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A network of railroads transported people and goods throughout the United States. Farmers in New England had to compete with western-grown meat and grain. The refrigerated railroad car brought in milk and other perishable farm produce as well. Farmers who wished to keep their farms had to embrace more aggressive land use and exploit new markets in order to survive. Many focused on regional specialties such as ice harvesting, growing cranberries, and maple sugar production. The mission of the Eastern States Exposition when it opened in 1916 was to highlight and reward the best of New England agriculture and industry. The success of the Exposition surpassed even the vision of its founders, attracting over a million visitors a year.