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

MS 313
PrairieFire Rural Action
Records, 1977-1996, undated


Descriptive summary

creator:

PrairieFire Rural Action

title:

Records

dates:

1977-1996, undated

extent:

5.88 linear feet (14 document boxes, 1 map case folder)

collection number:

MS 313

repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research

publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department

preferred citation:

PrairieFire Rural Action Records, MS 313, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Historical note

PrairieFire Rural Action was founded in 1985 and based in Des Moines, Iowa. Organized during the 1980s farm crisis, PrairieFire Rural Action assisted Midwestern farmers and their families, and provided advocacy on behalf of farmers. The organization endeavored to keep families on their farms by keeping rural communities informed about current issues, educating them about their legal and political rights, and serving as an aid to organized action. The group organized educational programs in rural communities to keep communities informed about policy issues affecting agriculture, organized coalitions of rural groups and individuals, and conducted training and educational programs for rural clergy and farm leaders. In addition to helping small groups and individuals, PrairieFire also provided trainings and assistance to leaders and staff of other farm, rural and religious organizations responding to the crisis.

The organization wrote many newspaper articles and letters to communities and to congress detailing the struggle of rural families to survive during the farm crisis of the 1980s. A farm survival hotline was created, as were extensive brochures and handouts explaining how to handle stress through difficult financial times. Another major way the organization brought the farm crisis to attention was by organizing National Farm Crisis Day on October 2, 1982. This was a rally in Nevada, Iowa that hosted exhibits and numerous speakers from groups such as the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition. It was a "day of action and recommitment" where various organizations gathered to develop new programs and proposals and to show their concern about the farm crisis. The Iowa Farm Unity Coalition, organized in 1982, was originally composed of the U.S. Farmers Association, Iowa Farmers Union, Iowa American Agricultural Movement, Iowa National Farmers Organization, and Rural Iowa, Inc. It then expanded to include Catholic Rural Life, Iowa Citizens for Economic Improvement, and the United Auto Workers CAP Council of Iowa.

In 1999, PrairieFire Rural Action was dissolved and merged with the Iowa Farmers Union Education Foundation.

 

Collection description

The collection (1977-1996, undated) contains newsletters, publications, correspondence, presidential forum materials, press clips, and meeting materials. Many of the publications and newsletters are from church and agricultural organizations, including Rural America. Correspondence is often with farm leaders and organizations. Included are materials from the media and from Iowa political and agricultural groups preparing for the 1988 Presidential Forum on Agriculture and Rural Life. This "non-partisan, public education event", held in part with the Democratic National Committee Agriculture Council, allowed presidential candidates to address rural and agricultural issues.

 

Related materials

PrairieFire's newsletter, Prairie Journal: A Journal of PrairieFire Rural Action can be found by searching the library's catalog. For a related collection, see the Rural America Records (MS-419). The Department holds numerous collections relating to agricultural groups, farmers organizations and the 1980s farm crisis. Many of these collections can be found in our subject guides.

 

Organization

The folder listing is organized alphabetically and then chronologically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

7

9

Agriculture position papers

1982

9

2

Agriculture presidential forum - campaign letters and other info

1983

13

4

American Religious Communities and Federal Farm Policy (an overview), March

1987

5

13

At the Crossroads: An Inquiry into Rural Post Offices and the Communities They Serve

1980

12

15

Audiotapes - Bridges – Keynote (transcribed from audiotape), September

1994

12

16

Brochures and conference programs

1983-1986, undated

5

6

Campaign for Human Development

1983

12

20

Catholic Rural Life, November

1985

2

22

Catholic Rural Life, September and November

1984-1985

10

4

Church and Land Control: The Emerging Challenge of the Global Rural Crisis

1987

9

25

Church Farmland Ownership in Iowa

1993

10

8

Church Land project materials

1989-1993

7

10

Clippings

1981-1982

12

2

Coalition press conference, February

1990

2

21

Conference on Community Renewable Energy Systems: Solar for the Cities, September

