Agribusiness Innovator Earl O. Heady: Iowa Time Machine January 25, 1916

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On January 25, 1916, Iowa State professor and world-renowned agricultural economist Earl O. Heady was born. An innovative thinker and prolific academic, Heady’s work influenced agriculture worldwide.

After graduating from Nebraska, Heady arrived at Iowa State College while also pursuing a PhD. The start of a prodigious career, Heady produced 26 books and roughly 800 journal articles, research bulletins, and monographs. Best known for his 1952 textbook, “Economics of Agricultural Production and Resource Use”, the book grew to be known as "the Bible of Agricultural Economics.”

Over time, Heady's emphasis shifted from revitalizing Iowa State's farm management and research programs to assisting individual farmers through computerized linear programming and regression analysis. Heady worked to develop models to measure total inputs and production for cost-benefit evaluation and management.

In 1957, Heady began serving as director of the newly created Center for Agricultural Adjustment at Iowa State (later the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, or CARD). One of the premier economic research institutions in the world, CARD became Heady's primary research arena, and its network of consultation and aid grew to encompass more than 40 countries on six continents. #Iowa #OTD #History #Farming #Agriculture