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Show Conservation Program Listed The Utah State AAA Committee has announced details of a stream lined conservation practices program pro-gram for 1944 a guide which Utah's farm families can use in bringing their land up to its maximum production capacity. The new program is divided into the following principal sections: Fertilizers and other materials; green manure and cover crops; harvesting of legume and grass seeds; erosion control and water conservation measures; and range and pasture practices. The program is designed to encourage en-courage farmers and ranchers to carry out conservation practices to a larger extent than they would otherwise. H. E. Larsen, Member of the Utah State AAA Committee, said that before each practice was approved, ap-proved, it was subjected to two questions: (1) Will it increase food production in 1944 and 1945? and, (2) Can it be administered with a minimum of "red tape?" In explaining the first question, Mr. Larsen said: "Back in prewar pre-war days, we carried on the conservation con-servation program in preparation for whatever eventualities might arise; but since Pearl Harbor, those eventualities have become real, and the conservation program iias been drafted for war service like other phases of the national farm program. Immediately after Pearl Harbor, the conservation program was streamlined and it will be streamlined more than ever this year. Had it not been for the conservation practices carried car-ried out in previous years, the , jrecord production of 1942 and 1943 would not have been reach-d." reach-d." Mr. Larsen said ' that farmers will be asked again this year to do their own checking and book-ieeping book-ieeping on the practices they have carried out. In many instances, the incentive for carrying out practices will be in the form of AAA payments made direct to the farmer, while in other cases the incentive will be supplied by furnishing materials to them. One of the most important features fea-tures of the new program Mr. Larsen said is the removal of .limitations on the total amount individual farmers may earn. The only exceptions are for the application appli-cation of superphosphate for which the maximum payment will be $2.00 per acre of cropland or $25.00 per farm whichever is the larger; the payment for harvesting legume and gxass seed is limited to 25 acres per farm and the payments for properly managing grazing land and specified improvement practices is 5 cents per acre of grazing land on the unit. With these few exceptions farmers will receive payment for all practices carried out according to specifications specifica-tions outlined in the State AAA Handbook. In the past, a soil building allowance was worked out tor each farm which represented the maximum amount which could be earned. The elimination of this provision makes it possible for farmers and ranchers to make the necessary improvements on their units to insure maximum production produc-tion and to conserve the soil for future production. Mr. Larsen pointed out that county and community AAA committeemen com-mitteemen will contact every farmer far-mer in the state In the very near - future nd acquaint them with the provisions of the program. It will be necessary that farmers who qualify for payments sign a farm plan sheet not later than June 1. 1944 and indicate what they intend to do. |