Milford chronicle., 1962-04-20
New Farm Program
Means More Stable
Food Prices
Continued from page one)

continued from page one)
urban resident
The expansion of these oppor-
tunities through the farm bin
President Kennedy has proposed
will provide maximum benefit TO
urban areas while, at the same
time. the agricultural community
VIII be able to make long-term ad-
iuStments to the impact of science
ana technology on the productiv-
ity Of the farm.
Secretary Freeman noted four
specific areas of benefit to urban
residents:
Increased recreational opportun-
tiles III areas within easy driving
distance of metropolitan centers
Adequate food supplies at reas-
enable prices to the consumer.
Lower taxpayer costs for sup
porting farm income.
A stronger overall national
economy as farm income improves.
These are all items of tremen-
doTs Importance to the city, and
illustrate that a farm bill can be
good for the urban resident just
as it is of benefit to the farmer.
One element of the farm bill in
particular illustrates this point.
We are proposing under a sec
ton of the bill to expand recrea-
tional facilities in rural areas, es-
pecially where they can be made
readily available to the city resi-
dent Instead of proposing to pay
fOc idle acres, we are proposing TO
help the farmer to use his land to
produce recreation-a commodity
which grows increasingly more
scarce as our population expands.
This is different approach to
the problems of agriculture, for
we are taking problem of the
urban dweller and are combining
it with a problem of the farmer to
help find an answer to both.
We propose to select up to 80
small watersheds for multi-pur-
pose recreationar development at
the option of local authorities.
During the next three years
the Department would develop
with the sponsoring local author
ity a full and detailed plan and
action program for such projects
as charging reservoirs, acquiring
adjacent land, planting trees,
building sanitation facilities and
such facilities as boat docks. Loans
also would be made to farmers in
the area to develop income pro-
ducing recreatiOnal projects
Secretary Freeman said that in
addition to the pilot projects for
recreationaI development, the De-
partment is prepared to begin
demonstration programs for put
ting other cropland into grass and
family forest farms.
We also are preparing to adapt
technique which the people in
our large metropolitan cities have
used TO great advantage. Where
the cities have developed the ur-
ban renewal concept as means
of rebuilding metropolitan re-
sources, we are proposing to as
sist in the creation of rural re-
newal authorities to rebuild rural
fesOurCes The techniques would
be very similar, and we believe the
results would be as constructive
as tlbS ndNe Dttn III tIlltS stIl
across the nation
The projects which | have de-
scribed are workable. They apply
common sense to a problem which
will continue TO grow increasing
~ serious if we do not act prompt
ly. For example, we can expect
that by 1880, when our population
has grown from 1S5 million peo-
pie 10 more than 225 million, we
actually will need about 81 mil
lion fewer acres of cropland than
was il use at the beginning of this
decade"
The pilot project to provide new
sources of income to the farmer
and the rural community as we'll
as new outlets for the urban resi-
dents leisure time is one APP
proach 1t is an effort to use our
land wisely. and it answers to-
days needs for both the country
and the city
A dragonfly nymph sheds its
skin more than a dozen times be-