THE RURAL PROBLEM 31 



it read, Better farm practice, better farm business, bet- 

 ter farm life. Do we not find at least these three great 

 classes of problems in every farming community in the 

 land? The farmer must produce in the most skillful 

 way, with the least possible expenditure for materials 

 and labor, and with the aim of securing as large a 

 yield of high grade products as possible. When he 

 sells his products to buy his requirements, he confronts 

 an entirely new set of problems. Then, even if he 

 makes a fair profit out of his producing and his selling, 

 what is the real gain unless he and his family can and 

 do have a satisfying life as members of their neighbor- 

 hood? 



A NEW APPROACH NECESSARY 



We have heretofore approached the farm business 

 from the standpoint of production. We have been 

 asked, What can farmers produce? We must face 

 about and begin the discussion of problems with the 

 query, What do consumers want? This will be a hard 

 saying to many men, but it is the beginning of the new 

 wisdom about our agriculture. We have said to farm- 

 ers " Produce, produce, produce ! " We have given 

 away land by the million acres in order to stimulate 

 production. Men purporting to speak for farmers 

 have even said: 'Why worry about the consumer? 

 He will take care of himself. Let us take care of the 

 farmer." Agricultural colleges have experimented 

 and taught and advised concerning production. But 

 for years past, any farmer would tell you that his big 

 problem was not one of production, but of selling to 

 advantage. The war has taught us that the task of the 

 farmer is to grow food and other soil-grown materials 

 for the rest of the people. The reasoning is plain. 



