United States Department of Agriculture / WSU Palouse Conservation Field Station and Agricultural Research Service Records, 1931-1977

The Palouse Conservation Field Station began as a joint project between the United States Department of Agriculture and the State College of Washington in 1931. At that time it was called the Pacific Northwest Soil Erosion and Moisture Conservation Experiment Station. In 1935, the name was shortened to the Soil Conservation Experiment Station. In the following decades, the name shifted back and forth several times to also include the Soil and Water Conservation Research Station and many derivations thereof. In 1961, the name was switched to the Palouse Conservation Field Station. During their tenure, the Palouse Conservation Field Station conducted experiments to produce better farming techniques that would produce less runoff and erosion, and wou ld make more efficient use of water for farming purposes. The Agricultural Experiment Station at the University of Idaho also worked with the U.S.D.A. to conduct experiments in a similar vein.