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Stock Market Crash
Due to the stock market crash in 1930, the price per bushel for wheat and corn plummeted more than twenty five percent in a single year. As the depression continued prices for almost all agricultural products dropped even further. Also the number of acres harvested and the yields per acre fell due to flooding in some parts of the country. The Mississippi River was at an all time low so caddle couldnt be fed, many crops failed, money was shorts, and there was less food on each table. -
Agricultural is at an all time low
The situation worsened and the price of a bushel of corn dropped sixty-six percent cents in 1929 to twenty-nine cents in 1932. Beef prices also dropped from ten-cents to five cents per pound. -
The depression Deepened
As President Hoover was elected he believed that the economy would fix itself but it continued to worsen. As the summer of 1932 turned to autumn the depression deepened. Iowa farmers were starting to get angry they sponsored a Farmer´s Holiday. It was a strike to keep farmer´s products off the market. The net income was less then one third of what is had been in 1929. In other areas of the country stormed into stores and simply took what they wanted. -
A New Hope
In November of 1933, president Roosevelt was elected and inspired the farmers of America. Many Americans became hopeful for change following Roosevelt inauguration. Roosevelt promised more help through the federal government for Americans suffering. Two million men worked as CCC recruits in more than 1,200 camps across the country between 1933 and 1942. Initially known as the Emergency Conservation Work Program. It was created by Roosevelt to help impoverished youth to improve their education. -
The First Agricultural Act of 1933 and 1938
This act led to a reduction in crop surpluses and a higher price of agricultural products. The supports paid directly to the farmers and rancher for crop reduction. This act and the extra revenue generated has caused a fifty percent increase in farm income. But in 1936 the act was dissolved by the Supreme Court. Congress then passed a second Agricultural Adjustment Act in 1938. This new act was fair to everyone and was funded by general taxation. -
Population Growth of the Decade
In the 1930´s the population was 122,775,046 with the farm population of 30,455,350. Farmers were twenty one percent of the labor force, with the number of farms being 6,295,000. In the 1940´s the Population was 131,820,000 with the farm population of 30,840,000. Farmers were now eighteen percent of the labor force, with the number of farms being 6,102,000. -
The Events During the War 1939-1941
In 1939 the growing war caused trouble for the American farmers. The American foreign trades were closed and the surpluses surged higher than ever. In 1941, the USDA again urged farmers to into no-holds barred productions. Pig farmers and cattle ranchers were told to produce more. The Lend Lease Act guaranteed the Allies food and other supplies. Officials also urged American families to conserve food, fuel, and other goods. The National Victory Garden Program urged people to grow their own food. -
Farming during the end of 1942
By the end of 1942, farm labor was very scarce. The government exempted 1,600,000 from the draft to stay home and fight the war on the home front. The ¨shock troops¨ as they called them helped dramatically by reaching record level food and fiber production. -
The Events During the War 1942
During the war the United States Department of Agriculture was told to intensify agricultural research efforts to meet vital defense needs.They were told to find substitutes for rubber, tropical oils, cork 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 more machinery to replace the work done by animals. This gave more land to plant and grow crops. -
Agricultural Advancements during the War
Scientists from the USDA developed better methods of food dehydration in order to supply troops. They developed “instant” potatoes, new techniques for drying milk, “powdered” eggs, and processes for combining dried vegetables and meats into pre-packaged soups and stews. This improved methods for preserving food and made food easier to store. The military also used aerial mapping and photography techniques. -
G.I. Bill
Congress passed the G.I. bill in 1944. This provided Veterans with education and other benefits. The enrollment in colleges soared and a lot of more people were graduating college. Many men and women after graduating took agricultural jobs on farms with the goal to feed the world. -
¨The Marshall Plan¨
In 1940 The Marshall Plan helped U.S farm exports sky rocket from around two billion dollars in the 1940´s to nearly four billion in 1950. The United States sent millions of tons of food to prevent mass famine in the years following the war. Livestock,fertilizer, and farm machinery were also sent overseas to help rebuild Europe´s agricultural system. Many European farmers visited the United States to learn new farming techniques. -
Two agricultural acts are passed
The Agricultural act of 1948 and the Agricultural act of 1949 was passed. Both law set up a framework to guide the work of agriculture in the United States.
