NYSA_A3112-77_B3_F053_Wegnes

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. This is a Farm Cadet essay written by Albert Wegnes of Rochester, NY that talks about how he initially thought that “any man with a little experience and who was not afraid of work” could run a farm until he began his four month long tenure as a cadet and realized how wrong he was.

New York State Archives, NYSA_A3112-77_B3_F088_Avery

Farm Cadet essay by Charlotte Avery of Syracuse, New York, World War I, 1918.

NYSA_A3112-77_B3_F088_Jamieson

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. In this essay entitled, “How I Spent My Summer,” Donald Jamieson tells of his time working as a Farm Cadet.

NYSA_A3112-77_B2_F020_Gould

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote essays about their experience. In her essay, Dorothy talks about working on her father's farm.

NYSA_A3112-77_B3_F088_Blum

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. In this essay entitled, “Farm Cadet Work,” Elsie Blum talks about her experience working with her father and about her initial hesitance to leave school for farm work.

NYSA_A0226-78_B3_F3_FarmLabor

A form for farmers in the Canandaigua area to fill out for labor assistance.

NYSA_A3112-77_B2_F082_Paretta

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. In this essay, Francis Paretta talks about his experience tending to tomato plants, picking fruit, hoeing and weeding.

NYSA_A3112-77_B2_F020_Baker

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote essays about their experience. In his essay, George Baker discusses his service work and talks about planting and fertilizing.

New York State Archives, NYSA_13035-79_B2_1918_37

Governor Charles S. Whitman's Proclamation calling for boys to join the New York State Boys Working Reserve (Farm Cadet Program) to assist the war effort by working on farms to keep production levels high while adult men are away fighting in World War I, March 14, 1918.

NYSA_A0226-78_B3_F2_PublicDuty

A newspaper cartoon issued by the New York State Food Commission, showing workers doing their "public duty".

NYSA_A3112-77_B4_F029_Wagar

n 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. In this essay entitled, "Report on Cadet Service," Lulu Wagar talks about her experience as a “farmerette” and how successful and capable girls are at doing farm work.

NYSA_A0226-78_B2_F5_BoysReserve

A pamphlet about the Boys' Reserve work program, used as a way of recruiting males between the ages of 16-21 to work on farms and issued by the NYS Food Commission.

NYSA_A3167-78A_B5_WWICommittee_PatriotismThroughEducation

A food supply poster, released by the New York State Food Supply Commission for Patriotic Agricultural Service, that has a brief section on the Farm Cadets.

New York State Archives, NYSA_A0226-78_B2_F3_FoodCard

A Patriotic Emergency Farm Labor Enrollment Card was to be completed by students interested in enrolling in the Farm Cadet Program. The cards were issued by the New York State Food Commission during World War I, February 7, 1918.

NYSA_A3112-77_B2_F020_Kelly

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote essays about their experience. In this essay, Peter Kelly writes about his average work day during his time as a Farm Cadet.

NYSA_A3112-77_B1_F098_Cortland

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. In this essay entitled “Cadet Service,” Ruth Shaw talks about working with her father on his eighty-five acre farm.

NYSA_A0226-78_B3_B3_Canandaigua_FarmLabor

A poster created by the Canandaigua Patriotic Emergency Farm Labor Committee calling for men to volunteer their labor for farmers in need of assistance.

New York State Archives, NYSA_A0412-78_B33_F10a

Document describing measures enacted by the New York State Education Department during World War I concerning the Farm Cadet program, agriculture, and military training, c. 1917.

NYSA_A3112-77_B3_F088_Sogg

In 1917, the New York State Education Department began a program that allowed students between the ages of 16 and 18 in good academic standing to sign up and become Farm Cadets. Many teens jumped at the chance to become a Farm Cadet, and to leave their homes in the cities and towns and to assist with the war effort by replacing the laborers who had enlisted in the military and gone to fight overseas. From April-September, students worked on farms throughout the state and, in order to receive academic credit for their contribution, wrote an account of their time spent as a Farm Cadet. In this essay, William Sogg talks about the time he spent as a cadet, working on a farm in Marcellus, New York.