Wickard v. Filburn

Here is an example of federal abuse of power. In 1942, a farmer was fined for not following the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 guidelines. The farmer was growing “wheat crop which was available for marketing in excess of the marketing quota established for his farm.”  Here is more on the case from the docket:

“The appellee for many years past has owned and operated a small farm in Montgomery County, Ohio, maintaining a herd of dairy cattle, selling milk, raising poultry, and selling poultry and eggs. It has been his practice to raise a small acreage of winter wheat, sown in the Fall and harvested in the following July; to sell a portion of the crop; to feed part to poultry and livestock on the farm, some of which is sold; to use some in making flour for home consumption, and to keep the rest for the following seeding.”

So, basically the farmer was just minding his business not hurting anyone and he got in trouble with the gov’t.  He wasn’t even really selling all that much wheat. Just a little bit and using the rest for his farm and family.