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To remedy the problem, the USDA tried to teach farmers to balance supply with demand. They urged farmers to "readjust" by voluntarily planting less of surplus crops like corn and wheat. The USDA also promoted increased production of less plentiful crops; for instance planting tomatoes a little earlier than normal in order to produce a more abundant crop, which would put more money into farmers' pockets. -
In 1930 the impact of the stock market crash of October 1929 was beginning to be felt in rural America. The price per bushel for wheat and corn plummeted more than 25 percent in a single year. As the depression continued, prices for almost all agricultural products dropped even further. The number of acres harvested and the yields per acre also fell for many crops during the first years of the depression due to severe flooding in some parts of the country. -
Agriculture was devastated as fields and streams dried up. Even the great Mississippi River was down to historically low levels. Cattle couldn’t be fed, crops failed, money was short, and there was less food on the table. -
In 1932 the situation worsened for American farmers and ranchers. The price of a bushel of corn dropped from seventy-six cents in 1929 to twenty-nine cents in 1932; beef prices dropped from ten cents to five cents per pound. Nils A. Olsen, Chief of the USDA Bureau of Agricultural Economics, attributed the falling prices to two things: "The first has its origins in such revolutionary developments as the change from horses to motors," -
The first Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933 was part of President Franklin Roosevelt’s "new deal." The act led to a reduction in crop surpluses and higher prices for agricultural products.The price supports paid directly to farmers and ranchers for crop reductions under the act and the extra revenue generated by higher prices caused a fifty percent increase in farm income.Taxes on those who processed farm products into food and clothing. In 1936 the act was struck down by the Supreme Court. -
President Franklin D. Roosevelt took on the “farm problem” immediately. He told men, women, and children, working in the fields that he understood their struggles because he was a farmer too. He visited poor farmers, shook their hands, and promised change. His wife, Eleanor, was also deeply dedicated. She fought for the rights of sharecroppers and other minority groups in trouble. -
President Roosevelt sent direct aid to provide relief for the hungry and homeless in the dust bowl, and the USDA took action to stop soil erosion.Hugh Hammond Bennett, a soil conservationist and USDA scientist, fought to bring the problem of erosion to national attention. Bennett supported the passage of a Soil Conservation Act to create a Soil Conservation Service at the USDA.The Soil Conservation Act was passed immediately after a dust storm from the Midwest engulfed the Capitol in April 1935. -
In 1939 the growing clouds of war worldwide caused trouble for American farmers. The foreign markets closed and surpluses surged higher than ever. Although some expected an economic boom, farmers were asked to produce only what was needed at home. America’s allies needed help—in massive quantities. Early in 1941 the USDA once again urged American farmers into no-holds-barred production. Hog farmers and cattle ranchers were also told to produce more. -
Early in 1941 the USDA once again urged American farmers into no-holds-barred production. Hog farmers and cattle ranchers were also told to produce more. The Lend Lease Act of that year guaranteed the Allies food and other supplies. At the same time, officials urged American families to conserve food, fuel and other resources. Although surpluses were high, supplies could run out quickly if America entered the war. -
During World War II the United States Department of Agriculture was directed to intensify agricultural research efforts to meet vital defense needs. Substitutes for rubber, tropical oils,and other imported products needed by industry were given priority since the Japanese controlled much of the worlds supply of tropical agricultural products. Farmers began using machinery to replace animal power. -
USDA scientists also developed better methods of food dehydration in order to supply the troops with nutritious food. They developed dehydrated or “instant” potatoes, new techniques for drying milk, “powdered” eggs, and processes for combining various dried vegetables and meats into prepackaged soups and stews. These improved methods of food preservation helped reduce weight and bulk and made shipping and food storage easier. -
Two agricultural acts were passed by the United States government at the end of this era. One being the Agricultural Act of 1948 and the second being the Agricultural Act of 1949. Each law set-up a framework to guide the work of agriculture in the United States.