1980

7

21

Congressional hearings

1982-1983

7

3

Consultation on American agriculture and the church

1983

12

4

Contract farming and Iowa Farm Aid concert program

1985-1989

12

14

Contract Farming and Rural Economic Development

1989

12

3

Corporate training

1988-1989

1

4

Correspondence - agriculture groups

1989, undated

1

5

Correspondence - church

1981-1990

1

6

Correspondence - churches and institutes

1987-1993

1

2

Correspondence - David Ostendorf (director), memo, news releases, Community Economics, Third National Student Farm Action Conference program

1984-1990

1

1

Correspondence - Finances and Foreclosures

1986-1988

1

3

Correspondence - media

1989-1990

2

20

Correspondence - Midwest Regional Office: open house

1981

4

10

Correspondence - religion and rural life

1981

1

18

Correspondence - various offices, including Walt Disney

1985

1

7

Correspondence and articles- David Ostendorf

1986

6

18

Correspondence and papers pertaining to Farm Crisis

1981-1986

2

18

Correspondence and publications

1982

1

19

Correspondence and publications

1984

1

8

Correspondence, April

1985-1986

2

10

Correspondence, April

1982

1

23

Correspondence, April

1983

2

13

Correspondence, August

1982

2

2

Correspondence, August

1983

1

12

Correspondence, August

1985

2

19

Correspondence, December

1982

1

16

Correspondence, December

1985

1

17

Correspondence, February

1985-1986

2

8

Correspondence, February

1982

1

21

Correspondence, February

1983

2

7

Correspondence, January

1982

1

20

Correspondence, January

1983

2

14

Correspondence, July

1982

2

1

Correspondence, July

1983

1

11

Correspondence, July

1985

4

3

Correspondence, July - Churches on the Crisis in the American Countryside

1984

2

12

Correspondence, June

1982

1

25

Correspondence, June

1983

1

10

Correspondence, June

1985

1

22

Correspondence, March

1983-1984

2

9

Correspondence, March

1982

1

9

Correspondence, May

1985-1986

2

11

Correspondence, May

1982

1

24

Correspondence, May

1983

2

17

Correspondence, November

1982

2

5

Correspondence, November

1983

1

15

Correspondence, November

1985

2

15

Correspondence, October

1982

2

4

Correspondence, October

1983

1

14

Correspondence, October

1985

2

16

Correspondence, September

1982

2

3

Correspondence, September

1983

1

13

Correspondence, September

1985

9

12

Correspondence: presidential forum and Iowa Farm Unity Coalition

1983-1984

11

7

Correspondence: Robert Vogel Law Office, P.C.

1985

11

17

Correspondence: to Congress

1993

6

19

Counseling Program information and proposal

1984, undated

10

18

Country materials

1983-1984

11

3

Country script, premiere ticket and photographs - 9 autographed (1- 5x7 b/w, 15- 8x10 b/w)

1983-1984

7

17

Credit/foreclosure data

1980-1982

9

22

Crisis in Iowa Agriculture

1982

7

15

Crisis in Iowa Agriculture - press list, release, data sheet

1982

14

15

David Ostendorf and Dave Raphael: correspondence

1982-1986

14

4

David Ostendorf: statements, abstracts, and articles

1976-1980

10

19

Family Farm Scenario and correspondence

1983-1984

4

2

Family Violence: A Workshop Manual for Rural Communities - Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence

1980

9

26

Farm and Rural Facts (draft)

1992

7

19

Farm credit crisis proposal

1982, undated

7

13

Farm Credit organizing strategy

1982

13

3

Farm credit problems: representing the farmer/debtor

1984

7

7

Farm Crisis

1982

7

22

Farm Crisis - foreclosure hotline

1982

6

17

Farm Crisis articles

1982

6

13

Farm Crisis Day state contacts

1982

4

16

Farm Crisis, organizing 1982 Farm Crisis Day, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and papers

1982-1986

5

1-3

Farm Crisis, organizing 1982 Farm Crisis Day, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and papers,
proposals, factbook, and congressional guide

1982-1986
1979 ca.

