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

MS 479
American Farm Bureau Federation
Records, 1913-2000, undated


Descriptive summary

creator: American Farm Bureau Federation
title: Records
dates: 1913-2000, undated
extent: 13.65 linear feet (32 document boxes and 1 half-document box)
collection number: MS 479
repository: Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access: Open for research
publication rights: Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation: American Farm Bureau Federation Records, MS 479, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Abstract

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) was formed in 1919 with the goals of giving assistance to farmers through their own national organization and giving farmers a united, national voice. The AFBF operates on county, state, national, and international levels. The AFBF continues to educate and represent American farmers at the national level, working on trade agreements and legislation such as the farm bills and other farm policies, the Clean Water Act, taxes, rural school funding, and other regulatory reform. This collection contains news clippings about the Federation and their activities, newsletters, annual convention brochures, reports, meeting minutes, resolutions passed, constitution and by-laws, president's monthly news columns, and reports on various farm-related issues. A large part of the collection consists of speeches given by Federation presidents and administrators, mostly Dean Kleckner. Topics include agricultural legislation family farms, farm programs, food related issues, commodities and various farm products, taxes, trade, labor issues, gasohol, and civil rights.

 

Historical note

The American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) was formed in 1919 with the goals of giving assistance to small-town farmers through their own national organization and giving farmers a united, national voice. The organization was formally ratified in March 1920. Based in Washington, D. C., the AFBF operates on county, state, national, and international levels to promote agricultural enrichment and advancement in rural communities. Coming from a long history of farming organizations in the United States, the AFBF was created out of the extension movement happening at land-grant colleges across the country and was essential in organizing rural efforts from communities across the country. The AFBF was also responsible for starting up many post-war (WWII) programs to increase employment and boost America's agricultural production.

James R. Howard served as the American Farm Bureau Federation's first president and he ensured that the AFBF made a strong entrance onto the national scene. He devised three solutions for the nation's farm problems: longer term credit, tariffs to protect American crops against competing imported farm crops and the general cooperative marketing plan outlined by Farm Bureau.

The AFBF continues to educate and represent American farmers at the national level, working on trade agreements and legislation such as the farm bills and other farm policies, the Clean Water Act, taxes, rural school funding, and other regulatory reform. The organization is involved in legal advocacy and has a program that fosters communication and coordination of members to advocate legal change (AFBF Legal Advocacy Program). They also developed a network of members called the Farm Bureau's Agricultural Contact Team (FBACT) that reaches out to Congress on important issues. In addition to this, the AFBF runs several educational programs targeting different demographics and social groups. They have a program for women, a program for children and teens, an internship program, a program which targets hunger and food shortages, and a county education program which highlights measures communities have taken in agricultural education.

 

Collection description

This collection (1913-2000, undated) contains correspondence, newsletters, news clippings about the AFBF and their activities, brochures, reports, meeting minutes, resolutions passed, constitution and by-laws, president's monthly news columns, notes, as well as reports on various farm-related issues. The AFBF's newsletter, Minute Men, is included.

A large part of the collection consists of speeches given by Federation presidents and administrators, mostly Dean Kleckner. Kleckner was the organization's president from 1986-2000 and served as President (1975-1985) of the Iowa Farm Bureau.

 

Related materials

James Raley Howard Papers, MS 157

Iowa Farm Bureau Federation Records, MS 105

American Agricultural Marketing Association Broiler Program Records, MS 601

The Farm Bureau Movement by O.M. Kile with introduction by J.R. Howard (call number HD 1484 K55f c.5)

 

Organization

This collection is organized alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Acreage control programs

