Grounded Science: The Shrinking Scale of the Local Environment in Agricultural Research and Extension at Iowa State, 1858-1914

Abstract

JOSHUA TONKEL examines a principle that defined Iowa State’s agricultural mission from its founding in the 1850s and into the twentieth century: Iowa State’s agricultural scientists should account for local environmental conditions in their research. By studying how scientists made their work useful for farmers by anchoring research in local environments, Tonkel argues that the early history of Iowa State’s agricultural research and extension exemplifies how science was grounded in both society and the environment