6

12

Farm Foreclosure - regional meetings

undated

7

23

Farm Unity - Iowa

1982

7

2

Farm Unity Congress

1983-1984

7

12

Farmers Home Administration

1982

7

18

Farmers Home Administration - regional foreclosure meeting

1982

7

4

Farmers Home Administration congressional deferral

1982-1983

13

9

Farmers Home Administration: farm loan handbook

1982

9

21

Fate of the Land: Rural America's Continuing Crisis

1988

7

5

Federal Farm Credit board statement on lending under stress conditions, February

1983

7

6

Federal Internal Credit Banks

1981-1982

11

4

Federal reports, papers and tables: farming crisis

1984-1991

6

8

Field Office

1981

7

20

Foreclosure (film)

1982-1983

7

16

Georgia Farmers Home administration lawsuit

1982

9

24

Harvesting Our Potential programs

1989-1996

10

2

Heading Toward the Last Roundup: The Big Three's Prime Cut

1990

10

3

Iowa Farm and Rural Life poll: summary of

1990

12

7

Iowa Farm Unity Coalition

1988-1990

7

1

Iowa Farm Unity Coalition and Department of Justice moratorium papers

1984

7

8

Iowa Farm-church statement on land, agriculture, and rural life

1982

12

5

Iowa Petition drive press

1990

9

3

Iowa Public Television correspondence - presidential forum

1984

10

9

Iowa's Economic Crisis: correspondence, newsclippings, memos, statement, federal reserve bulletin

1981-1987

7

25

Land/Agriculture: crisis in Iowa agriculture

1982

7

24

Land/Agriculture: Iowa Land Ownership survey

1982

6

14

Land/Agriculture: National Farm Crisis Day planning

1982

5

4

Lange/Country Proposal (3-5x7 b/w photographs)

1984

9

20

Leadership Training manual - "Building Constructive Responses to the Rural Radical Right"

undated

12

18

Learn To Make a Difference

1990 ca.

10

16

Letter writing campaign

1993

10

12

Making Real the Vision: Building the Links between Rural and Urban America, Political History of U.S. Farm Policy

1985-1986

14

16

Midwest Rural Housing initiative

1982-1983

7

11

Minnesota

1982

5

14

National Alliance for Rural Action

1981

6

1

National Alliance for Rural Action, Political Action Caucus

1973-1981

4

1

National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., A Call for Justice

1984

11

12

National Family Farm Coalition materials

1991

11

11

National Family Farm Coalition materials

1992

5

12

National Farm Crisis Day

1982

12

10

Nebraska Opinion Poll - executive summary, October

1988

10

13

Newsletter - "The Church Woman: Women on the Land"

1985

10

5

Newsletter - "Women of the Land"

1987-1989

11

16

Newsletter: "Anathoth Jeremiah 32:6-15"

1986

10

10

Newsletters: "Women of the Land"

1987-1988

11

9

Newspaper articles pertaining to rural crisis

1981-1996

10

17

North American Free Trade Agreement

1992-1993

10

15

North American Free Trade Agreement conference packet

1993

11

15

North American Free Trade Agreement: meeting info requests, organizing

1993

12

12

North American Urban Rural Mission

1986

14

5

Oil and gas contracts and meetings

1981-1982

11

5

On the Cutting Edge: The Creative Church and the Transformation of Rural America, Toward Wholeness and Community: Strategies for Pastoral and Political Response to the American Rural Crisis

1986-1987

6

11

Organization: National Office Washington memo

1981-1982

6

10

Organization: Regional Office Midwest board meeting

1982

6

7

Organization: state affiliates

1980-1981

14

12

Ostendorf ,Rev. David L.: Testimony of at the Democratic National Committee Agricultural hearings, April 27

1984

5

5

Paper: "America's National Rural Energy Development Project"

1983

6

20

Papers: news clippings and correspondence pertaining to Farm Policy

1984-1986

6

5

Papers: pertaining to the cancer experience of farmers

1980-1981

10

14

People of the Land Gathering materials

1992

9

23

Plenty in the Land

1992

Map
case

C406 D15

Posters: Rural Action agenda, Sixth Annual Farm Unity Congress, Presidential Forum on agriculture and rural life, National Farm Crisis Day

