Interview with Norman M. Watts, August 16, 1993

Partial Transcript: Testing. Okay, here we go. This works.

Segment Synopsis: Norman Watts discusses his family and some of his childhood memories on the family farm.

Keywords: Barbara Watts; Booker T. Watts; Booker T. Watts, Jr.; Breckinridge County (Ky.); Central High School; Charlie Miller; Dairy cows; Death; Education; Farm equipment; Farmland; Fathers; Hardin County (Ky.); High school; Hogs; Jefferson County (Ky.); Louisville (Ky.); Meade County (Ky.); Military service; Mothers; Mules; Navy; Parents; Sharecroppers; Sharecropping; Siblings; Tractors

Subjects: African American families; African American farmers; African American parents; African American veterans; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Education; African Americans--Mortality

Partial Transcript: Um, when your father first bought the farm and when you first started coming down, how many acres?

Segment Synopsis: Watts discusses life on his father's farm and how large the farmland was. He also describes the changes that happened on the farm once he started helping his father after he returned from military service.

Keywords: Acres; Baling hay; Beets; Blackberries; Butter; Corn; Cottage cheese; Dairy farming; Farm equipment; Farming; Farmland; Fathers; Fescue; Food; Green beans; Hay; Hay balers; Military service; Milk; Mules; Navy; Orchard grass; Pigs; Plowing; Potatoes; Sharecroppers; Squash; Tobacco; Victory gardens

Subjects: African American farmers; African American gardens; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Employment; Agricultural machinery; Dairy farming; Farm equipment; Farm produce; Livestock

Partial Transcript: When did you start thinking about doing beef cattle?

Segment Synopsis: Watts discusses his time as a cattle breeder after leaving the Navy.

Keywords: Breeding; Breeding cattle; Bulls; Buying cattle; Calves; Cattle; Charolais cattle; Cows; Disability; Heifers; Herds; Horns; Losing cattle; Navy; Profits; Red Angus cattle; Stockyards

Subjects: African American farmers; African American veterans; African Americans with disabilities; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Health and hygiene; Cattle breeders; Livestock--Breeding; Livestock--Growth

Partial Transcript: What year did you get the Red Angus?

Segment Synopsis: Watts discusses how he managed the farm. He particularly describes how he bred cattle, got fields ready to feed the livestock, and how he began to buy more farm equipment.

Keywords: Agricultural Extension; Charolais cattle; Clover; Cutting hay; Extension agents; Farm equipment; Fescue; Fields; Grazing; Hay; Hay balers; Jefferson County (Ky.); Lyme; Machinery; Orchard grass; Santa Gertrudis cattle; Simmental cattle; Soil fertility; Tractors

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; Agricultural machinery; Cattle breeders; Farm equipment; Livestock; Livestock--Breeding; Soil fertility

Partial Transcript: Could you talk a little bit about, um, the machinery and how you started out? You mentioned when you bought your first tractor.

Segment Synopsis: Watts discusses how he began to buy more agricultural machinery for the farm. He later talks about his educational experience.

Keywords: Agricultural machinery; Baling hay; Central High School; City schools; College; Education; Farm equipment; Hay balers; Louisville (Ky.); Round balers; Schools; Segregated schools; Segregation; Tractors

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agricultural; African Americans--Education; Agricultural machinery; Rural African Americans; Segregation--Kentucky

Partial Transcript: You were talkin' earlier, before we started tapin' about machinery and how machinery has changed. the tractors and stuff.

Segment Synopsis: Watts discusses the difficulties faced by family farmers.

Keywords: Agricultural machinery; Barns; Cattle; Combine harvesters; Cows; Dairy farming; Debt; Expenses; Family farms; Farm equipment; Feed; Fertilizer; Finances; Food; Grain farmers; Grain farming; Groundwater; Insecticide; Milking cows; Pesticides; Pollution; Prices; Quality

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; Agricultural machinery; Dairy farming; Farm equipment; Grain--Fertilizers; Livestock

Partial Transcript: Did they push that sorta stuff?

Segment Synopsis: Watts discusses environmental issues and farming, and specifically talks about groundwater quality and pesticides. He also describes how he began financing the farm.

Keywords: Acres; Banking; Banks; Big farmers; Cattle; Corn; Cows; Credit; Credit record; Credit scores; Environmental issues; Farming; Fertilizers; Finances; Government; Government programs; Grain farmers; Groundwater; Hay balers; Jobs; Little farmers; Pesticides; Pollution; Quality; Saving money; Soybeans; State regulations

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions; African Americans--Employment; Environmental issues; Pollution

Partial Transcript: Is that the same for people who do like farmer's markets?

Segment Synopsis: Watts describes how he can make a profit with his products. He also discusses government regulations and how they have affected the farming community.

Keywords: Acres; Beef cattle; Beef farmers; Cantaloupes; Corn; Dwight Eisenhower; Farmers; Farmers market; Farming; Fertilizers; Government; Grain; Grain farmers; Grain program; Imported goods; Importing; Peppers; Poundage; Prices; Profits; Raising crops; Regulations; Richard Nixon; Sales; Soybeans

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions; Beef industry; Cattle breeders

Partial Transcript: What do you think they could do to help?

Segment Synopsis: Watts describes more of the problems that affect farmers.

Keywords: Big business; Expenses; Factory farming; Family farmers; Family farms; Farming programs; Gasoline; Gasoline prices; Government; Labor; Part-time farming; Poor farmers; Poverty; Prices; Profits; Socialism; Socialist; Water

Subjects: African American farmers; African Americans--Agriculture; African Americans--Economic conditions