N.C. Farm Homemakers Challenged to More Good Work in 1937

By Dr. Jane S. McKimmon, State Home Demonstration Agent and Assistant Director, Extension Service, North Carolina, published in the January 1937 issue of The Southern Planter

Greetings to you homemakers on the farm, and a challenge to you for more good work in 1937!

Do you know that you Southern farm women have the opportunity of working with more home demonstrations than all the other 36 states of the Union put together? That is, 63% of a total of 1,770 home demonstrations agents are in 12 Southern states, while the other 37% is divided amongst the north, east, north central and western sections.

Furthermore, 80% of all the home demonstration work planned in the South is done in the farm home.

With this assistance it seems to me there is an excellent opportunity to develop plans for the whole farmstead, including the home grounds, front and back, as well as the field crops, pastures and other farm operations.

If you women in 1937, as partners in all plans for a better farmstead, could roughly sketch the house, its base plantings, other shrubs, walks and trees, and could also show where the poultry yard, cow lot, pig pen and barn are placed in regard to sanitary procedure, and the garden for convenience to the housewife, you would help give a picture of what the farm really is. This picture might prove very satisfactory, but also what you have to show may scream very loudly of what the farmstead lacks in its provisions for satisfactory living.

What is desired of a map is that it show actual conditions and certainly one made by the farm side and the home side jointly should show not only how a living is made but also what it takes to make a life.

Will you make the farmstead plan with your husband in 1937?

From the Editors of the Southern Planter: We urge every one of our women readers to join a club for homemakers in 1937. A club meets regularly in nearly every community served by The Southern Planter, and there is no better source of information on homemaking problems. Your county home demonstration agent will gladly put you in touch with the club which meets nearest to your home, or, in interest is shown, she will help you organize one in our own neighborhood.