War Food Order 135: "Veterans’ Preference for New Farm Machinery and Equipment"

Excerpts from the report: Imposition of farm machinery production controls from 1942 to the latter part of 1945 limited equipment purchases during this period. Those veterans desirous of returning to farming faced a long delay in securing adequate equipment and unless some remedial actions were taken would have been forced to indefinitely postpone establishing themselves on farms. The Department of Agriculture with its county organizations extending back to the individual farm was selected as the agency best fitted to cope with this problem. Accordingly, War Food Order 135, "Veteran’s Preference for New Farm Machinery and Equipment," was initiated by the Materials and Equipment Branch, Production and Marketing Administration, of the Department of Agriculture, on June 25, 1945. This order provided that county ACA committees could issue veterans' preference certificates for new farm machinery to World War II veterans who wished to establish or reestablish themselves in farming. When presented to farm machinery dealers, satisfaction of the certificates was required regardless of prior contracts and commitments; thus providing holders of certificates with priority over other purchasers. During the life of the order 620,860 veterans' preference certificates were issued. Items most in demand were tractors with 175,258 certificates, plows 96,392, cultivators 76,909, and harrows 67,638.