Special Collections Department
403 Parks Library
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011-2140

RS 9/8/3
Iowa State University

Department of Agricultural Education and Studies
Agriculture 450 Farm Records, 1943-2012, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

Iowa State University. Department of Agricultural Education and Studies

title:

Agriculture 450 Farm Records

dates:

1943-2012, undated

extent:

9.18 linear feet (18 document boxes, 1 half-document box, and 1 oversize box)

collection number:

RS 9/8/3

repository:

University Archives, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

Agriculture 450 Farm Records, RS 9/8/3, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Historical note

The Agriculture 450 Farm began in 1938, when Dr. William Murray, Professor of Economics, developed the concept of the course and farm. Murray thought that students needed the experience of managing an actual farm to better prepare them for farming or other related occupations. In the winter of 1943, the first Ag450 class was offered with Dr. Murray as the instructor.

In 1942, Iowa State College (University) purchased a 187 acre farm just south of Ames for $150 per acre. The college hired a farm herdsman and planted the first crop in the spring of 1943. The first livestock program included several bred gilts, a team of mules, and chickens. In 1950 the first tractor was purchased, and by 1976, the farm was equipped with a full line of machinery. During the 1960s, the swine enterprise expanded and the college added beef cattle to the farm. In 1984 the college purchased 48 acres and in 1992 the college acquired an additional 32 acres. Today, the farm is representative of a commercial farming enterprise with corn, soybeans, and a farrow-to-finish swine operation.

Slightly more than 1400 acres are currently farmed. Students manage approximately 365 acres of corn, 235 acres of soybeans, and custom farm much of the rest (mostly corn and soybeans). The land base consists of land owned by the farm, cash rented, and custom farmed. Students are exposed to a variety of land leasing alternatives.

Classroom lectures and discussion emphasize the application of production skills learned in other courses including: risk management, financial management and cash flow, alternative leasing agreements, and decision-making in solving strategic issues related to the farm. Approximately 100 students are enrolled each year. The farm and course continue to develop each year serving as a unique laboratory farm for students.

 

Collection description

This collection (1943-2012, undated) contains financial records, newspaper clippings, photographs, reports, and student papers. Folders can contain a variety of materials including financial records regarding the farm operation, secretary reports, and student papers. Reports from the following committees may also be included: Crops Committee, Swine Committee, Beef and Sheep Committee, Livestock Committee, and Building and Grounds Committee. Newspaper clippings, photographs, and negatives (123883-123888 and 123921-123937) regarding the farm can also be found in the collection. 

 

Organization

Historical information and newspaper clippings are listed first, followed by the remaining collection listed chronologically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

History

1943-1973, undated

1

2

Newspaper Clippings

1945-1992, undated

7

3

Farm Account Book

1943

15

1

News Clippings removed from Ag450 Scrapbook

1943, undated

15

2

Photographs removed from Ag450 Scrapbook (47 b/w photographs)

1943-1950s circa

5

5

Minutes Book

1943-1944

2

2

Crops Committee Reports

1943-1946

6

12

Maps

1943-1975, undated

17

2-4

Photographs: Scrapbook (24 b/w and 94 color)

1943-1998

7

4

Farm Accounts Book

1944

7

5

Farm Accounts Book

1945

7

6

Farm Accounts Book

1946

6

14

Ten Year Improvement Plan

1946

2

3

Crops Committee Reports

1946-1950

7

7

Farm Accounts Book

1947

7

8

Farm Accounts Book

1948

5

6

Minutes

1948

6

15

Soil Test Reports

1948-1962

7

9

Farm Accounts Book

1949

5

7

Minutes

1949

13

14

Government Feed Grain Program

1949-1977, undated

7

10

Farm Accounts Book

1950

5

8

Minutes

1950

2

4

Crops Committee Reports

1950-1953

7

11

Farm Accounts Book

1951

7

12

Farm Accounts Book

1952

6

16

Monthly Livestock Reports

1952-1958

8

1

Farm Accounts Book

1953

2

5

Crops Committee Reports

1953-1955

8

2

Farm Accounts Book

1954

6

1

Field Days

1954-1958

8

3

Farm Accounts Book

1955

8

4

Farm Accounts Book

1956

13

6

Farm Operator: Brink, Boyd

1956-1974

8

5

Farm Accounts Book

1957

10

5-6

Farm Financial Records (1-2 of 4)

1957

11

1-2

Farm Financial Records (3-4 of 4)

