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Show 'A' Banners for Record -Breaking Crops Will Honor Farmers in 112 Counties of Nation ACHIEVEMENT 'A' AWARD "Victory depends as much on our ability to produce food as on our ability to manufacture guns, planes and ships." Franklin D. Roosevelt. A presentation ceremony will be held for every honored plant as soon as possible after formal announcement announce-ment of the award. The ceremonies will be simple but impressive. In appreciation of the essential role being be-ing played by seasonal processors in the "Food for Freedom" pro-v gram, the army and navy will cooperate co-operate with WFA in making the presentations. To protect the prestige of the "A" and the honor it represents, War Foods administration will exercise CONSERVE Food Processors, Too Will Be Awarded Achievement 'A's America's leading food producing counties will be awarded "A" banners ban-ners by the army for their exceptional excep-tional contribution to the year's food program, the War Food administration administra-tion has announced. Presentation of the citations for outstanding effort will be made during Thanksgiving week, with similar awards being given giv-en to food processing plants which made good records. Designed by the army's heraldic division, the "A" banner compares with the army-navy "E" pennants awarded industrial plants. It will carry a blue "A" surrounded by a wreath composed of a head of wheat and half a gear wheel, all on a green field. Nominations for the county farming farm-ing awards will be made by state war boards of the U. S. department of agriculture, and regional directors direc-tors of the Food Distribution administration admin-istration will suggest deserving processing plants. The final 112 winners win-ners will be chosen by the War Food administration from these nominations. Allocations of the banners ban-ners among the 48 states will be made on the basis of the relative farm population of each state. Some states will receive several county awards, due to the large number of farmers within their boundaries. Factors which will be considered in the selection of the most productive produc-tive counties, according to WFA, include: in-clude: (1) extent by which 1943 goals were exceeded, (2) extent of the shifts made in order to produce war crops not previously grown in the county, (3) ingenuity shown in meeting meet-ing production problems such as labor la-bor shortages, (4) record made in increasing yields per acre and per man, and in utilizing potential latent land and labor resources, and (5) extent of co-operation with other war programs. Presentation of the "A" flags, which are to be flown from the courthouse of each winning county, will be made by a representative of the army at special ceremonies PRODUCE stretch the available supply. Substitute Substi-tute when the items wanted are on the scarce list, even if it means changing life-long eating habits. Another way to conserve is to buy and store vegetables that will keep well. This is particularly important impor-tant in the case of white potatoes this year. The crop has been exceptionally ex-ceptionally large. Including both early and late potatoes, it is estimated esti-mated that it will total more than 460 million bushels. Of this, 360 million bushels are late potatoes and are now being harvested. The late potato crop is 73 million bushels bush-els larger than the late crop of 1942, and the overall 1943 crop is 33 million mil-lion bushels larger than the previous previ-ous record crop of 1928, which totaled to-taled 427 million bushels. So it is plain that the farmers' response to the government's plea for increased production has been splendid. It is a great national asset to have this record crop of potatoes. It also presents problems of distribution which, if not efficiently handled, may result in the waste of, or the diversion diver-sion from human consumption of a PLAY SQUARE extreme caution in making the award. The procedure for plant nomination, however, is simple. Any employee of the Food Distribution Distri-bution administration in Washington or in the field may propose a plant for consideration. Likewise, the nomination may be made by one of FDA's regional directors, or through the Washington branches of the WFA. An Awards board will consider con-sider every nomination and recommend recom-mend final action to the director of food distribution. Because of the short period of time many operators are in production, produc-tion, prompt attention will be given to every nomination. The Consumer's Part. Much as the breasts of farmers or factory workers will swell with pride when,they see that "A" banner fluttering flut-tering in the autumn breeze, they know it is but a symbol of the mighty effort that every American is making mak-ing to win the war. Not only producers pro-ducers of food, but consumers too, have their part to play. America's mighty home front forces are mobilizing during November Novem-ber in a nationwide campaign to help food fight for freedom. Ranking in importance with bonds, machinery, machin-ery, rubber, guns, tanks, ships