Potato Farms During The Great Depression

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Everyone remembers the devastation of the great depression, causing the decline of the mining and timber industry in the Upper Peninsula. Unemployment reached its peak in the cold winters and short growing seasons of the great depression. President Roosevelt initiated many new deal programs to provide relief to certain industry. One of his relief programs transformed Houghton County into one of the most successful potato-producing counties.
Before the Great Depression, small farms populated the Copper Country area, often producing dairy, hay, and potatoes. Most of the labor was employed by the year-round timber and mining industry which was more appealing to foreign immigrants. Little mechanization left potato farms with little cultivation …show more content…

These agencies built new infrastructure such as roads and bridges as well as parks. The Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA) brought new policies to farming. They regulated the production of crops to limit unnecessary surpluses which hurt the farmers. The Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment act encouraged farms to plant crops that would improve the soil for long term growth of the farm. The banks provided low-interest loans to help farmers avoid foreclosure of their farms and prevent future economic …show more content…

This deal brought new electric farming equipment to the farms who hadn’t had electricity. This decreased the need for unnecessary labor spent on planting, grading, and sorting. Alice Champion, the State’s “canning supervisor,” wanted to implement canning systems into homes. The idea helped families preserve food for the cold winter seasons when fresh farm food is not available. Champion partnered with cooking centers to teach communities proper canning technique and the effectiveness of it. The Great Depression had transformed Copper Country into a major potato producer, shipping potatoes throughout the winter to major cities such as Milwaukee, Detroit, Chicago and Cleveland. Roberts was satisfied to see new commercial potatoes farmers enter the region and provide employment but was concerned they were focused on short-term profit and not long term-sustainability. The new commercial farmers were merely “renting,” the land and leaving behind unfertile

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