But the new technologies that improved efficiency and boosted yields came with a hefty price tag. The cost of farming skyrocketed during the decade, and the low profit margins that have long haunted the profession got even thinner.

TIME magazine explored this technology revolution in a 1978 cover story, “The New American Farmer,” and what they discovered still holds relevance today. Some of the most eye-catching passages in the article include:

Revolutionary changes are sweeping the croplands, making agriculture an increasingly capital-intensive, hightechnology, mass-production business. As a result, U.S. farmers are dividing into two distinct classes.

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But lobbyists for big candy companies aren't spreading joy on Capitol Hill these days. Instead, they're selling lawmakers the same story they have for decades: candy profits could be larger but U.S. sugar farmers are standing in their way...