1982-1988

12

19

Prairie report, July

1988

13

5

Prairie Report, May

1987

12

17

Prairie report, September

1988

14

8

PrairieFire, David Ostendorf: correspondence, March

1985-1986

8

11

Presidential forum

1987-1988

9

18

Presidential forum

1984

8

14

Presidential forum

1988

8

1

Presidential forum

1992

9

8

Presidential forum budget

1984

8

6

Presidential forum letter, December

1987

9

1

Presidential forum materials

1984

8

10

Presidential forum materials

1988

8

5

Presidential forum on agriculture and rural life

1987-1988

8

7

Presidential forum on agriculture and rural life

1987-1988

9

14

Presidential forum on agriculture and rural life materials

1983-1984

9

11

Presidential forum pictures (5- 8x10 b/w, 1- 5x7 b/w, 2- 3x4 b/w, 4- 4x5 b/w, 1- 3x5 b/w)

1984

9

17

Presidential forum: candidate information

1983-1984

8

13

Presidential forum: candidate order

1988

8

2

Presidential forum: candidate replies

1992

8

30

Presidential forum: candidate responses/Democrat

1987

9

9

Presidential forum: candidates biography and positions

1984

8

20

Presidential forum: candidates responses - Republican

1987-1988

8

23

Presidential forum: C-SPAN

1987

8

24

Presidential forum: current file - funding/budget

1987

9

5

Presidential forum: Democratic National Committee Agricultural Council

1983

8

22

Presidential forum: Dukakis, Gore forum letter, November

1987

9

6

Presidential forum: fact sheet

1984

9

13

Presidential forum: Farm Bureau

1983-1984

9

4

Presidential forum: format

1983

8

33

Presidential forum: format for presidential forum on agriculture and rural life

1988

8

19

Presidential forum: forum press release, December

1987

8

9

Presidential forum: forum questions

1988

8

12

Presidential forum: forum questions

1988

8

3

Presidential forum: invites

1992

8

8

Presidential forum: moderator's script

1987-1988

9

19

Presidential forum: module II - campaigns

1983

9

16

Presidential forum: module IV- promotion, publicity, press operations

1983

9

7

Presidential forum: newspaper clipping - Iowa caucuses

1984

8

18

Presidential forum: panelists - correspondence

1987

8

34

Presidential forum: post press clips

1984

8

27

Presidential forum: post-forum press clips

1987

8

26

Presidential forum: pre-forum press clips

1987

8

4

Presidential forum: presidential candidates

1992

8

35

Presidential forum: press clips

1983-1984

8

25

Presidential forum: press confirmations

1987

8

29

Presidential forum: press packet - forum

1988

8

32

Presidential forum: press release #1 and media backgrounder, December

1983

8

31

Presidential forum: press release #3, December

1993

8

28

Presidential forum: press releases

1987-1988

9

10

Presidential forum: questions

1984

9

15

Presidential forum: questions

1984

8

17

Presidential forum: questions/issues

1988

8

21

Presidential forum: Republican

1987

8

16

Presidential forum: Republican letters, November and December

1987

8

15

Presidential forum: staff memoranda

1987

7

26

Presidential forums on agriculture and rural life

1984-1992

10

7

Program from Iowa Farm Unity Coalition 10 Year Anniversary, November

1992

10

6

Program from PrairieFire Rural Action 10 Year Anniversary and flier for introductory meeting with the New Iowa Farmers Home Administration state director

1995, undated

12

8

Program: "A Service of Celebration of the Life of Dixon C. Terry"

1989

14

14

Proposal to the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, Rural America Factbook, U.S. Senate emergency credit assistance bill (S. 24), "Rural America Today: Progress and Problems in Achieving Developmental Objectives," Food Monitor (July/August 1988), "The Earth is the Lord's - But Who Controls It?"

