The World of Our Dreams: How America’s Plant Explorers Transformed Our Farms and the Food We Eat

Rebecca Egil

Linda Hall Library

Tuesday, October 23, 2018 3:00 pm EDT

Linda Hall Library
5109 Cherry Street 
Kansas City, MO 64110

Many of the plants that populate our farms today are the result of federal plant introduction, an extensive effort by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand the range of species cultivated in the United States.The Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction (SPI) soon led the way. Beginning in 1898 and lasting for a period of about forty years, the “golden age” of plant exploration promised to rescue struggling farmers, revolutionize diets, and modernize American industries.
 
This lecture examines how a little-known team of explorers searched the world for enticing plants, looking closely at both what they accomplished and failed to achieve. It weaves together the stories of Frank N. Meyer, a Dutch immigrant and the namesake of the Meyer lemon; David Fairchild, the team’s charismatic leader; Wilson and Paul Popenoe, two brothers from Kansas who intertwined the fields of plant breeding and eugenics; and Howard Dorsett, a University of Missouri alumnus who helped introduce America to the soybean. Ultimately, while the plant explorers transformed American diets, the abundance of new plants often failed to translate into lasting biological diversity.
 
Amidst growing concerns about crop genetic diversity and food security, plant explorers remain central figures in the making of modern America. Join us to learn more about their work and complex legacy.