That's one of the most misunderstood gov't programs ever. Farmers had no choice but to set aside ground but they had to maintain and grow a non productive plant on it, like some kind of grass. They had to keep it mowed and everything at their own expense. But they didn't make nearly as much on it from the gov't (especially after buying grass seed and spending $$ on fuel for mowing) as they would have with a proper crop so most farmers didn't like the set-aside program.[/quote]
Yes, I had a dear friend here who had farmed all his life, and was a 4th generation farmer and cattle rancher. I used to help him plow , and he was not real thrilled with some of the programs, either. He felt that God didn't make the land fertile to use it for useless programs, and that too many people and animals on this earth needed food, and that food wouldn't grow just everywhere.