1983-1984, undated

2

6

Publications and News Releases

1983

6

6

Quality of Life: civil rights

1981

13

1

Radical Right Rural Leadership Training manual, November

1985

6

15

Regional Meeting, July

1982

11

8

Releases: Iowa Farm Unity Coalition and Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

1989-1990

3

1-3

Religion and Rural America Papers and Newsletters

1979-1984

4

12

Religion and Rural Life

1979-1981

4

5

Religion and Rural Life

1981

4

6

Religion and Rural Life - church statements on rural life

1977-1979

4

9

Religion and Rural Life - current

1980-1982

4

11

Religion and Rural Life - general information

1979-1980

4

13

Religion and Rural Life Council

1981-1982

4

15

Religion and Rural Life Council

1981-1982

4

7

Religion and Rural Life Council - board minutes

1979-1980

4

14

Religion and Rural Life Council - Patrick Ronan

1981-1982

4

4

Religion and Rural Life Council - program development

1979-1981

4

8

Religion and Rural Life Council - theological statement

1980

13

2

Renew the Spirit of My People: A Handbook for Ministry in Times of Rural Crisis

1987

13

6

Report - ""With A Grain of Salt... : What U.S. Farmers are being told about farmers and farm policies of other countries"

1983

10

1

Report - "No Place to Be: Farm and Rural Poverty in America" and "America's Future is in Our Hands" pamphlet

1988

9

27

Report - "Shattered Promises: the Plight of Non-English Speaking Workers in Iowa's Meatpacking Industry"

1992

11

6

Reports on rural crisis (University of Minnesota and Iowa State University)

undated

11

2

Resisting Foreclosure: Saving the Homestead to Farm Again

1986 ca.

11

1

Rural Action agenda

1987

12

9

Rural Agenda in the 1980s: Building a National Progressive Movement

1981

5

7

Rural America - National Rural Energy Program Concept Paper

1980s ca.

5

8

Rural America / Age of Energy Transition

1980

14

6

Rural America: A Time For Decision and Midwest Housing Initiative: A Proposal for Funding

1976-1982

14

9

Rural America: correspondence, April

1983

14

7

Rural America: correspondence, January

1984-1986

14

10

Rural America: correspondence, March

1983

6

4

Rural America: Domestic Policy Association

1981

6

9

Rural America: newsletter

1981

14

1

Rural America: newsletters

1976-1978

14

11

Rural America: office Bi-weekly Reports

1981

7

14

Rural America: organizational plan

1983

2

23

Rural America: paper and newsletters

1979-1982

6

21

Rural America: Political Action Caucus, Farm Credit System

1983

6

3

Rural America: proposals

1981

5

11

Rural America: Rural Corporate Accountability Research Project

1981

6

2

Rural America: Rural Corporate Accountability Research Project

1981

14

2

Rural America: The campaign for lower energy prices

undated

6

16

Rural Coalition Report and correspondence pertaining to Farm Crisis Hotline

1982-1983

13

8

Rural Coalition report: "Anybody interested in the future of the family farm?", July/August/September

1983

12

6

Rural Crisis: caucus resolutions, correspondence, strategy session, State of Iowa proclamation and declaration

1984-1995

10

11

Rural Crisis: newsclippings and articles, correspondence

1986-1993

12

1

Rural Crisis: newspaper articles, correspondence
Yeutter: resignation

1981-1990

11

10

Rural Crisis: resource kit

1983-1986

11

18

Rural Crisis: training, summit, meeting, memo, correspondence

1985-1992

13

10

Rural Electric Cooperative (REC): Rural Electric Administration (REA)

1980

13

11

Rural Electric Cooperative: capital credit repayment

1976-1981

13

12

Rural Electric Cooperative: capital credit reports/research, REA project proposals

1981

13

13

Rural Electric Cooperative: hearing on energy conservation and effect on rural electric cooperative's

1980

13

14

Rural Electric Cooperative: Section 12 energy resources conservation loan program - general

1975-1982

5

10

Rural Electric Project proposal

1981, undated

5

9

Rural Energy Action project - Needmor

1982

11

13

Rural Women's Gathering materials

1993

12

11

Selling Canada's Environment Short: The Environmental Case Against the Trade Deal" and "Farm and Rural Facts

1992, undated

11

14

Trade Event, January

1993

12

13

United Farmer and Rancher Congress - "Strengthening the Spirit of America"

1986

13

7

US Farmers Association bi-monthly journal (AMMO): Information and Analysis to Defend our Farm Communities, June/July

1983

14

13

Working Paper: "Corporate Invasion in Land Ownership: Strategies for Rural Action," Third National Conference in Rural America

1977

14

3

Wyoming conference, July

1980