1977

1

2

Acreage poundage

1950-1955

1

3

Address: 32nd annual convention

1950

1

4

Address: 33rd annual convention

1951

1

5

Agricultural Act of 1948

1948

1

6

Agricultural Act of 1949

1949

1

7

Agricultural Act of 1954

1954

1

8

Agricultural Act of 1956

1956

1

9

Agricultural Act of 1958

1958

1

10

Agricultural Act of 1961

1961

1

11

Agricultural Act of 1970

1970

1

12

Agricultural Adjustment Administration

1942, undated

2

1

Agricultural and Consumer Protection Act of 1973

1973

2

2

Agricultural and Fair Practices Act of 1967

1967

2

3

Agricultural and Food Act of 1981

1981

2

4

Agricultural exchanges

1972

2

5

Agricultural products

1962

2

6

Agricultural promotion

1971

2

7

Air pollution

1958

2

8

Alaska report

1975

2

9

Allotment

1965

2

10

American Farm Bureau Federation in the News

1993

2

11

American Farm Bureau Federation European Trade Mission

1977

2

12

American Farm Bureau Federation European Trade Mission

1986

2

13

American Farm Bureau Federation European Trade Mission

1987

2

14

Annual Convention resolutions

1922, undated

2

15

Annual meeting notes and address

1922-1925

2

16

Annual reports

1932-1941

3

1-2

Apportionment

1964-1965

3

3

Appropriations

1967-1978

3

4

Arkansas Agricultural Association

1952

3

5

Atomic energy

1955-1961

3

6

Beef Research and Information Act

1975-1978

3

7

Brannan Plan

1949-1958

3

8

Bricker Amendment

1953

3

9

Brochures and annual addresses

1924-1944

3

10

Brochures, bulletins, reports, and Extension Service News

1913-1930

3

11

Brochures, correspondence, and statements

1971-1978

3

12

Brochures and news clipping

1923-1933

3

13

Brochures, newsletters, and historical information

1917-1921

4

1-2

Brochures, news clippings, and reports

1923-1946

4

3

Brochures and reports

1920-1937

4

4

Brochures and reports

1914-1937

4

5

Capper-Volstead Act

1977-1978

4

6

Cargo preference

1983-1985

4

7

Cattle cycle

1978-1980

4

8

Chain store proposal

1965

4

9

Check-off programs

1985

4

10

Citizens conference on state legislatures

1965-1968

5

1

Citizenship

1954-1959

5

2

Civil rights

1963

5

3

Coal slurry pipeline

1977

5

4

Collective bargaining

1952

5

5

Commodity Futures Commission

1973-1981

5

6

Commodity options

1973-1986

5

7

Commodity promotion programs

1961-1972

5

8

Commodity programs

1964-1965

5

9

Commodity programs

1971-1979

5

10

Communism

1950-1959, undated

5

11

Conference minutes and resolutions

1927, undated

5

12

Conservation

1946-1978

5

13

Consolidated family farms

1984

5

14

Constitutional amendments

1952-1954

5

15

Constitutional amendments

1978-1981

6

1

Constitutional amendments

1978-1981

6

2

Consumer Protection Act of 1973

1973

6

3

Cooperatives

1925-1977

6

4

Corporation Farms

1967-1977

6

5

Correspondence and resolutions

1921, undated

6

6

Correspondence and news clippings

1937, undated

6

7

Correspondence, reports, and newsletters

1937-1976

6

8

Correspondence, reports, and statements

1953-1980

6

9

Correspondence and reports

1971-1980

6

10

Cotton

1958, undated

6

11

Cotton allotments

1949-1953

7

1

Cotton Check off

1966-1967

7

2-3

Cotton Check off Referendum Information (collection by AFBF economist W.E. Hamilton)

