Farmers in the Great Depression

The Great Effect
At this time, about 1/4 population was working in agriculture. When the great depression came, people were hit with unemployment and long food lines. Fear spread and nearly everyone was affected by early 1930s. It was a time of desperation that often left individuals vulnerable, but there was not much they could do but try to survive. Some farm families even began burning corn rather than coal in their stoves because corn was cheaper. Farmers were unable to pay for their loans and foreclosures and bankruptcy sales became daily events.

The Farm Strike
One event resulting from this was the farm strike. Farmers banded together like a labor union and threated to prevent any milk from getting from farms to towns and cities. They hoped this would raise the price that farmers were paid for their products. However, their effort did not have any effect on prices.

What happens to food prices?
When prices fell, farmers tried to produce even more to pay their debts, taxes and living expenses. Farmers were producing too much and driving down its price. This resulted in the creation of the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, which set limits on the size of the crops and herds farmers could produce. They would pay a subsidy to those that followed the act.

New Deal
FDR undertook the most far-reaching land reform and planning program in USA history. He formed the farm security administration. This came to the aid of agricultural workers and tenant and family farmers

Pros?
Farmers could produce much of their own food while city residents could not. They had large gardens with fruit and vegetable, milk from cattle, chicken for meat and eggs, and four and sugar in 50 poud sacks to bake bread with.