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