Soil Conservation Districts and Iowa People

we were going to have a lake within three-quarters of a mile of our place all sorts of people town and country are working on it I went over the other Sunday to see what I could do Dutton said he thought I'd be too busy to help and I told him I figured I wasn't any busier than he was Keene had a man from the state Conservation Commission there he's going to send up some game cover seed packets and trees for the scouts and 4-h boys to plant and fish for the lake later on you know OB Sloane the editor of the County Journal he's been writing up the progress of Palm Valley week by week Robin said it has been arousing a lot of interest in conservation around the county Dutton got hold of the Future Farmers and asked them to make two models of Palm Valley one to show what it looked like last year and want to show what it will look like in five years under the present plans they're going to use the school shop later that morning doesn't talk to me into going over to Hannes Berg to make a speech to a church group he says is quite active in soil conservation well that's all for now son we'll be looking forward to your stay with us this fall your mother sends her love dad Joel this doesn't sound like dad he never writes only about the cross back home and all the weather is something's happening by golly it worries me oh you have a problem parent too hello Margaret hey bill would you stay over the noon hour I gotta go to our Rotary meeting and mr. Wirth is coming in to look at that desk sure thing he'll bring me some sandwiches maybe but this isn't your regular rotary day is it no killin ease and the Lions are meeting with us today we're figuring out some new awards for the conservation program well that's right though worth got one last year didn't he yes and mr. Jetson is coming in or wants you to come out he's having some trouble that color later is on the counter I can't figure out what it is but the chemo sure I'll see what I can do for mr. Jensen uh want to come along Maggie can't I was having her wedding rehearsal this afternoon I'll see you at 7:30 sharp tonight sure thing uh please be okay so I figured I didn't have time to farm the way I knew I should what got me started on this was my boy bill no not us all proud that it had to happen he said he was ashamed of the farm that's hard to take I went after the farm hammer and tongs I thought to remodel it you know so that he wouldn't have any excuse for not coming back I soon found out that I attack of too much I had to slow down it finally came to me that bill wasn't ashamed of the farm but really the way we were farming it ashamed of our of my abuse of it I knew then that I didn't have to change the farm in a single year but myself I got the farm planner to help me work out a program that would get the job done in three or four years now I don't try to do more than I know I can get done the farm used to be like a stubborn old jackass no it's like a willing horse if you don't ask you to do more than it can you see the land is a good Christian it follows the golden rule only backwards do unto others as they do unto you well that's not much of a speech but it's all I've got to say you have changed dead no question about it yes a lot of things have changed this summer I think I'll go fishing Saturday that's the way plumb Valley looked last spring and that's the way we look in five years if everyone keeps working on his plan isn't that miles this place I thought he had joined the soil conservation program he did it but he quit before he done anything it's quite a thing isn't it and that will be the size of the lake when it's full I'll be 25 well let's get going your father thought he'd have the silo finished by about the middlee afternoon okay I'll be right with you I said we think you ought to run for Commissioner when district elections come up next year at Jeb's term is up and he wants to quit he thinks it's time for some new blood we think the district would bunk for you red if you denounce yourself any way we think you're the best man that come along in a long while well I don't know never had any training in soil conservation what Commissioner has we're all local men just like you read it's not our job to be trained we can bar trained men from the SES and Extension Service our job is to get everyone who has a stake in conserving the land resource unbeliev it or not that's everyone to pull together instead of six different directions and we think you'd be good at that at look Keynes got four years left as a commissioner he's a good executor he likes detailed work but he's not a speechmaker I've got two years left but I think it's time for some new blood to I think six years enough and you shown a lot of leadership in your own neighborhood some people listen to you dutton told us about the hands burg meeting quite a jump from farmers our commissioner we can make you an assistant commissioner ed you'd have a chance to get that background before elections a commissioner job is plenty of work and no play you know that we get our expenses back and that's all you have to water serve your community do you think i'd have a chance in election better than even one all right I'd like to good for you in bill you said mr. Nichols offers you a permanent job when you graduate oh yes well you take it I don't want you to make a mistake because of me I wanted you to come back not because there's the best thing for you but because I wanted it you see the only thing I had pride in was you now I have pride in the farm and in the community but if you ever do want to come back the farm will be here as good as new you