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The State of Conservation: Rural America and the Conservation-Industrial Complex since 1920. By Joshua Nygren.

  • Published In: Western Historical Quarterly, 2025, v. 56, n. 3. P. 266 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Hurt, R Douglas 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the transformation of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS), a key New Deal agricultural agency, from supporting small-scale farmers to aligning with agricultural machinery and agrochemical companies. Joshua Nygren's book critiques how SCS programs favored large-scale farmers through financial assistance, ultimately pushing small-scale farmers out of agriculture. The SCS's collaboration with the conservation-industrial complex, while politically advantageous, raised concerns about the equitable distribution of federal funds and the environmental impact of its practices. Nygren argues that alternative policies could have better supported small-scale farmers, although viable options remain limited. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Western Historical Quarterly. 2025/09, Vol. 56, Issue 3, p266
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:History
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0043-3810
  • DOI:10.1093/whq/whaf049
  • Accession Number:188503079
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Western Historical Quarterly is the property of Oxford University Press / USA and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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