Old Farm Journals

Yesterday son Jon sent out the attached picture of Hugh Hammond Bennett on the cover of the March 1951 issue of the Farm Journal.  Mr. Bennett was instrumental in the establishment of the USDA Soil Conservation Service back in 1935. Jon has worked for the Agency for over 40 years and has been doing some research on Mr. Bennett recently. SCS was the acronym used to identify the agency for a number of years but with an expanded mission, it was changed to the "Natural Resources Conservation Service" or NRCS. By coincidence, I came across some old Farm Journal Magazines in a box that we received when Elaine's folks passed away back in  the 1980's. The oldest is from November 1953 and tells of an anticipate "Shake-up in USDA" as recently elected President Eisenhower takes over. Among other changes to PMA and the Extension Service, it says that, "Seven regional Soil Conservation offices will be eliminated". One of them was in Lincoln, Nebraska. It goes on to say, "The new set-up will work even more directly through farmer-run Soil Conservation Districts, which the Administration holds in high regard. USDA expects that this new plan will strengthen soil conservation.

I went back to my 1953 Journal and found an entry on Oct. 6 that "The Regional SCS office in Lincoln to be abolished".  I was in my 5th year of working in the SCS Seward Office where interest in Irrigation had peaked because of the dry year. During October 19-21, my boss had arraigned for me to work in Lincoln with the Regional Office engineers since they were waiting to be reassigned. It was a most interesting assignment to work with experts on Irrigation but to listen to the discussion when each of them would come back from their interview with Washington Office personnel people. I didn't meet him at the time, but Richard Cheney Sr. was the Regional Administrative Officer who was transferred in a similar position in the Wyoming SCS office. Richard J. was 12 years old when they left Lincoln for Cheyenne, WY. He went on to earn a couple college degrees, went to Washington where he followed Donald Rumsfeld through several positions and was elected Vice-President on the ticked with George W. Bush. He was very active in the events that follow the September 11 tragedy in NY City.