From diplomatic breakthroughs to farmer-led activism and the hard lessons of extreme weather, February 21 has surfaced again and again as a consequential date for U.S. agriculture. Here is a look at how this day has shaped markets, policy debates, and on-the-ground farming realities.

1972: A door opens in Beijing and, eventually, in global farm trade

On February 21, 1972, President Richard Nixon arrived in Beijing, beginning the historic U.S. opening to China. While the pageantry focused on geopolitics, the ripple effects for food and agriculture were profound. The visit launched a slow but inexorable process that, over the next several years, normalized relations (formally in 1979), unlocked scientific exchanges, and set the stage for commercial agreements that would eventually include farm commodities.

In the decades that followed, China emerged as one of the world’s most important agricultural buyers. U.S. and Chinese institutions launched cooperative work in crop science, animal health, and food safety; trade offices opened; and farm groups traveled both ways to build relationships. By the 2000s, China had become the dominant destination for U.S. soybeans and a major buyer of cotton, sorghum, dairy, and pork in many years—reshaping planting decisions across the American Midwest and South and reorienting export infrastructure along the Gulf and Pacific Northwest.

The path from Nixon’s handshake to container ships laden with grain and oilseeds was neither straight nor swift; it moved through periods of tension and policy resets. But the arc that began on this date in 1972 permanently rewired demand signals in U.S. agriculture, embedding American farms more deeply in the rhythms of Asian consumption and feed markets.

1979: “Tractorcade” in Washington, D.C., a farm crisis finds its spotlight

On February 21, 1979, the American Agriculture Movement’s “Tractorcade” was in full swing on the National Mall. Thousands of farmers had driven their tractors to Washington earlier that month to protest high interest rates, rising costs, and what they saw as inadequate price supports and parity policies. Then a paralyzing Presidents’ Day snowstorm hit D.C. on February 18–19, turning the demonstration into a vivid national tableau of rural discontent—and community service. Farmers used their tractors to help clear streets and assist emergency responders as the capital dug out.

While no single statute can be pinned directly to the protest, the Tractorcade helped force a broader reckoning with the economics of farming. It energized coverage of farm balance sheets, spurred hearings, and added urgency to policy debates that would culminate in a series of 1980s reforms touching credit, conservation, and safety nets. The episode also left a durable image of farmers as both advocates and problem-solvers—a tension that continues to color public perceptions of agriculture.

2021: Winter Storm Uri’s agricultural toll comes into focus

On February 21, 2021, as Texas and neighboring states emerged from days of blackouts and subfreezing temperatures, the first comprehensive pictures of agricultural damage began to crystallize. In the Rio Grande Valley, commercial citrus groves—grapefruit and oranges—suffered extensive fruit loss and cold injury to trees, with long-tail impacts on future yields. South Texas vegetable growers reported losses of leafy greens, brassicas, onions, and other winter crops. Poultry and livestock operations grappled with mortality, water shortages, and feed disruptions. Dairies dumped milk as processing plants and trucking networks struggled to operate without power or navigable roads.

Those early assessments on and around this date underscored a systemic reality: modern agriculture is inseparable from energy and water infrastructure. The storm’s aftermath accelerated grower investments in freeze protection, backup power, and water contingency planning, and it sharpened public and private conversations about resilience—how to harden everything from greenhouses and packhouses to irrigation systems and animal housing against increasingly volatile weather.

Recurring tradition: National FFA Week often lands on this date

February 21 frequently falls within National FFA Week, an annual celebration tied to George Washington’s February 22 birthday and the nation’s agricultural heritage. Across the country, students lead service projects, classroom demonstrations, and community outreach that spotlight agricultural education and the next generation of producers, scientists, and agribusiness professionals. While not fixed to a single year’s headline, this recurring observance gives the date an enduring link to the future of the farm and food system.

Why February 21 matters

Diplomacy that reset export horizons, a protest that reframed farm economics for policymakers, and a deep freeze that stress-tested the food system—all intersect with this date. Taken together, they illustrate how U.S. agriculture advances and adapts: through international engagement, civic advocacy, and practical resilience on the ground.