"In the Depression we had to divert corn acreage"

This quote by Orville Redenbacher is referring to the Great Depression of the 1930s. During this time, the United States was in a state of economic crisis, with high joblessness and hardship. In order to handle the lack of food, the government needed to take extreme measures. One of these measures was to divert corn acreage, meaning that farmers were motivated to grow less corn and rather concentrate on other crops that might be utilized to feed the population. This was performed in order to guarantee that there was enough food to go around, and to prevent individuals from going starving. The quote is a reminder of the challenging times that the nation dealt with throughout the Great Depression, and how the federal government had to take extreme procedures in order to make sure the survival of its residents.