Dry Farming: GCSE History Definition

In GCSE History, dry farming is the process of making soil trap rainwater under the surface. It was an experimental farming method created by Hardy Webster Campbell in 1879.

Dry farming was vital for homesteaders on the Great Plains. The area experienced high temperatures, droughts and storms. Dry farming gave crops access to more water underground and grew crops with stronger roots. This gave the homesteaders' crops a chance of surviving the extreme weather conditions of the Plains. Homesteaders particularly found the technique useful for growing wheat, a key crop in the American West.

Dry farming was one of the many methods in the late 19th century that improved farming in the Plains, including wind pumps, barbed wire and steel ploughs.

Dry Farming Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

Explore our revision notes for Edexcel GCSE and AQA GCSE to see where dry farming fits into the revision notes for those specifications

Explore Our GCSE History Revision Resources