I am sure blacksmiths, and the buggy and whip makers only "knew" those buisnesses and had been doing it for generations. I don't know if they went crying to the government for money to keep them in business. But if they did they were clearly turned down otherwise we would still have them around.
I dont want to see tobacco farmer 1 put out of business by the heavy hand of the IFG. I also dont want to see them proped up by the IFG.
To be honest, the tobacco farmers have virtually signed their own death warrants by dancing with the devil (the IFG) for as long as they have.
I think that whole program is a legacy of FDR's New Deal.
Seems like I read that the quotas were based on how much tobacco the particular farm produced in 1938.
Not to belabor the whole horse/buggy thing, but some of the carriage makers actually got into building cars or other similar things.
I believe that Studebaker was one of them... of course they are gone now, but they made it work up until the early-mid 60's.
There was a local company here in Wilson called Hackney Body which used to make wagons and eventually converted into making milk & other delivery trucks.
But I digress - and I see your point.