving cotton workers off the land, Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi Delta, 1937
The tractor is driving cotton workers off the land. Mississippi Delta, Aldridge Plantation

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cultivating cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cultivating cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cultivating cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cultivating cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cultivating cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cultivating cotton at Lake Dick project, Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Terraced fields of sharecropper, near Gaffney, South Carolina, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Terraced fields of sharecropper, near Gaffney, South Carolina, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Terraced fields of sharecropper. In 1936 he made seven bales of cotton, half of which went to his landlord. Near Gaffney, South Carolina

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Erosion near Lawrenceville, Georgia, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Erosion near Lawrenceville, Georgia, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Erosion near Lawrenceville, Georgia. This field has been terraced, but not cultivated in the last fifteen years

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: The cotton lands of Ellis County, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

The cotton lands of Ellis County, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
The cotton lands of Ellis County, Texas, are well adapted to tractor farming but the houses of the farmer tenants stand empty

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractor on the Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tractor on the Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractor on the Aldridge Plantation, Mississippi. One man and a four-row cultivator does the work of eight men and eight mules under the one man-one mule system which is still common

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractors cultivating cotton, Aldridge Plantation, near Leland, Mississippi, 1937

Tractors cultivating cotton, Aldridge Plantation, near Leland, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractors cultivating cotton. Twenty-two tractors have replaced 130 tenant families on the Aldridge Plantation, near Leland, Mississippi

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractor and integrated four-row cultivator, Aldridge Plantation, near Leland, Mississippi, 1937

Tractor and integrated four-row cultivator, Aldridge Plantation, near Leland, Mississippi, 1937
Tractor and integrated four-row cultivator, does the work of eight men and eight mules. Aldridge Plantation, near Leland, Mississippi

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Worn-out land and abandoned cabins near Newport, Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Worn-out land and abandoned cabins near Newport, Oklahoma, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Worn-out land and abandoned cabins near Newport, Oklahoma

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cradling wheat near Sperryville, Virginia. 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cradling wheat near Sperryville, Virginia. 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cradling wheat near Sperryville, Virginia. A hand binder follows the mower. These men had never heard of a combine harvester. "Sure would like to see that." Their father used a reap hook

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Check row planted cotton, Touchberry Plantation, Issaquena County, Mississippi, 1937

Check row planted cotton, Touchberry Plantation, Issaquena County, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Check row planted cotton. Touchberry Plantation, Issaquena County, Mississippi. This method, long used in corn in order to permit cross cultivation

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Men cradling wheat in eastern Virginia near Sperryville, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Men cradling wheat in eastern Virginia near Sperryville, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Men cradling wheat in eastern Virginia near Sperryville

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Houses dot the fields, abandoned, Aldridge Plantation near Leland, Mississippi, 1937

Houses dot the fields, abandoned, Aldridge Plantation near Leland, Mississippi, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Houses dot the fields, abandoned before the march of the tractor. Aldridge Plantation near Leland, Mississippi

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractor and operator, Navarro, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Tractor and operator, Navarro, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractor and operator. Navarro, Texas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: West Texas tenant farmer's wife, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

West Texas tenant farmer's wife, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
West Texas tenant farmer's wife. She has worked on this land with him for twenty years

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Farm owner near Memphis, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Farm owner near Memphis, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Farm owner near Memphis, Texas. He says, "I'd rather have renters than tractors on my place. I oppose the tractors. It puts too many off the land

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cradling wheat near Christianburg, Virginia, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Cradling wheat near Christianburg, Virginia, 1936. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cradling wheat near Christianburg, Virginia

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed... Kern County, California, 1939

Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed... Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed from trailer at edge of field. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed... Kern County, California, 1939

Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed... Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed from trailer at edge of field. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed... Kern County, California, 1939

Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed... Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed from trailer at edge of field. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Large-scale, mechanized farming - potato planter, Kern County, California, 1939

Large-scale, mechanized farming - potato planter, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Large-scale, mechanized farming. The potato planter operated by a crew of three men, makes the rows, fertilizes and plants potatoes in one operation. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed from trailer... Kern County, CA, 1939

Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed from trailer... Kern County, CA, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Loading bins of potato planter with fertilizer and seed from trailer at edge of field. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Large-scale, mechanized farming - potato planter, Kern County, California, 1939