1966

7

4

Cotton research and promotion programs

1966-1976

7

5

Crop and livestock reporting methods

1976-1978

7

6

Crop insurance

1975-1977

7

7

Cropland retirement program

1961-1962

7

8

Custom feed lots

1974

7

9

Dairy

1957-1960

7

10

Dairy Farm Protection Act

1988

8

1

Dietary goals

1977-1978

8

2

Direct marketing programs

1978-1979

8

3

Dispute resolution conference

1979

8

4

Domestic International Sales Corporation

1977

8

5

Drainage

1947

8

6

Drought

1988

8

7

Economic Recovery Plan

1981

8

8

Egg research and promotion

1974-1975

8

9

Electoral reform

1956-1970

8

10

Emergency Agricultural Act

1978

8

11-12

Energy

1973-1980

9

1

Estate tax

1975-1976

9

2

Export subsidies

1974

9

3-4

Extension service

1921-1976

9

5

Fair Labor Standards Act

1951-1977

9

6

Family farms

1954-1961

9

7

Family farms policy review

1951-1952

9

8

Farm credit system

1967-1971

10

1

Farm labor

1959-1977

10

2

Farm programs

1940-1958

10

3-4

Farm programs

1976-1977

10

5

Farm programs payments

1952-1967

10

6

Farm Security Administration

1943

10

7

Farm taxes

1957, undated

10

8

Federal debt

1952

10

9

Federal Reserve System

1952

10

10

Federal Seed Act

1974-1975

10

11

Feed Grain Program

1961-1963

10

12

Food Advisory Committee of the Office of Technology Assessment

1975

10

13

Food & Agriculture Act

1962

11

1

Food & Agriculture Bill

1965

11

2

Food for Freedom

1966

11

3

Food grading

1960-1964

11

4

Food labeling

1974-1977

11

5

Food prices

1973-1974

11

6

Food safety

1953-1960

11

7

Food Stamp Program

1976

11

8

Forward contracts

1974

11

9

Fraizer-Lernke Act

1952

11

10-11

Gasohol

1979-1983

11

12

General farm legislation

1959-1960

11

13

Government reorganization

1946-1977

11

14

Graduated income tax

1957-1959

11

15

Grain committee of 17

1920

11

16

Grain insurance

1973-1976

11

17

Grain reserves

1976

12

1-2

Grain standards

1955-1975

12

3

Grape boycott

1972

12

4

Hardwood case

1949

12

5

Health

1946-1954

12

6

Hell's Canyon Project

1952

12

7

Hogs

1963-1976

12

8

Humphrey-Hawkins Act

1976

12

9

Inflation

1950-1979

12

10

International Commodity Agreements

1963-1977

12

11

International Wheat Agreements

1948-1958

12

12

Irrigation

1954-1958

12

13

Joint Farm Credit Commission

1943-1953

12

14

Land grant colleges

undated

12

15

Liberty amendments (income tax)

1959-1964

12

16

Lobbying

1952-1956

12

17

Lock & Dam at Alton

1976-1983

13

1

Malting barley

1967-1980

13

2

Maritime subsidies

1975-1976

13

3

Market master

1987

13

4

Market newswire service

1964

13

5

Marketing

1956-1966

13

6

Marketing orders

1947-1970

13

7

Meat Import Act

1964-1978

13

8

Meat imports and export

1958

13

9

Meat labeling

1969-1973

13

10

Metric system

1976

13

11

Milk substitutes

1969-1971

13

12

Missouri River Basin Program

1954

13

13

Monopoly and anti-trust

1955

13

14-15

National Agriculture Bargaining Act

1968-1979

13

16

National Farm Electrification Conference

1945-1957

13

17

National Labor Relations

1953-1971

13

18

National Monetary Commission

1949-1950

13

19

National Security Act

1952

13

20

News clippings

1919-1928

13

21

News clippings and news releases

1922-1926

13

22

News clippings and resolutions

1924-1930

14

1

Newsletters

1921

14

2

Newsletter: Minute Man (includes organization plan and outline for first meeting)

1932-1937

14

3

Newsletter: Minute Man

1936-1937

14

4

News releases, resolutions, and meeting notes

1922, undated

14

5

Packers and Stock Yard Act

1957-1978

14

6

Packers Consent Decree

1956-1958

14

7

Palm oil

1976-1977

14

8

Parity prices and formulas

1947-1953

14

9

Pensions

1965-1969

14

10

Plant Variety Protection Act

1970

14

11

Political platforms

1936-1956

14

12

Political platforms

1956-1996

15

1

Politics

1952-1960

15

2

Potatoes

1957-1958

15

3

Potato promotion and research

1970-1971

15

4

Poultry

1956-1958

15

5

Poverty

1963

15

6

Predator control

1961

15

7

President's monthly columns

1987-1993

15

8

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements and correspondence)

1987-1993

15

9-10

President's remarks

1987

16

1

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1988

16

2-3

President's remarks

1988

16

4

President's remarks (includes radio transcripts)

1988

16

5

Vice President's and President's remarks

1988

16

6

President's remarks

1989

17

1-5

President's remarks

1989

18

1

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1990

18

2-3

President's remarks

1990

18

4

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1990

18

5-6

President's remarks

1990

19

1

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1991

19

2

President's remarks (includes correspondence)

1991

19

3

President's remarks

1991

19

4

President's remarks (includes correspondence)

