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Show Returned Veterans Aid Outlook For Elderly U. S. Farm Couples if" I ' A Alabama Brothers Show Success in Postwar Venture Return of veterans from the armed forces is aiding the financial outlook for many an elderly U. S. farm couple. Take the Bowdens in Coffee county, Ala., for example. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Bowden are 69 and 63 years old. respectively, and, because of their age, were not able to make the most out of the farm they were operating when their sons were in service. Upon their return from the armed forces, Lynn and Oren Bowden shouldered the job of making a living liv-ing for the family and increasing dividends from the farm. Their first objective was to buy the farm, thus raising themselves and their "old folks" out of the tenant farmer farm-er class. Since many elderly farmers and their wives also are looking to their sens to take over the home farm, the story of the Bowdens is related to show what can be accomplished. Actually the story has its beginning begin-ning in 1936 when, as the elder Bow. den frankly admits, "we were down and out and had to struggle to make ends meet." Unable to get credit from regular lenders for purchase of feed, seed, fertilizer, equipment and other farm needs, the Bowdens resorted to a government govern-ment agency, now the Farm Security Securi-ty administration, to secure the necessary funds. Along with, the funds came instruction in sound farming practices, which enabled en-abled the Bowden family to improve im-prove the efficiency of their operations. opera-tions. A period of progress followed, but the advent of war disrupted all the family's plans. Both Lynn and Oren were called into service, resulting in an acute lack of help on the farm. Lynn, 44, veteran of both world wars, entered the army in 1940 when the Alabama National Guard was called into service. Oren, 31, also was a member of the National Guard and entered service early the following year. A temporary re- SEEK EXPERT GUIDANCE The Bowden brothers and their parents par-ents have proved that they are good farmers, but they frankly admit they don't know H all. Here James S. Pridgen. Coffee county, Ala., FSA supervisor, shows Lynn and Oren Bowden how to treat seed peanuts to prevent damp rot after they are in the ground. spite was gained when Oren was placed on inactive duty to help run the farm, but. he later was called back into service. Upon their discharge early in 1943, both brothers returned to the family farm. Intent on purchasing the 360-acre farm, previously rented rent-ed by the family, the brothers arranged ar-ranged the necessary financing with Farm Security administration, which permits 40 years at 3 per cent interest for repayment of farm purchase loans. A major factor in the family's success was the diversified diver-sified farming plan which the agency agen-cy helped the family to map out. Faced with a $4,800 debt, contracted contract-ed in purchasing the farm, the Bowdens embarked on an ambitious farm program designed to wipe out the debt in shortest possible time. Within a year they had paid off more than half the debt. Today, only three years later, the final payment pay-ment has been made to the govern ment agency and the Bowdens are full owners of their land. With 160 acres of the farm under cultivation, the Bowdens produce peanuts as the main cash crop. Carrying out their plan of diversified farming, they also have cotton, hogs and 12 head of beef cattle, principally of the Black Angus An-gus type. To develop their herd, they recently purchased a purebred Angus bull. In 1944, the Bowdens marketed 20 tons of peanuts, $600 worth of hogs, and $60 worth of cattle. They had 15 other hogs left over for marketing market-ing by the end of that year as well as 12 stock hogs and 2 milk cows. Sale of chickens and eggs also added add-ed to farm returns. Marketings the following year included in-cluded 20 tons of peanuts, 4 bales of cotton and about $588 worth of hogs. After these sales, they had 24 Duroc shoats, 4 brood sows and 30 pigs on hand as well as their beef cattle. The "old folks" are helping the veterans progress in their farming venture. The elder Bowden raises garden produce, selling $112 worth of cabbage from a few rows in his garden last year. Intent on increasing increas-ing the returns, he has planted six 80-foot rows of cabbage this year. Mrs. Bowden also is active in work around the house 'and garden. Size of the family also has been increased. After the last farm payment pay-ment was made, Oren was married and brought his wife to the family farm home. Today the Bowdens are considered successful Alabama farmers. Each member of the family does his proper prop-er share of work and all reap the benefits of good living on a well-operated well-operated farm. Furthermore, the elder Mr. and Mrs. Bowden can take more time to enjoy the peace and security of farm life now that their boys, like so many others, are home again from the war. ( ,'"'" . i " f 1 f ,t-,,,'v- ' I f . ""'t ' ". j I; . . XK' I ' , ' , ' ! A PIGS BOOST INCOME Oren Bowden is hown here with brood sows and some of the young porkers which will be ready for market in the fall. Returns from cattle and pigs Increase earnings on the Bowden farm, which is operated on a well-rounded diversified farming plan. Loans to Veterans for Farm Purchases And Operating Costs Reach High Peak Setting a new high in Farm Secur- ity administration loans to veterans, 5,400 ex-servicemen were financed in purchase of farm operating equipment or family farms within a two-month period, according to figures released by department of agriculture. The loans, made during March and April, constitute nearly a third of the total number the agency has approved for veterans during the last two years, FSA Administrator Admin-istrator Dillar B. Lasseter announces. an-nounces. Declaring that the agency expects the record lending to continue. Lasseter Las-seter reports that more than 20,000 veteran applications now are being processed in county ofTices. More than 16,000 veterans already have received FSA assistance. Approximately Ap-proximately 1,000 of them obtained farm purchase loans under terms of the Bankhead-Jones farm tenant act from an earmarked fund set up by congress. The rest have loans to buy machinery and livestock live-stock or for other operating needs. Soaring real estate prices and lack of productive farms for sale have handicapped veterans in their quest for farms, Lasseter says. |