Large-scale, mechanized farming - potato planter, Kern County, California, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Large-scale, mechanized farming. The potato planter, operated by a crew of three men, makes the rows, fertilizes and plants potatoes in one operation. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Loading bins of potato planter which fertilizes and plants potatoes... Kern County, CA, 1939

Loading bins of potato planter which fertilizes and plants potatoes... Kern County, CA, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Loading bins of potato planter which fertilizes and plants potatoes in one operation. Kern County, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Cultivating beans with a four-row cultivator, near Santa Ana, California, 1937

Cultivating beans with a four-row cultivator, near Santa Ana, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Cultivating beans with a four-row cultivator. Near Santa Ana, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Tractors with pneumatic tires are replacing mules on the Delta plantations, Arkansas, 1939

Tractors with pneumatic tires are replacing mules on the Delta plantations, Arkansas, 1939. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Tractors with pneumatic tires are replacing mules on the Delta plantations. Arkansas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Soil erosion in California hills, small dairy ranch near Gibson, California, 1937

Soil erosion in California hills, small dairy ranch near Gibson, California, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Soil erosion in California hills. Small dairy ranch near Gibson, California

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Purchasing farm under Bankhead-Jones Act, near Stockton, California, November 17, 1938

Purchasing farm under Bankhead-Jones Act, near Stockton, California, November 17, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Near Stockton, California. November 17, 1938. One of six successful applicants out of seventy-five. Purchasing farm under Bankhead Jones Act

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Rural rehabilitation, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Rural rehabilitation, Tulare County, California, 1938. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Rural rehabilitation, Tulare County, California. Productive dairy farm replaces unsuccessful fruit orchard. Family had been on relief

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Ex-tenants, now day laborers, Ellis County, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange

Ex-tenants, now day laborers, Ellis County, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
Ex-tenants, now day laborers. Ellis County, Texas

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: This man was a tenant on the same farm for eighteen years... Ellis County, Texas, 1937

This man was a tenant on the same farm for eighteen years... Ellis County, Texas, 1937. Creator: Dorothea Lange
This man was a tenant on the same farm for eighteen years. He has six children. This year he was forced into status of day laborer on the same farm

Background imageFarming Methods Collection: Industrialized agriculture, from Texas farmer to migratory worker in California, Kern County, 1938

Industrialized agriculture, from Texas farmer to migratory worker in California, Kern County, 1938
Industrialized agriculture. From Texas farmer to migratory worker in California. Kern County




For sale as Licensed Images

Choose your image, Select your licence and Download the media

"Farming Methods: A Glimpse into the Past and Present" From medieval times to modern-day America, they have evolved significantly, shaping the way we cultivate our land. Ambrogio Lorenzetti's masterpiece "The Effects of Good Government in the Countryside" (1338-1340) depicts a harmonious rural scene where efficient agricultural practices lead to prosperity. Fast forward to 1813, and we find ourselves immersed in "The Ploughing Match, " an oil painting capturing the spirit of competition among farmers striving for excellence. This artwork reminds us of how innovation has always been at the heart of farming, driving progress throughout history. Moving on to John Collier's photograph from 1943, we are transported to a Spanish-American village nestled in New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Here, traditional farming techniques intertwine with nature as locals work diligently on their crops—a testament to their resilience and connection with the land. In Tennessee during that same era, Marion Post Wolcott captures scenes of corn planting along riversides. These images highlight how water resources were harnessed strategically for irrigation purposes—an essential aspect of sustainable agriculture even today. Meanwhile, Georgia witnesses farmers spreading fertilizer using four-mule team wagons—a practice showcased by Marion Post Wolcott once again. This image showcases resourcefulness and efficiency as farmers optimize organic waste for nourishing their fields. Russell Lee's photograph takes us back to Pie Town, New Mexico in 1940 when Jim Norris harvests fresh corn from his field—an embodiment of hard work paying off amidst challenging conditions. Similarly captured is Bill Stagg turning up pinto beans—reminding us that diverse crops contribute not only to food security but also economic stability within communities. Dorothea Lange's lens transports us further west—to Klamath County, Oregon in 1939—where threshing occurs under a midsummer noon sun.