Farm and Home National Defense, Rowan County, 1940

From the Salisbury Evening Post, published Dec. 18, 1940

Farm women of Rowan County, attending the biennial banquet of the federation of home demonstration clubs, last night were told by F.H. Jeter, editor of the State College news service, that the “best contribution we can make to national defense is to have a sturdy, well-fed, vigorous body of citizens with the reserve resistance and endurance to stand future hardships.”

Nearly 100 farm women, members of the home demonstration clubs of Rowan County, attended the event, which marked the close of a two-year project on house furnishings. The banquet was held at 7 o’clock at the Yadkin Hotel and Mrs. James A. Patterson, federation president, presided.

The farm home and national defense was the theme of Jeter’s speech and he said, “If we are to be a strong nation, to build strong defenses, to protect our county from invasion by aggressors from without as well as from despair and hunger from within, we must have a strong people.”

“And to be strong, we need to be well-fed, decently clothed and sheltered.”

Declaring that it was now time to get the rural “house in order,” Jeter listed six points:

•           Do everything to produce an adequate food and feed supply.
•           Pay off old debts and not incur new ones.
•           Repair farm buildings, fences and outhouses.
•           Improve the land with limestone and legumes.
•           Head our flocks and herds within purebred sires.
•          Make long time farming and business plans.

Jeter told the farm women that it would take courage and cooperation to bring about the good things of farm life. He urged development of individual initiative and cooperation in church life and other movements, which “have for their purpose the extension of culture and a satisfactory way of life.”

The farm editor called attention to the fact that during the first World War this country had too much land in cultivation, which left it with ruinous surpluses, eroded soils and a need to entirely redraft the agricultural setup.

He said that this time the farms should produce food and all crops as the nation “needs them,” thus following an elastic farm program.

“We are fortunate now to have plentiful supplies of food and feed and fibre on hand,” Jeter asserted.

Miss Nell Kennett, home demonstration agent, announced award of certificates to 17 club members who had completed the required work on the major project. They were Mrs. C.L. Hipps, Mrs. Earl Smith, Mrs. J.E. Beeker and Mrs. W.A. Shuping of the Enon club; Mrs. James Earnhardt and Mrs. H.B. Heilig of the St. Paul club; Mrs. A.C. Wilhelm of the Harris Chapel club; Mrs. J.F. McKnight, Mrs. W.H. Parks and Mrs. F.L. Karriker of the Enochville club; Mrs. F.D. Patterson and Mrs. H.W. Houck of the Patterson club; Mrs. P.H. Satterwhite and Mrs. A.D. Davis of the Cleveland club; Mrs. Joe Lentz of the Liberty club; Mrs. M.B. Corriher of the Corriher club; and Mrs. W.D. Graham of the Miranda.

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