List,
I haven't been on the farm since I was able to escape just after marriage in
1951. When I was home, I don't think we ever did receive any government
subsides. My father was a conservationist, even during WW2, when most
everyone else was depleting their soil growing corn. He rotated crops and
planted the hill ground on the contour. We walked every row of corn cutting
weeds. In the pasture, we cut sunflowers with a corn knife, grubbed out
coffee bean bushes, and any missed cocklebur plant found when picking corn
was put in the wagon, carefully picking up any burrs that were on the
ground.
Although I don't necessarily agree with the program, allowing land lay idle
is one way of controlling surplus. It also encourages taking better care of
the land. If memory serves me correctly, it was required to keep the idle
ground mowed and you could not let stock graze on it. Unfortunately, the big
corporate farms were the real winners in this program.
Tom, Redding CA - #216 D/FCC
|