Facing the Future of Farming

Four Seasons on the Farm

By Don McKinley
Updated on January 11, 2024
article image
courtesy of Library of Congress
Scenes such as this 1930s-vintage photo of a farm auction in Ohio were common in the mid-1920s as well, when many overextended farmers were forced to sell out.

Here we are at Feb. 1, 1924. Winter is slushing and sloshing towards spring, and seasons will unfold as they always have! I’ve got to get busy.

Let’s look at a bit of history. The years 1909-1914 were sometimes called “the golden age of agriculture in the U.S.” Increased prices of farm products and farmland values raised the purchasing power of farmers. Then came World War I.

The federal government insisted farmers increase production so that agriculture exports could help Europeans during the war years. Farmers borrowed money to buy new equipment to increase production and some borrowed to buy more land. Acres that had never been touched were plowed and put into corn, wheat and cotton production. Prices soared.

In 1919, times were good for the farmer. Wheat was bringing $3.50/bushel, and corn topped at $1.98/bushel.

But just four years later, things had changed drastically. The bottom fell out of the markets! Wheat was selling for $.89/bushel, and corn at $.62/bushel. Hog prices in July 1919 were $20.10 cwt but in July 1923 were only $6.45 cwt. In July 1919, cattle were selling for $13.30 cwt, but by July 1923, the price had plunged to just $7.88 cwt.

Borrowed money could not be paid off. Farmers kept producing at World War I levels, trying to cover expenses. Thousands of farmers have gone broke and moved off the farms. The federal government apparently thinks they can pass bills and legislate farming. They can’t! Look what has happened to us in the last 10 years.

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-624-9388