600 GENERAL FARM PROGRAM 



departments at the community level. By combining the volume of 

 several local cooperatives through the process of federation, farmers 

 can also combine sufficient volume to operate cooperatively on central 

 or terminal markets. We believe that farmers, through their cooper- 

 atives, can do voluntarily far more to improve marketing methods and 

 practices than can Government, either through regulation or direct 

 merchandising. By using the cooperative type of organization, farm- 

 ers retain the complete autonomy of the family farm unit and family 

 home, and at the same time greatly increase the efficiency of the family 

 farm and its likelihood to continue as the dominant type of unit. 



A third important way in which we can reduce the need for govern- 

 mental assistance for farmers is to promote an expanded and steadier 

 demand for farm products. One big possibility in this direction is in 

 upgrading the diet of our people. As has been often pointed out, about 

 7 pounds of feed and roughage are required to produce 1 pound of 

 animal products. Also, it is commonly agreed that the latter animal 

 products are not only more palatable but also more nutritious. I think 

 we are altogether too prone to assume that we cannot expand outlets 

 for animal products except by giving the products away or making 

 them available at reduced prices. In periods of great depression we 

 may have to resort to these methods as we did during the thirties. 

 However, we should hold them as a last resort. 



I believe we could do much to expand the use of protective foods 

 through a sound program of dietary education. Many of our people 

 who have adequate incomes are poorly fed because they do not know 

 enough about what is good for them. Our big problem is to get people 

 to budget their expenditures wisely so as to include an appropriate 

 amount for the more nutritious foods, which to a large extent, include 

 animal products and fresh fruits and vegetables. This, of course, can 

 be achieved only through sound and thorough education. This educa- 

 tion needs to take place at both the adult and the child levels. At the 

 child level a great deal can be accomplished through a sound school 

 lunch program designed to instill good eating habits. In planning 

 any program of price supports it is important that we do not put so 

 much emphasis on grains and other feed items as to discourage the pro- 

 duction of livestock and livestock products. Instead let us put the 

 emphasis on the production of needed livestock and livestock products 

 as a means of utilizing surpluses and feeding our people better. 



Also, the future promises great possibilities for new industrial out- 

 lets. For example, I am informed that if we can perfect the alcohol 

 injection technique for internal-combustion engines, this alone would 

 provide an outlet for one-half billion bushels of corn or its equivalent. 

 It is my understanding that this device is almost perfected and by its 

 use, high-compression cars can utilize low-octane gasoline with good 

 performance by injecting alcohol into the firing chamber on heavy 

 pulls or acceleration. Other promising uses of raw farm products are 

 in the manufacture of paper and plastics. 



The point is that by putting all of the emphasis possible upon up- 

 grading the diet and on industrial uses of farm products, our whole 

 economy gains in terms of health and living standards. Every effort 

 should be made to promote such a program through normal trade 

 channels before resortine: to direct subsidies. 



