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Show Six Million Farmers Pledge Co-operation In Nationwide Campaign for More Food l - " $jjr 'I I j " t-i VS 4 1 It i ' - . .J Clarence Wink (right), whose farm is In Potter county, near Amarillo, Texas, signing up for planned production. Aiding him is John Cottcn, AAA county committeeman. Committee Is Elected To Study Various Production Plans. Eyes of the nation are on the American farmer this month. What's he doing to merit all this attention? Why nothing at all, except making plans for an even better bet-ter production job in '43 than he did last year and '42 broke records right and left! Farm Mobilization day in mid-month set in motion a coast-to-coast plan for getting the most from every acre. Demands De-mands on the farmer and his land will be heavier than ever, but shortages of labor and materials will be tighter. That means that many farms will have to produce still more to meet the goals. When the nation-wide sign-up of men, land and livestock already under un-der way is completed, Uncle Sam will know what he can expect from his "food and fiber army" on 6,000,-000 6,000,-000 farms. Farm Mobilization day began the greatest campaign for food production in the long and meritorious meri-torious history of United States agriculture. Farmers assembled in groups all over the nation on that day for special spe-cial meetings at which the national and local production situation was discussed. Production goals for each locality were studied, and the farmer's farm-er's part in meeting goals for his own land was shown in its relation to the entire war contribution of agriculture. Keynote of the farm mobilization program was set in a national program pro-gram on January 12. Government officials and high ranking officers of the armed services were among the speakers. A Minnesota farm woman whose son is fighting in Algiers told what she is doing to meet food production pro-duction goals, and a county war board chairman from Illinois represented repre-sented the farming man. Explanation of the importance of the farmer's goals to the strength of Americans at home, and the freedom free-dom of all the United Nations, is expected to bring a clearer appreciation appre-ciation of his problems among organizations or-ganizations and the people at large. Many groups will pledge co-operation and support the farmer's efforts ef-forts to meet these problems. Immediately following the Farm Mobilization day meetings, meet-ings, farmer committeemen elected by farmers themselves began visiting each farm to help the operator work out his individual indi-vidual production plan. At the same time, a survey of his labor, la-bor, machinery and other needs is being made. Each plan, when completed, will represent that farm's share in national production produc-tion goals. Agriculture's "1943 Farm Plan" sets up on a single sheet the crop acreages for 1942 and the new 1943 goal for each farm on war crops i such as soybeans, peanuts, tomatoes, toma-toes, peas and potatoes, and acreages acre-ages on other crops sudh as feed crops for grain. The farmer's "intentions" "in-tentions" for livestock, poultry and hogs for slaughter are indicated, 1 and the same single sheet contains information regarding allotment crops (tobacco, cotton, wheat, rice, peanuts and corn) necessary to enable en-able the Agricultural Adjustment agency to determine eligibility of farmers in all regions of the country. coun-try. Copies of these "Farm Plan" outlines out-lines are kept in the office of the county committeeman, and refer- expects to do in 1943 and how he is going about the business of achieving achiev-ing his expectation. Greater emphasis in the new production goals is on farming for war needs. It's going to be a tough year for the farmer, this 1943, because increased labor and machinery shortages will demand more of each remaining farm worker as well as a pooling pool-ing of equipment for the widest possible utilization of available mechanical aids. The remarkable 1942 production record of America's farmers took careful planning and co-operation. Most of all it took a lot of hard work on the part of these soldiers of the land. Mobilization of all his forces is the farmer's answer to the new challenges chal-lenges he must meet before his 1943 goals can be realized. He won't be trying to do the impossible, because he doesn't recognize the existence of such a word as applied to agriculture agri-culture in wartime. Food is needed and the farmer will produce it. That's all there is to it, so far as he is concerned. If he gets a little recognition and appreciation it will make his work seem easier, but He's producing Food for Victory. Vic-tory. That's honor enough for him. Wlien springttme rolls around such scenes as these will he multiplied a thousand times. American farmers by then will be on their way toward a successful completion of their designated des-ignated job. ence will be made to them by the department of agriculture war boards in determining the individual farmer's labor, transportation, gasoline, gaso-line, machinery and other production produc-tion requirements, and the greatest possible local assistance that can be given to him. January and February are the months when the production pattern for the year is developed in its entirety, en-tirety, and to a large extent the planning plan-ning and organization taking place at this time will forecast whether or not national goals will be met in '43. The most critical food production produc-tion year in history requires careful planning if there is to be enough for everyone. Farmers will have to continue the co-operatively managed program they approved and followed last year, with harder work and longer hours ahead. Civilian consumers will have to follow a co-operative program of their own, so that fathers fa-thers and brothers and daughters in the armed forces of all the United Nations may be assured the food and clothing they need while they are serving on far-flung battlefronts. United States military needs in '43, plus cargoes for food ships crossing the seven seas to aid fighting Allies, are expected to take one-half again as much as was demanded in '42. About one-fourth of the anticipated total to-tal food production must be earmarked ear-marked for this use. One-half of all canned vegetables and one-third of the billions of eggs gathered during the year will go off to war. Over 25 per cent of total meat production will join the ranks, together with the products from other oth-er millions of acres. I , i J' 1 bxKJ ) ' J ' '1 ''Vi ft ? , "-"' i j'. li j i IS M- . ,'j I (' f " I h , fV i f f ) S J 1 1 , i I I ' ' V ' I U ' 'N ' j ' i i-v. - - v 4 1 V v f I i I o , If ,! ,f t j'i W. . ,w. . . ,.v. ....... It is easily apparent that farm production goals and how well they are met will play a vital part in the progress of the war. This should give Mr. and Mrs. U. S. Citizen on the home front a keen interest in what the farmer Meat, and plenty of it, is the nation's na-tion's farmers' job this year so thai Uie armed forces, war workers, and lend-lease Allies can continue the struggle against the Axis. |