Diverse farms consisting of livestock, produce, and various other crops helped farmers of this region fare the storm better than those who relied solely on a single product farm. (Tweton 24) Various farm programs that arose out of the Farm Credit Association (FCA) and the Agricultural Adjustment Administration (AAA) allowed farmers of Minnesota to take advantage of drought relief and crop and feed loans. .
A particularly interesting experiment included in Roosevelt's far reaching public works program was the introduction of rural colonies in fresh and fertile lands. Offered to residents of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, the Matanuska colony in Alaska provided extremely disadvantaged families the chance to start anew in a period of time when it was almost impossible to regroup. (Lundberg) The daunting task of creating a colony from scratch, in as little time as possible, fell into the hands of Roosevelt's Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA). However, until the FERA was a fully functioning power, The Civil Works Administration (CWA) and the State Emergency Relief Administration (SERA) headlined many of the programs that were to be implemented through federal funding. Yet, the ability of the administration to react so quickly to the dire need of the people allowed them to successfully bring to life a transplant society in previously obscure locations. This rehabilitation program, similarly implemented in Florida, Georgia and Arizona, highlighted many aspects of New Deal legislation through its various programs and offerings. Also encompassed in the wide scope of the FERA was the improvement of roads, sidewalks, public buildings, sewer systems, and waterworks. (Tweton 59) In order to best use the funding provided by the federal government, and to put to work as many able bodies as possible, SERA projects such as wood cutting and road building were the first to be implemented.