   
The History of Velcro Farming
and how YOU can help save this industry!
Numerous groups are raising awareness with regards to the Velcro shortage and the ways that you can help.
Well, beginning in 1903, Thomas A. Velcro began farming a new genially modified crop created by him then named after himself, called "Velcroiusmaterious" (later shortened to Velcro). The farming of this commodity didn't catch on until the late 1930's, after The Great Depression. Elton S. McStevenson was the first to farm this in large quantities, and gained great fortune until his untimely death in 1951.
This may look like your everyday wheat field, but it's really a velcro crop.
Many people couldn't find a use for large quantities of this crop as most farmers only planted the hook variety of the crop. This was accepted as the norm until 1985 when a Californian scientist by the name of Dr. Laree P. Constam discovered that swapping the 13th line of genetic code within the undeveloped seed created a "hook" plant of sorts. This discovery forwarded the Velcro Crop Industry by leaps and bounds. So much so that The National Velcro Farmers Association of America, now known as the Velcro Farmers Association (VFA), was created to allow farmers to sell their crops to the board, then in return have the board sell their crops on an international market.
The industry fared well until the early 1990's when zippers began to take prominence. Sales dropped dramatically and most farmers abandon their farms. Many large shipment warehouses full of the product were abandon, and still are to this day. This later became known as "The Zipper Revolution" can be credited for this.
Today, you'd be very hard pressed to find an operational Velcro farm, though they still exist in the western US and Canada. Production is down to about 25 Hooks, 34 Loops per year, per acre. One can support this market by investing in clothing with large amounts of Velcro, or look for the VFA symbol that ensures 75% percent of the profits are going to farmers. Museums exsist, but are few and far between, educating the public on this obscure, but important subject.
In conclusion, I believe that this industry isn't dead, and can compete on the modern market. It just requires the support is deserves.
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