1957

6

6

Field Days: Farm Operator’s Notebook

1957-1967

8

6

Farm Accounts Book

1958

11

3

Farm Financial Records

1958-1970

8

7

Farm Accounts Book

1959

6

2

Field Day

1959

7

1

Monthly Livestock Reports

1959-1965

6

7

Clinic

1960

8

8

Farm Accounts Book

1960

8

9

Farm Accounts Book

1961

8

10

Farm Accounts Book

1962

6

3

Field Day

1962

3

1

Secretary’s Report

1962

8

11

Farm Accounts Book

1963

3

2

Secretary’s Report

1963

6

4

Field Days

1963-1966

13

19

Net Income Statements

1963-1972, undated

8

12

Farm Accounts Book

1964

3

3

Secretary’s Report

1964

8

13

Farm Accounts Book

1965

3

4

Secretary’s Report

1965

8

14

Farm Accounts Book

1966

3

5

Secretary’s Report

1966

13

10

Drying Bin and Elevator Log

1966-1971, undated

13

15

Grain Handling System

1966-1971, undated

7

2

Monthly Livestock Reports

1966-1977,

6

5

Field Day

1967

3

6

Secretary’s Report

1967

2

11

Buildings and Grounds Committee Reports

1967-1977

8

15

Farm Accounts Book

1968

9

1

Farm Accounts Book

1968

3

7

Secretary’s Report

1968

13

20

Net Worth Statements

1968-1974

9

2

Farm Accounts Book

1969

3

8

Secretary’s Report

1969

13

5

By-Laws for Ag 450

1969-1974

9

3

Farm Accounts Book

1970

14

2

Purchase of 10 Ton Livestock Scale: invoices, correspondence, diagrams

1970

3

9

Secretary’s Report (1 of 2)

1970

4

1

Secretary’s Report (2 of 2)

1970

1

4

Special Reports: student papers

1970

14

10

Treasurer’s Report

1970

16

 

Report: History of Student Farm Management with the Ag450 Farm (includes 4 b/w and 1 color photographs)

1970 circa

2

8

Labor Committee Reports

1970-1977

13

18

Livestock Papers: purebred sales

1970-1977

9

4

Farm Accounts Book

1971

11

4

Farm Financial Records

1971

6

11

Land Utilization Summary Notebook

1971

4

2

Secretary’s Report

1971

1

5

Special Reports: student papers

1971

17

5

Photographs: Classes (12 b/w)

1971-1973

11

6

Contracts and Leases

1971-1973

13

7

Cashflow Statements

1971-1974

6

9

Class Photographs (14 b/w and 19 color; 7 b/w negatives 0100873-0100879)

1971-1974

13

13

Farm Facts

1971-1974

6

13

Syllabus, Farm Contract, Farm Inventory, Farm Maps

1971-1975

2

10

Reports

1971-1976, undated

13

9

Crop Plan

1972

9

7-8

Farm Financial Records

1972

11

5

Farm Financial Records

1972

9

6

Inventory

1972

6

10

Progress Tour Report: notebook and progress tour handouts

1972

4

3

Secretary’s Report

1972

1

6

Special Reports: student papers

1972

13

11

Expanded Plans

1972-1973

11

7

Purchase Orders

1972-1973

1

13

Coordinator’s Reports

1972-1977

13

12

Enterprise Analysis

1973

9

9

Farm Financial Records (1 of 2)

1973

11

8-9

Farm Financial Records (1-2 of 5)

1973

10

1

Farm Financial Records (2 of 2)

1973

12

1-3

Farm Financial Records (3-5 of 5)

1973

4

4-5

Secretary’s Report

1973

1

7

Special Reports: student papers

1973

13

8

Concrete Stave Silo

1973, undated

12

4-6

Farm Financial Records (1-3 of 5)

1973-1974

13

1

Farm Financial Records (4-5 of 5)

