If you were looking for a semi-technical thesis on some agronomic topic today, I suspect you’ll be disappointed.  Rather, I thought it might be appropriate to take a little trip back in history on this Memorial Day weekend.  Several years ago I came across a mimeographed copy of a paper entitled “Cooperative Extension Service in Agriculture and Home Economics in Fond du Lac County.”  It highlighted important activities of our office and developments in the county between the years 1922 and 1962.  I’m not sure who authored the document, but the information contained within is priceless.

     As I originally read through the paper, one of the many things that were striking is how much World War II affected the fabric of American life, including what programs were carried out by the extension office.  No war since has had the same impact.  So let’s take a little trip back in time to a different day when war was a way life both here and abroad.

     Our first documented war related entries come from 1942 when the county extension office began regular radio broadcasts on KFIZ and “War Food work was stepped up.”  Further, to provide fiber for the war effort, hemp acreage was increased in the county.  It was also in 1942 when Fond du Lac County was given statewide recognition for their Victory Garden Program and 182 Nutrition Committee members served as voluntary Wartime Township and Neighborhood Leaders.

     One entry from 1943 indicated that the shortage of men was beginning to have an impact on the activities of the County Dairy Herd Improvement Associations and East Central Breeders’ Association.  Farm operators were given assistance in securing help through the Farm Labor Program that was started.  Further, there were now 293 neighborhood leaders actively assisting in encouraging food production.

     The war was in high gear in 1944 when Bernard Connors was appointed War Food Assistant in Fond du Lac County.  Also in that year it was noted that problems were being encountered in securing a sufficient number of leaders to carry on a full 4-H program.  As a wartime measure to “conserve on help”, individual dairy herd improvement associations were abandoned in favor of a county-wide association with a central laboratory.

     During 1944, the extension office coordinated the collection of milkweed plants for the war effort.  The milky sap was being investigated as a possible rubber substitute and the seed silks were used to stuff life preservers.  County War Board meetings were held weekly and the Transportation Committee reduced the travel of milk trucks to conserve on tires and trucks.

     As the war progressed, it was noted that a War Food Assistant, Mrs. Jane Schueffner, was employed to work with homemakers in their all-out effort to produce and conserve food.  Finally, prisoners of war were brought into the county to work at the canning plants and conscientious objectors to the war were secured to work on area farms.  World War II finally came to an end on August 14, 1945. 

And so from war times, life moved on.  In a 1947 entry, it was noted that many 4-H and other activities that were suspended during the war were being resumed.  I’m sure other programming activity got back to normal as well.  It was noted in 1946 that 2,4-D and DDT were introduced to help farmers combat weed and insect problems.  Now, of course, there are many other alternatives that are more effective and environmentally friendly (not to mention legal in the case of DDT).

To those who have served……thanks.