He protected American family farmers when no one else would...until Bush I came along and took his knees out.
In no way did he protect farming. He supported Earl "Rusty" Butz policies of scrapping the Federal Granary and the Granary Reserve. Do you want to know just HOW BAD Butz and Mr. Helms were. Here is the result; "Butz revolutionized federal agricultural policy and reengineered many New Deal era farm support programs. His mantra to farmers was "get big or get out," and he urged farmers to plant commodity crops like corn "from fencerow to fencerow." These policy shifts coincided with the rise of major agribusiness corporations, and the declining financial stability of the small family farm."
So he and Helms basically transformed American Farming overnight and gave a giant finger to local and family farmers. This also lowered the standards for quality as quantity was now championed. This also inspired subsidies which has totally ruined mutli-crop planting and profit margins for any farmer. It is a total disaster. Thankfully, we are returning to local farms via farmers markets and family owned crops.
Helms and Butz have contributed to one of the LARGEST failures in American History.