and planes, food is a weapon of war that every civilian can turn against the enemy. Rallying cry of the food army is the slogan: "Produce, Conserve, Share and Play Square!" Citizens' groups in every community com-munity will advise the public of the meaning of these words, and of how each person can contribute to making mak-ing the whole nation "food conscious." con-scious." Four government agencies, the WaT Food administration, OPA, OWI and OCD, are co-operating to tell the food story. Briefly they explain each part of the program: Produce and Conserve. American farmers have done a remarkable job this year in again breaking food production records, and they plan to continue the good work in 1944 with the planting of 380 million acres. Helping them plant and harvest is something other oth-er civilians can do on the production line. Home gardens also aid in making more food, as does work in processing plants during the rush season. Farmers themselves can help prevent pre-vent waste of food before it goes to market, along with transportation companies and other handlers. The homemaker's job is to save food in the kitchen, and to can and preserve as much as possible. Everyone can try to eat the right foods, those that are nutritious and plentiful, so as to large part of this bumper crop. Although Al-though the War Food administration, administra-tion, during the past summer,- sei aside 15 million dollars for the erection erec-tion of additional storage for Irish potatoes and sweet potatoes, the 1943 crop will exceed by more thar 50 million bushels, available ap proved farm and commercial stor age. Every consumer who has spact in his cellar or other suitable place is urged to buy and store as man potatoes as he conveniently can, sc that none of this supply of fooc will go to waste. Other vegetables like onions and turnips that kee well, should also be put away ii storage places. Apples and an other fruits that can be kept ovei the winter should also be stored. Share Fairly. All Americans share the food with the men in uniform in camps ai home and on foreign battlefields with the peoples of the other Unitec Nations helping to win the war, anc with the countries liberated iron Axis oppression. Farmers help eacl other to grow as much as they, car by sharing seed, machinery, fertilizer ferti-lizer and manpower in order to make "short" supplies go farther Cheerful, willing acceptance of ra tioning rules results in fair share.1 for all, and plenty of food for fit ness and health. Food is critical war material. The government asks each citizen to pledge himself to accept no rationec foods without giving up ration stamps, and to pay no more than top legal prices. When rationing rules and price ceilings are not ob served, un-American "black markets" mar-kets" appear. Do without, if what you want can't be purchased fairly Record food production has been achieved for the past seven years, yet America still doesn't have enough to answer all the demands of war and also to fulfill the unusual un-usual wants of civilians with tremendously tre-mendously increased purchasing power. For the duration of the war and for several years after ii ends, the farmer's problem is not going to be whether he can find a market for what he produces, but whether he can produce as much as he can sell. Ever-increasing demands de-mands will continue to exceed the supply. to be arranged by the winning counties. coun-ties. A representative chosen by the farmers will receive the production produc-tion award. Seasonal food processors those little canning factories, those packers pack-ers of dried fruit, makers of jelly and so forth, who operate only while the fruit and vegetables are coming in are also eligible for a special award. For outstanding initiative in overcoming the obstacles in the way of producing processed food, or for increasing their output notably, seasonal sea-sonal processing plants will be awarded the Achievement "A" banner ban-ner similar to that given to counties coun-ties for farm production, but with a white star in the upper left-hand corner. These little plants have joined enthusiastically en-thusiastically in the nation's "Food for Freedom" program. The fact that they are not year-round operators opera-tors makes them ineligible for the army-navy "E" award. Standards Are High. The same rigidly high standards must be met for both the "A" and the "E" awards. In awarding the "A," the War Food administration will consider, first of all, quantity and quality of production in the light of available facilities. Other major factors bearing on their decision will be: 1. Ingenuity and co-operation with the government in developing and producing war food products. 2. Co-operation in carrying out the purposes of the various food purchase pur-chase programs. 3. Effective management; ability abili-ty to overcome production obstacles; satisfactory management-labor relations, rela-tions, including the avoidance of work stoppages. 4. Training additional labor forces, low absentee records. 5. Accident prevention; health and sanitation. SHARE Jlfifk |
