Roswell Garst
Encyclopedia
Roswell "Bob" Garst was an American
farmer
and seed
company executive. He developed hybrid corn seed in 1930 that allowed greater crop yields than open-pollinated
corn. He was perhaps most well known for hosting Nikita Khrushchev
on his farm in Coon Rapids
, Iowa
, on September 23, 1959. He sold hybrid seed to the Soviet Union
beginning in 1955 and played a role in improving US-Soviet communication.
, Chile
, Hungary
, Germany
, and France
. Garst was famous for offering (sometimes unsolicited) advice. When Khrushchev visited Coon Rapids, Garst could not help but discuss the US-Soviet political situation, and told Khrushchev, "You know, for a peasant, you're a damned poor horse trader." Khrushchev apparently liked Garst enough from his previous visits to the Soviet Union to demand Garst's farm be included on his 1959 tour of the U.S., where he famously stated that Iowa corn was superior to Ukrainian corn. Garst made six trips to the Soviet Union to teach about hybrid seed and farm mechanization. He also sent his sons, including David Garst
, on similar trips. Garst, in his own view, was not only an agriculturalist, but also a goodwill ambassador promoting peace during the Cold War.
under the title of "Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District
." The farm was seen as historically significant because of its importance in general American history and because of its place as Garst's home.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer
Farmer
A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, who raises living organisms for food or raw materials, generally including livestock husbandry and growing crops, such as produce and grain...
and seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
company executive. He developed hybrid corn seed in 1930 that allowed greater crop yields than open-pollinated
Open pollination
Open pollination is pollination by insects, birds, wind, or other natural mechanisms, and contrasts with cleistogamy, closed pollination, which is one of the many types of self pollination...
corn. He was perhaps most well known for hosting Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
on his farm in Coon Rapids
Coon Rapids, Iowa
Coon Rapids is a city in Carroll and Guthrie counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 1,305 at the 2010 census unchanged from the 2000 census. The small portion of Coon Rapids that lies in Guthrie County is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, on September 23, 1959. He sold hybrid seed to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
beginning in 1955 and played a role in improving US-Soviet communication.
Biography
Roswell Garst's parents were Edward Garst and Bertha Goodwin. He married Elizabeth Henak on January 31, 1921. He was diagnosed with cancer of the voice box in 1963. Garst was founder of Garst & Thomas Co., which became one of the world's largest producers of hybrid seed corn. In the 1930s, Garst traveled around the Midwest convincing farmers of the benefits of hybrid seed corn. As an international agriculturalist, he encouraged modern farming methods to improve food production in many nations, including the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Garst was famous for offering (sometimes unsolicited) advice. When Khrushchev visited Coon Rapids, Garst could not help but discuss the US-Soviet political situation, and told Khrushchev, "You know, for a peasant, you're a damned poor horse trader." Khrushchev apparently liked Garst enough from his previous visits to the Soviet Union to demand Garst's farm be included on his 1959 tour of the U.S., where he famously stated that Iowa corn was superior to Ukrainian corn. Garst made six trips to the Soviet Union to teach about hybrid seed and farm mechanization. He also sent his sons, including David Garst
David Garst
David Garst , was a seed industry leader, farmer, and former Executive President of Garst Seed Company. He also worked in the livestock, fertilizer, and chemical businesses, and contributed to foreign agricultural development projects in Eastern Europe, Central America, and the Caribbean...
, on similar trips. Garst, in his own view, was not only an agriculturalist, but also a goodwill ambassador promoting peace during the Cold War.
Farm
Since Garst's death, his farmstead has been preserved; in 2009, it was placed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
under the title of "Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District
Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District
The Roswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic District is a farm in Guthrie County, Iowa, United States, near the city of Coon Rapids. It is significant as the home of farmer and hybrid corn populizer Roswell Garst. During the 1930s and 1940s, Garst played an active role in the conversion of...
." The farm was seen as historically significant because of its importance in general American history and because of its place as Garst's home.
Further reading
- Lee, Harold. Roswell Garst: A Biography. Ames: Iowa State University Press, 1984.
- Lowitt, Richard and Harold Lee, eds. Letters from an American Farmer: The Eastern European and Russian Correspondence of Roswell Garst. Dekalb, Illinois: Northern Illinois University Press, 1987.
External links
- http://www.whiterockconservancy.org/resort_hist.aspx
- http://www.garstseed.com/GarstClient/AboutGarst/heritage.aspx
- Historian Lee Winningham examines US-USSR agricultural exchange during this period