Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Veterans Take Advantage of Farmer Training Program, 1946

By Gerald B. James, as published in The N.C. State Agriculturist, Oct. 1946

Another mile post has been reached in the progress of vocational agriculture education in North Carolina in the Veteran’s Training Program sponsored by the State Board for Vocational Education and local school administrative units in cooperation with the Veterans Administration.

According to A.L. Teachey, State Supervisor of the Veterans Farmer Training Program, State Board for Vocational Education, more than 4,500 former members of our fighting forces have already availed themselves of the opportunity of this training which has as its aim the establishment of young men in farming and the improvement of their proficiency in this occupation.

Public Law 346, the G.I. Bkill of rights, and Public Law 16 will provide opportunity for veterans to receive such training through the Departments of Vocational Agriculture in rural high schools.

The large number of veterans taking advantage of the opportunity are a highly heterogeneous group in that some are married and others are single; some are land owners and others are renters. In that their interest all lie together, however, they are very much alike.

These veterans are those who want, through the G.I. Bill, to learn the more technical aspects, as well as the general practices of farming. Not only does the veteran get general and technical training as he farms, but he also receives a subsistence allowance of $65 per month if single, and $90 per month of married.

Training on the farm is of two general types: Self-proprietorship and employer-training. A veteran who lacks the experience and skill to do adequately the usual and ordinary farm work or who for other reasons is not ready to start farming for himself, may take training on a farm under the employer-training program. That is, provided he has prospects of becoming a manager or farm owner or renter upon completion of his training. The veteran under the employer-trainer program is trained to do the usual and ordinary farm work under direction and guidance. He also receives from the vocational agriculture teacher (or his assistants) a minimum of 200 hours per year of organized instruction in related subject matter in the classroom, laboratory, shop, or other facilities at the department of vocational agriculture or other satisfactory location.

The teacher also visits the trainee and employer-trainer on the farm at regular intervals fore a minimum of 100 hours per year and not less than one visit per month for the purpose of coordinating the related instruction and its application.

In the case of the self-proprietorship training program, the veteran may be placed on a farm under self-proprietorship if he is operating a farm as owner or renter or other agreement which fully protects the welfare of the veteran. The program is based upon a complete operating farm and home plan, including financial statement, budget of income and expenses, schedule of production and disposal of crops, livestock products, inventory of livestock, equipment and supplies of statement of the family living furnished by the farm. Close supervision similar to that in the employer-trainer program is carried out by the vocational agriculture teacher.

….

Veterans taking advantage of the Farm Training Program are rapidly increasing. There are, for example 16 veterans enrolled … in Lillington High School, Harnett County, under the supervision of John H. Blackman, teacher of vocational agriculture…. Of the present 16 enrolled, 13 are married, 12 are former vocational agriculture students, three have one or more children, six are over 25 years of age, four are farm owners and five plan to purchase farms within the next two years.

The White Oak School, Bladen County, has 31 veterans enrolled under the supervision and leadership of W.H. Hurdle, vocational teacher, and his two assistants, G.S. Council and J.S. Melvin. These 31 veterans are operating a total of 4,067 acres, of which 1,768 acres are in cultivation. Sixteen of the 31 are farm owners; five are renters with long-term agreements. This spring, they seeded 67 acres in hybrid corn and set 180,000 certified Louisiana Strain Porto Rico potato plants; 160 bushels of certified breeder oats and 62 bushels of certified wheat have been ordered for fall seeding.  They have planned to purchase 3,000 peanut bags cooperatively for the peanut crop…. They have also reserved one row of floor space twice each week for the sale of veterans’ tobacco (called Veterans Row) at a local warehouse. The 31 veterans will sell approximately 120,000 pounds of tobacco by the end of the marketing season. A veterans cooperative was formed for the purpose of buying and selling cooperatively.

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