Mechanical Fields of the Future, 1967

Mechanical Apple Picker

From Scientific American, circa 1967:

“The fact that the production of food and fiber engages only 5 percent of the U.S. labor force is primarily due to the mechanization of farming. Other technological developments -- chemical fertilizers, pesticides, plant breeding and so on—make essential contributions, but mechanization is still the outstanding factor. The picking and winnowing of a crop usually accounts for at least half of the total cost of production. It is also by far the most difficult part of the agricultural process to mechanize. Nevertheless, the mechanization of harvesting in the U.S. has made such strides that, in spite of the costliness of the machines and other technical aids, the cost of food to American families, in terms of its percentage (18 percent) of their income, is the lowest in the world.”

Note: Department of Agriculture figures from 2015 show the proportion of family food spending in the U.S. was still the lowest in the world.