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Drought and Depression
Agriculture was devastated as most, if not all, of the water from the fields and streams dried up, including the mississippi river. cattle could not be fed, and there was less food on the table due to there being a short amount of money. agriculture exports also crashed, causing even more problems. the US would lose lots of money, and it would barely be able to hold on. -
The Dust Bowl
During this time, Numerous dust storms swept away many layers of topsoil across Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, New Mexico, and Colorado. These dust storms were made worse by the practice of plowing fields and leaving the soil exposed before planting in the spring. The relentlessly blowing winds turned these areas into the "Dust Bowl." Thousands of farmers were forced to move and the land was ruined. -
Nothing to fear but fear itself
Farmers would start to get upset and frustrated at the depression. Iowa farmers would sponsor a family holiday, which basically was a strike to keep all farm products of the market, because the net-income was less than 1/3 then what they made in 1929. other farmers from other states such as the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Nebraska would join in as well. they would calm down a bit once Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in office, because he made claims that he was going to help. -
Agriculture adjustment
Henry A. Wallace took office as Secretary of Agriculture in march 1933. He was a farmer, and he had peppered rural America with new ideas aimed at solving their problems. He knew that "no plan could be perfect," and his first big move, the Agricultural Adjustment Act, was opposed. the Agricultural Adjustment Act paid farmers to not farm on their land, hoping it would increase prices of food, increase demand, and improve farm incomes. -
Agriculture crisis
President Franklin D. Roosevelt took on the so called "farm problem" immediately. He would pass bills to try and relive farmers. His wife, Eleanor was also dedicated. She fought for the rights of sharecroppers and other small groups. The new President and his wife firmly believed that solving the agricultural problems facing Americans was needed to fixing the trouble caused by the Great Depression. -
Solving the problem of soil erosion
The USDA's soil conservation programs were designed to help farmers change the way they farmed in order to try and stop erosion. Members of the Civilian Conservation Corps provided a lot of the labor to plant native grasses and trees, and helped build ponds on many farms and public lands. Franklin D. Roosevelt also promised farmers a change by making the the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which raised farm prices by reducing the production levels. -
Growing peanuts for the war effort
So that the US could send support to their allies (great britain, france, etc.), farmers "were encouraged to make shifts in production from basic crops to some of the special war crops." One example of this would be permitting to grow peanuts for oil on part of their cotton. The peanut oil could be used for many things, such as dynamite, gas mask bags, paint, and gas proof capes. -
Agriculture wartime inventions
Due to the war, USDA scientists developed better methods for food dehydration in order to supply the troops with nutritious food. some things they made were "instant" potatoes, "powdered eggs", and new techniques for drying milk, meats, and vegetables. The improvements made from these methods helped reduce weight and made shipping and food storage easier. New glues, plastics, paints and fabrics were made from milk, soybeans, cotton and many other agricultural products as well. -
Food to win 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, cork and other products needed were given priority since Japan controlled many of the supplies of tropical agricultural products. Farmers began using more machinery to replace animal power. The shift away from horses and mules freed up more land for the production of feed grain and increased meat production. -
G.I Bill and land grants collages
the G.I Bill was made in 1944. It allowed Veterans to get a education and other benefits, enrollment in land grant colleges increased, more and more men and women graduated and took agricultural jobs off the farm with the goal of feeding the world. This would be a positive thing as this would provide more food for america, and everyone else around the world -
Farming in post-war America
As World War II ended, preparation was required to prevent the return of agriculture to pre-war Depression conditions. Four million acres of crops were plowed up in an attempt to stabilize prices, and a peacetime economy was formed. Technological advances that had been developed for the war were transitioned to civil society. Farms were industrialized for several reasons. Chemical technology, inexpensive nitrogen fertilizers and pesticides were created to increase agricultural production. -
Early Farm Bills
Two agricultural acts were passed by the US Government at the end of this era. One being the Agricultural Act of 1948 and the other one being the Agricultural Act of 1949. Each law set-up the framework to guide the work of agriculture in the United States. This helped farmers get set up, and to catch up to already successful farmers