During the eight years that I lived in the Little House, the United States had entered World War II, and was struggling still to overcome the Great Depression. Depression conditions were still very apparent in rural Alabama. One of the programs that geared up during the Roosevelt Administration to assist farmers was the Federal Land Bank. In 1933, part of the New Deal was revamping that institution which had been created in 1916, but was in serious trouble by the end of 1942. But the rejuvenated Federal Land Bank provided low interest financing of many farms with 40-year, low interest loans.
Of course, the Federal Land Bank loans were not the only sources of financing. Daddy borrowed money from Ms. Carrie Carr to “make a crop.” Ms. Carr owned a country store and also operated a cotton gin. I think that Ben Walker also financed crops for Daddy. He too had both a country store and a gin. The crop loans occurred in the Spring and were repaid after harvest. Later Daddy borrowed money for crops from banks in Tuskegee, and the Opelika Production Credit Association, another federal farm finance organization.
I suspect that Uncle R.V., Uncle Buddy, and Uncle Jody all financed the purchase their farms with loans from the Federal Land Bank. But, unfortunately low interest, long term loans could not empower subsistence farming as a way of life. There was over production of cotton, and the federal government had programs to underwrite the price for cotton, but to do so, cotton was allotted, and farmers not allowed to plant more that the allotted acreage. Like country stores, the small acreage cotton farmers gradually faded from the rural scene in our area. And the rural farm children were able to get a better education than was available to their parents and choose more productive work than subsistence farming.
The Great Depression had made it clear that the work force had to be organized differently. Subsistence farming—40 acres and a mule—was not a workable paradigm. Neither Uncle Jody nor Uncle Buddy were able to sustain the farms that they bought. Uncle Jody sold his farm to Uncle R.V.’s son, Ralph, when Ralph returned from World War II. Uncle Buddy held on to his farm for a good while, but eventually had to let it go. Daddy, Uncle Earl, and Uncle R.V. were able to hold onto their farms, but not with the proceeds of farming operations. All took on other jobs.
All of this is background for the importance of the important mission of the Shorter Public School.
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