By Kasey Bamberger and Stephanie Mercier
Throughout much of U.S. history, farmers have benefited from agricultural research. These investments made by public sector institutions generate agricultural research findings and disseminate their results widely. The key trio of such institutions were established during the mid- 19th and early 20th centuries—land-grant universities, to educate students and train agricultural professionals, agricultural research stations, to develop state-specific innovations, and the cooperative extension system, to disseminate information about new technology and practices to farmers and ranchers.