Claire Strom
Editor, Agricultural History, North Dakota State University
Current Project
Babesiosis, a fatal cattle disease is carried by two species of tick. In 1906 the federal government launched a program to eliminate the disease from America by eradicating the tick vector. The program took nearly fifty years, largely because of the opposition of many southern yeomen farmers. Their opposition, grounded in economics, was ignored by governments of all levels. This reaction forced the yeomen to more desperate measures including dynamiting dipping vats and murdering federal agents. My work examines the reaction of different interest groups to the eradication program and looks at how the federal government was ultimately successful in achieving its goal.
Best Place for an Agricultural History Conference
Pacific Coast of Mexico
Hobbies
Snorkeling, cross-country-skiing
Favorite Historical Figure
Elizabeth Gurley Flynn
Favorite Agricultural/Rural Movie
"Milagro Beanfield War"