1973-1974

13

16

Hog House

1973-1974

2

9

Swine Committee Reports

1973-1976

1

9

Bulletin Board Reports

1973-1977

5

9

Business Manager’s Reports

1973-1977

1

11

Farm Treasurer’s Reports

1973-1977

1

12

Social Chairmen’s Reports

1973-1977

2

1

By-Laws Committee

1974

2

1

By-Laws Committee

1974

10

2-3

Farm Financial Records

1974

14

1

Invoices: construction of Cargill nursery

1974

6

8

Progress Tour

1974

5

1

Secretary’s Report

1974

1

8

Special Reports: student papers

1974

2

6

Crops Committee Reports

1974-1975

13

17

Farm Operator: Legvold, Stephen

1974-1976, undated

2

7

Machinery Committee Reports

1974-1977

10

4

Farm Financial Records

1975

13

3

Farm Financial Records

1975

5

2

Secretary’s Report

1975

1

10

Farm Manager’s Reports

1976

5

3

Secretary’s Report

1976

9

5

Farm Accounts Book

1977

5

4

Secretary’s Report

1977

14

3-4

Farm Financial Records

1977-1981

14

8

Building and Grounds Committee

1978-1981, undated

14

7

Swine Committee Report

1978-1981, undated

14

5

Beef and Sheep Committee Report

1978-1982, undated

14

6

Crops Committee Report

1978-1982, undated

14

9

Livestock Committee Report

1979-1980

17

6

Photographs: Classes (1 b/w and 21 color)

1981-1988

17

7

Class and Operation Images (15 color slides)

1982

15

3

Historian's Report, Fall 1984 (photocopy)

1984

15

4

Historian's Report, Fall 1984 (57 color photographs, loose)

1984

17

8

Historian's Report, Fall 1986 (112 color photographs, loose)

1986

18

1

Fall Scrapbook (photocopy)

1987

18

2-3

Fall Scrapbook (89 color photographs, loose)

1987

17

9

Historian's Book, Spring 1987 (photocopy)

1987

17

10

Historian's Book, Spring 1987 (29 color photographs, loose)

1987

17

1

List of Manager and Committees

1987

18

4

Scrapbook, Spring 1989 (photocopy)

1989

18

5

Scrapbook, Spring 1989 (40 color photographs, loose)

1989

13

4

Newspaper Clippings

1993-2012

18

6

Photographs: Classroom Work (1 color)

1997

18

7

Photographs: Facilities and Farm Property (3 color)

1997

18

8

Photographs: Committees (6 color)

1998

18

9

Photographs: Social Activities (3 color)

2001

18

10

Photographs: Committees (18 color)

2002

18

11

Photographs: Public Event (7 color)

2002

18

12

Photographs: Classroom Work (12 color)

2002-2003

18

13

Photographs: Facilities and Farm Property (45 color)

2002-2003

18

14

Photographs: Landscape Maintenance (4 color)

2002-2003

18

15

Photographs: Livestock and Pets (16 color)

2002-2003

19

1

Photographs: Machinery and Equipment ( 34 color)

2002-2003

19

2

Photographs: Field Work (3 color)

2003

19

3

Photographs: Public Event (16 color)

2003, undated

19

4

Photographs: Field Work (9 color)

2006

19

5

Photographs: Landscape Maintenance (14 color)

2006

19

6

Photographs: Machinery and Equipment (15 color)

2006

19

7

Photographs: Committees (24 color)

2006-2007

19

8

Photographs: Class Photographs (4 color)

2006-2008

19

9

Photographs: Facilities and Farm Property (33 color)

2006-2010

19

10

Photographs: Classroom (11 color)

2007-2008

19

11

Photographs: Livestock and Pets (3 color)

2007, undated

19

12

Photographs: Field Work (3 color)

2008

19

13

Photographs: Machinery and Equipment (6 color)

2008

19

14

Photographs: Social Activities (2 color)

2008

19

15

Photographs (removed): Scrapbook (63 color)

2009

20

1

Photographs: Class Photographs (1 color)

2010

20

2

Photographs: Field Work (6 color)

2010

20

3

Photographs: Machinery and Equipment (5 color)

2010

20

4

Scrapbook, Spring 2010 (photocopy)

2010

20

5-6

Scrapbook, Spring 2010 (78 color photographs, loose)

2010

20

7

Photographs: Committees (39 color)

2010-2012

20

8

Photographs: Class Photographs (11 color)

2010 circa

20

9

Photographs: Landscape Maintenance (7 color)

2010 circa

1

3

Special Reports: student papers

undated

20

10

Photographs: Class Photographs (2 b/w and 2 color)

undated

20

11

Photographs: Classroom (14 color)

undated

20

12

Photographs: Committees (9 color)

undated

20

13

Photographs: Facilities and Farm Properties (38 color)

undated

20

14

Photographs: Field Work (4 color)

undated

20

15

Photographs: Machinery and Equipment (18 color)

undated