Farm Girl Earning Her Way To College, 1945

By F.H. Jeter, Extension Editor, N.C. State College, Raleigh, as published in the Wilmington Star, December 10, 1945

There is a young farm girl who lives near Stecoah in Graham County who plans to enter college in the fall of 1950.

Last August when the farm agent at Robbinsville began to select girls and boys who would receive bred gilts in the pig club chain started by the local Lion’s Club, Faye Lackey thought that she would like to have one of those pigs. So she told the agent of her plans. When the distribution was made, therefore, she was lucky enough to get one of the gilts. On September 9, of this year, her sow produced nine healthy pigs.

Two of them had to go back to the Lions Club to be given to two other deserving boys and girls but Faye sold the remaining seven at a profit of $87.50. While she was dealing in livestock, she also sold a cow and calf that she had raised on the home farm and all of the money received was put in the savings bank looking to that day in 1950 when she would need it as a payment towards her college expenses.

She now owns the original brood sow completely because she has fulfilled her obligation to return the pigs as required. All the additional pigs will be her own property.

But Faye says that, in addition to this long-time plan for attending college five years in the future, she has also been busy with some short-time planning. Her Victory Garden this past summer is one example. In this garden, she grew, cultivated, sprayed, and harvested 20 different kinds of vegetables that were used on the family table. In addition, the girl canned 260 quarts which have been stored against winter needs. The canned material included 14 different vegetables and will add variety to the family’s meals when the cold freezing weather settles down over Graham County.

Right now her garden contains collards, parsnips, and turnips ready for the table. Faye is only 13 years old. She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.H. Lackey who live in the Tuskseegee-Sawyer Creek section of Graham County and the girl has been a member of the Stecoah 4-H Club for two years. Louise Burnett, the assistant home agent, says the girl is an interesting and enterprising young person and there is no doubt that she will get to college in 1950 as she now plans.