Farm Subsidies - A Necessary Evil?

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The
use of machinery increased productivity while reducing the need for as many
farm laborers. The industrial boom of the 1920s drew many workers off the
farm and into the cities. Machinery, while increasing productivity,
was very expensive. Demand for food, though, stayed relatively
constant (Long 85). As a result of this, food prices went down. The small
farmer was no longer able to compete, lacking the capital to buy productive
machinery. Small farms lost their practicality, and many farmers were
forced to consolidate to compete. Fewer, larger farms resulted (Reische 51).
During the Depression, unemployment grew while income shrank. "An extended
drought had aggravated the farm problem during the 1930s (Reische 52)."
Congress, to counter this, passed price support legislation to assure a
profit to the farmers. The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act of
1936 allowed the government to limit acreage use for certain soil-depleting
crops. The Agricultural Marketing ...

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