Rainer Schickele Papers, 1931-1975

Shickele was an agricultural economist who taught at North Dakota State University and later worked for the United Nations in the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Schickele published numerous articles and studies concerning the viability of small farms and how to best utilize a region's resources for agricultural purposes

Farm tenure in Iowa: II. Facts on the farm tenure situation

The young man interested in farming, even though he starts as a hired hand, usually looks forward to the time when he will operate his own farm. He passes through a series of stages, the more important ones of which are tenancy; encumbered ownership; and finally full ownership, mortgage free. Looking back upon the agricultural history of the Middle West, it is clear that this step by step advance of farmers has been well borne out by experience. The process has been general enough and sufficiently orderly to become known as the agricultural ladder

Improving the domestic market for lard

“As go the prices of pork and lard— so goes the price of hogs.” Because this is true, it is important to know the factors that make the price of lard. Iowa naturally is much interested in this problem since its hogs furnish over one-fifth of the domestic supply of lard. The following facts are of outstanding significance to anyone concerned with the market situation of lard: 1. Lard, as it is sold today— with the exception of a few grades and brands—is an unstandardized product. This is one of the reasons why it suffers greatly from the competition of lard substitutes, which are for the most part highly standardized. 2. To improve the competitive position of lard against lard substitutes, lard should be: a. Thoroughly improved and standardized. b. Advertised and promoted so that the consumer understands the advantages of lard of a dependable standard over lard substitutes. In this publication various factors will be explained which contribute to the domestic consumption of lard and how lard prices may be improved by careful attention to its production and promotion

The lard market at home and abroad

The price of onions in Abyssinia may not mean a great deal to the Iowa farmer, but the price of lard in Germany does. This is because about one-third of the American commercial lard produced is exported, and the Iowa farmer depends upon hogs for about two-fifths of his income, and lard represents about one-fifth of the value of the live hog. Naturally, he should be interested in every possible means to profitably dispose of lard. (See fig. 1.) The two basic factors which influence the price, of lard— indirectly influence the prices paid to the farmer for his hogs— are the domestic market and the foreign market for lard

Farm tenure in Iowa: I. Tenancy problems and their relation to agricultural conservation

We wanted to know more about farm tenancy: what it was doing to the farm land of Iowa and to our farm families; and, more important, what might be done to correct the misuse of land and to improve the impoverished community life associated with farm tenancy. We decided, inasmuch as the farmers who were serving on the County Agricultural Conservation Committees were peculiarly well qualified to advise and counsel us in this inquiry, to contact these committees. Mr. R. M. Evans, state chairman, gladly opened the door and on our behalf he invited 28 of the committees to work with us. (The 28 counties had been carefully selected so that an adequate cross section of the state would be obtained.

Socio-Economic phases of soil conservation in the Tarkio Creek area economics of agricultural land use adjustments. II

In wide sections of the Corn Belt, a variety of broad economic and social forces is obstructing adjustment of private entrepreneurs in land use practices in accordance with the character and condition of the main natural resource, the land. Soil is rapidly deteriorating, and buildings are crumbling on so many farms that the communities are beginning to feel the impact of serious land use maladjustments through declining farm incomes, loss of population and disintegration of local organizations and institutions. Soil conservation has ceased to be merely a problem of farm management on a few scattered individual farms; it has reached a magnitude arousing deep public concern. People are realizing more and more that there are certain institutional arrangements, such as farm tenure and the credit system, and certain other socioeconomic forces, such as traditional farming systems and exploitive attitudes toward land, which are inherently inimical to the objectives of long-time land-use adjustment and soil conservation policies

Farm tenure in Iowa: V. Some legal aspects of landlord-tenant relationships

The present Iowa laws pertaining to landlord-tenant relationships do not distinguish between urban and agricultural conditions, with only two exceptions: The agricultural landlord’s lien and the termination of indefinite agricultural leases. This lien applies to the total crop and to all personal property of the tenant, except to the property exempted from execution. In addition, leases usually contain a provision in which the tenant waives his exemption rights. In periods of excessive price decline or crop failure, and if production credit is sought by the tenant, the landlord’s lien may work serious hardship. As a possible corrective, placing of certain limitations on the landlord’s lien, and declaring invalid any waivers of exemption rights might be considered. An Iowa statute provides that any lease with a fixed date of termination shall expire without notice and that only 1 month’s notice is necessary to terminate an indefinite tenancy. The old common law rule provided for a 6 months’ period of notice for termination of leases without a definite expiration date. It was changed by legislation in order to accommodate urban tenants and landlords. A statute requiring a 6 months’ notice for the termination of any farm lease would be better adapted to agricultural needs

Economic phases of erosion control in southern Iowa and northern Missouri

The Soil Erosion Service of the United States Department of Agriculture has 32 Erosion Control Projects under way in 31 states. More projects will be initiated in the near future. One of these demonstrational and experimental projects embraces about 152,000 acres of the Big Creek watershed area in Ringgold and Decatur counties, Iowa, and Harrison County, Missouri. The headquarters for this project of the Soil Erosion Service are at Bethany, Mo. The government invites the farmers of this area to enter a cooperative agreement, under which the Soil Erosion Service agrees to assist the farmer in controlling erosion, and the farmer agrees to follow an erosion control program for 5 years. This program is worked out individually, for each cooperating farmer, by the farmer himself and the soil erosion experts. The government furnishes special equipment for terracing and gully control, as well as a portion of the seed, fertilizer and limestone necessary for an erosion control program