Farmers and Social Security

,4 DECADE ago the social security system was extended to include persons with self -employment earnings from agriculture. The first year they were covered (1955)) 2.1 million persons met the minimum income requirements and paid selfemployment taxes. 1 After reaching a peak of nearly 2.4 million tax returns for 1956, the number of farm persons filing self-employment social security tax returns decreased each year through 1961. About 3.4 million people had reported farm self-employment income prior to 1962. By the end of 1962 nearly 1.2 million of these persons (or their survivors) were entitled to benefits based on earnings from all sources reported for social security purposes. Although social security taxes and benefit payments have become increasingly important to self-employed farm people, little is known about the age and income characteristics of these persons or the total taxes paid and benefits received