In 1941, the United States government set a regulatory quota on wheat production in order to stabilize the wheat markets and increase the price under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1939. Roscoe Filburn, a small farmer in Dayton, Ohio had a production quota of harvesting only 11.1 acres of land and was warned of his quota multiple times. During his harvest of 1941 Filburn harvested a total of 23 acres, 11.9 acres over his allotted amount.
Claude Wickard, the Secretary of Agriculture at the time was notified and fined Filburn approximately $120.00 for his excess wheat growth. Filburn rejected the fine on the grounds that he was not selling any of his excess wheat, but rather using it at home