1991

19

5-6

President's remarks

1991

20

1

President's remarks

1991

20

2

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements and correspondence)

1992

20

3-4

President's remarks

1992

20

5

President's remarks (includes correspondence)

1992

20

6

President's remarks

1992

21

1-2

President's remarks

1992-1993

21

3-4

President's remarks (includes list of speaking arrangements)

1993

21

5

President's remarks

1993

22

1

President's remarks (includes administrator's remarks)

1993

22

2-3

President's remarks

1993

22

4

President's column and remarks

1993-1994

22

5

President's remarks (includes Director of Government Relations)

1994

22

6

President's remarks

1994

22

7

President's and Administrator's remarks

1994

23

1-6

President's remarks

1994-1995

23

7

President's remarks (includes meeting minutes)

1995

24

1

President's remarks

1995

24

2-3

President's remarks (includes Vice President's remarks)

1995-1996

24

4

President's remarks (includes annual meeting minutes)

1995-1997

24

5-6

President's remarks

1996

25

1

President's remarks (includes meeting minutes and chief administrative officer's remarks)

1996

25

2

President's remarks

1996

25

3

President's monthly columns

1997-1999

25

4

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1997

25

5

President's and Administrator's remarks

1997

25

6

President's remarks

1997

26

1-2

President's remarks

1997

26

3

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1998

26

4-6

President's remarks

1998

27

1

President's remarks (includes list of speaking engagements)

1999

27

2-4

President's remarks

1999-2000

27

5

Price supports and controls

1949-1955

28

1

Public lands

1954-1963

28

2

Public law

1953

28

3

Report: The Future Role of Farm Bureau in Agricultural Marketing

1983

28

4

Resolutions

1919-1950

28

5

Rice

1955-1958

28

6

Rice futures

1974

28

7

Right to Work laws

1956-1965

28

8

Roads (pamphlets)

1929

28

9

Rural crime

1976-1977

28

10

Rural Development Act of 1972

1972-1973

28

11

Rural Electrification Act

1973

28

12

Russian embargo

1980-1981

28

13

St. Lawrence Seaway

1948-1954

28

14

Selective service

1951-1970

28

15

Shapiro study

1980

28

16

Sisk Bill

1971-1975

28

17

Social security

1954-1962

28

18

Soil bank

1955-1956

29

1

Soviet Union

1959

29

2

Standard Occupational Classification Manual

1976

29

3

State Coordinators: correspondence and reports

1966-1980

29

4

State Coordinators: correspondence and reports

1958-1980

29

5

State Coordinators: correspondence and reports

1953-1979

29

6

State's rights

1953-1955

29

7-8

Structure of Agriculture (program by the USDA)

1979-1980

30

1

Subsidies

1945-1960

30

2

Sugar policy

1977

30

3

Supreme Court

1957-1959

30

4

Taft Hartley Act

1953-1954

30

5

Tax Reform Acts

1977-1978

30

6

Tax Study Committee

1961

30

7

Taxation of Cooperatives

1959-1961

30

8

Taxes

1939-1974

30

9

Taxes: Information Packet for Full Farm Bureau Opposition to the Tax Attack

1986

30

10

Tennessee Valley authority

1953-1955

30

11

Tobacco

1959-1960

30

12

Trade Act of 1974

1974-1975

30

13

Trade Barriers (foreign)

1976-1979

31

1

Trade Expansion Act of 1962

1962

31

2

Transportation committee: includes tentative work outline, reports, correspondence, and news clippings

1974

31

3

Transportation diversification

1959

31

4

Trip leasing

1956

31

5

The Truth About the Farm Bureau book and correspondence

1935-1965

31

6

Two-price system for wheat

1943-1953

31

7

Unionizing agriculture

1959

31

8

United Nations

1948-1956

31

9

The U.S. Budget and the A.F.B.F.

1971, undated

31

10

USDA reorganization

1946-1952

31

11

Vertical integration

1957-1959

32

1

Wage and price controls

1941-1952

32

2

Water resources

1951-1962

32

3-4

Water rights

1955-1961

32

5

Weights and measures

1955-1959

32

6

Watershed program

1954

32

7

Wheat and Feed Grain Act of 1965

1965

32

8-10

Wheat referendum

1963-1964

33

1-3

Wool and sheep

1953-1980