By F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, N.C. State College, Raleigh, as published October 22, 1945, in the Wilmington Star
In December 1941, four years ago, Homer C. Johnson of Cameron, Route 1, Moore County, paid out his last $3 to have a man move him to another farm. In the four years that have elapsed since that time, his net worth has increased to $5,000 and he is getting along very nicely.
After eight years of tenant farming, the Johnson family always found itself in about the same financial condition each year. As individual they were not getting ahead. Although they were hard-working and ambitious and had lived on good farms, tenant farming didn’t seem to offer them the opportunity to accumulate anything.
So Mr. Johnson applied to the Farm Security Administration for a loan with which to buy a farm of his own. The application was approved by the county FSA committee and the Johnsons were told to locate a suitable place. After an extensive search, and several disappointments, they located a 50-acre farm. The farm was approved by the committee, and the Johnsons purchased it in December, 1941.
The family moved onto their farm with one mule, a one-horse wagon, and a milk cow. Their total net worth at the time was $549 and their debts amounted to $206.
Today, the Johnsons have a net worth of $5,982. They have no debts other than the remainder due on the loan.
The story of this family’s success comes from E.H. Garrison, Moore County farm agent, who has visited many of the 34 farm ownership borrowers in that county. Mr. Garrison has assisted the families in various ways from time to time. He says the Johnsons borrowed $4,150 from the Farm Security Administration at 3 per cent interest on unpaid principal. The next year, particularly, was hard going. They missed electricity for lights, ironing, and refrigeration. Water had to be carried up hill about 700 yards. They lived in an inconvenient old dwelling while their new house was being built. The land was run-down and acre yields were low. The neglected soil was diseased with root knot, and neighbors assured Mr. Johnson that he wouldn’t be able to make enough to pay for his fertilizer.
Now, after four years of rather careful planning and hard work, together with cooperation from the Extension Service, Soil Conservation Service, and the Farm Security Administration, the farm looks like a different place.
The Johnsons live in a modern 5-room dwelling. They have a barn, poultry and brooder house, a smoke house, and two tobacco barns. A hydraulic ram has been installed at the spring and the family enjoys running water for the home, including a shower bath. They also have water for the poultry and the livestock, and often furnish it to neighbors for spraying crops.
The yard was landscaped by John Harris, farmstead beautification specialist, and most of the work is now complete. Brick are on hand for under-pinning the house. The family enjoys a gasoline washing machine, a kerosene refrigerator, a pressure canner, sewing machine, and a radio.
The Johnsons have improved their run-down soil by terracing, crop rotation, and the seeding of winter and summer legumes until the farm is now completely self-supporting. Proof of this may be found in the annual farm and home record book, which they keep. They grow adequate hay and grain for the livestock, with some surplus to sell. They have a year-round supply of beef, milk, butter and cheese, pork and lard, chickens and eggs, fresh and canned and stored vegetables, fruits, and sweet and Irish potatoes. They sell surplus butter, eggs, and sweet potatoes.
Crop yields have increased on a per acre basis as follows since 1941: tobacco from 700 to 1,200 pounds; corn from 15 to 55 bushels; and wheat from 15 to 25 bushels.
The first two years, the land wouldn’t grow lespedeza hay. Now, after using lime and phosphate, it yields around 1,500 pounds per acre.
Mr. Johnson says he can grow from one acre of alfalfa as much hay as he formerly produced from five acres of ordinary hay crops. He believes that the three acres of alfalfa which he has now seeded will provide hay for all his livestock next year. He keeps two cows, two heifers, about 100 hens from 200 spring pullets, three hogs, a beef calf, and one horse. He has a tractor complete with combine, mowing machine, hay rake, hay bailer, planters, cultivators, drill, wood saw and disk, and does much custom work for his neighbors.
There are only 30 acres of land in cultivation. Five other acres are seeded to permanent pasture. The income is supplemented by the sale of soybean, lespedeza, and wheat for seed. An excellent home orchard has been started. Mrs. Johnson cans an average of 500 quarts per year and enjoys her pressure canner.
Mr. Garrison said that only one visit is necessary to be impressed by the three healthy, attractive Johnson children, Fay, 12, Joan, 10, and Wayne, 7. None of them has ever been seriously sick or missed a day from school. They are alert and active—a happy family. All of them take part in church, school, and community affairs.
Upon being complimented recently on their progress, this family said their plans for this fall and winter and going to keep them really busy. Among the things they aim to do are:
--Get electric current for the dwelling and all the farm buildings.
--Add a bath room with hot and cold water.
--Repaint all the buildings.
--Buy a second-hand piano so the daughters can take music lessons.
--Cut down their debt to the FSA more than in any previous year.
Incidentally, Mr. Johnson is already two and one-half years ahead with his annual payments.
Mr. Garrison says that after years of close cooperation between his office and the Farm Security Administration workers there, it is gratifying to observe the fine work being done by the farm ownership borrowers of Moore County. Their economic progress, after a few years on the program, their improvements in the soil, farm buildings, and in dietary habits is amazing.
Food and feed production, conservation, and health of families, and the standards of living generally have been improved. If the Farm Security Administration had nothing more than this which has been accomplished in Moore County, its existence would be justified.
