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

MS 548
National Family Farm Coalition
Records, 1974-1985, n.d.


Descriptive summary

creator:

National Family Farm Coalition
title:

Records
dates:

1974-1985, n.d.
extent:

1.89 linear ft. (4 document boxes, 1 half-document box)
collection number:

MS 548
repository:

Special Collections Department, Iowa State University.

 

Administrative information

access:

Open for research
publication rights:

Consult Head, Special Collections Department
preferred citation:

National Family Farm Coalition Records, MS 548, Special Collections Department, Iowa State University Library.

 

Historical note

The National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC) was formed in 1978 to support federal legislation known as the Family Farm Development Act. The act's main purpose was to promote the stability and growth of the family farm as the basis of the U.S. food production system.

The NFFC worked closely with the National Family Farm Education Project (NFFEP), also formed in 1978. The NFFEP was concerned with involving and educating the public on farming issues. This group's goal was to bring together special interest groups such as consumers, farmers, environmentalists, independent bankers, and energy activists to collectively promote greater awareness of farm-related issues. The desired result was to discover ways to effect farming and agriculture policy change from the federal government.

The NFFC believed that family owned and operated farms were essential and that large corporate farming were damaging to the overall success of American food production. This idea tied into maintaining the health of rural communities, which depend upon stable economic farming conditions. The NFFC was also an early promoter of conserving resources and energy and preserving land used for agricultural purposes. The NFFC opposed food prices being set by corporate interests and that prices should be determined by actual production costs with government oversight to ensure fairness.

The NFFC and NFFEP decided to merge (1981) in an effort to save money and strengthen their ability to meet their goals. The economic downturn of the early 1980s forced the organization to close its Washington, D.C. office in December, 1981, due to funding issues, although volunteers and small grants kept basic functions going.

 

Collection description

The collection (1974-1985, n.d.) contains NFFC records relating to its own Board of Directors, correspondence, development, and by-laws. There are also testimonies and statements that were presented to Congress regarding agricultural hearings along with bills and related papers that were being considered by the House of Representatives. General correspondence and information regarding similar agricultural organizations, studies, and government procedures are also in the collection.

 

Organization

The collection is organized alphabetically.

 

Container list

Box

Folder

Title

Dates

1

1

Background information, organizational development

1980 ca.

1

2

By-laws, amendments, articles of incorporation, related papers

1978-1981

1

3

Agrarian reform - meeting minutes, memos, newsletters

1979, n.d.

1

4

Agricultural Marketing Project (AMP) - brochures, newsletters

1979, n.d.

1

5

Agriculture Committee, Congressional - hearing summaries

1981

1

6

Alabama, Federation of Southern Cooperatives - background information

1980

1

7

Annual Report for NFFC

1979

1

8

Arkansas - document created to explore developing rural Arkansas

1978

1

9

Basic Income Act of 1979 - outline, critique

1979

1

10

Board of Directors - correspondence

1978-1984

1

11

Board of Directors - meeting minutes

1979-1982

1

12

Board of Directors - roster

1979-1980, n.d.

1

13

Center for Rural Affairs - newsletters, statement, reports

1977-1979, n.d.

1

14

Cheap Food? - report, information

1980, n.d.

1

15

Conference on Alternative State and Local Policies - annual report

1979

1

16

Consumer Federation of America (CFA) - policy resolutions, news release

1978

1

17

Consumers Opposed to Inflation in Necessities (COIN) Advocacy Group - mission, information

1979, n.d.

2

1

Cornucopia Project - news releases, information packets

1981, n.d.

2

2

Correspondence

1978

2

3

Correspondence

1979

2

4

Correspondence

1980

2

5

Correspondence

1981

2

6

Correspondence

1982

2

7

Correspondence

n.d.

2

8

Earthwork - brochures, information on food and land issues

1979, n.d,

2

9

Emergency Land Fund (ELF) - newsletters, information

1977-1979

2

10

Essay: "Bitter Harvest" as printed in Penthouse magazine - by Harris, David

1978

2

11

Family Farm Basic Income Act of 1979 - correspondence, outline

1979

3

1

Family Farm Development Act - news releases, speech, overview

1978-1980

3

2

Family farm issues - reports, information

1982, n.d.

3

3

Federation of Southern Cooperatives - annual reports, information

1978-1981, n.d.

3

4

Food & Agriculture Act of 1977 - overview

1977

3

5

Hawaii - report on small farm family assistance program

1979

3

6

H.R. (House of Representatives) 1045, Family Farm Antitrust Act - news release of revised bill

1980

3

7

H.R. 2551, Agricultural Land Protection Act - bill, memos, information

1979

3

8

H.R. 3580, Rural Development Policy Act of 1979 - explanation of bill

1979

3

9

H.R. 6295, Family Farm Development Act of 1980 - bill

1980

3

10

H.R. 10716, Family Farm Development Act of 1978 - bill

1978

3

11

H.R. 10885, Rural Development Act of 1978 - amendment revision draft

1978

3

12

H.R. 12101, Farmer-to-Consumer Direct Marketing Act amendments - information, testimony

1978

3

13

H.R. 12689, Economic Recovery Act of 1978 - bill, summary, congressional record

1978

3

14

Hunger - newsletters, information, report; various sources

1977-1984, n.d.

3

15

Hunger Newsletter - prepared by Interreligious Taskforce on US Food Policy

1976-1983

3

16

Job descriptions - positions within NFFC

1980, n.d.

3

17

Lerza, Catherine reports - world hunger, northeast marketing alternatives

n.d.

3

18

Lobby group paperwork - official quarterly reports, lobbying regulation booklet

1976-1981

3

19

National Land for People (NLP) - newsletter, information to assist poor rural blacks

1976-1979, n.d.

3

20

New England Small Farmer Project - history & overview, brochure, information, newsletter

1979-1980

3

21

New Hampshire/New England Rural Education Center - proposal report

n.d.

3

22

New Mexico Small Farm Family Assistance Program - report

n.d.

3

23

Newsletters, brochures - NFFC specific

1981, n.d.

3

24

Newsletters, brochures - related information from various sources

1974-1981, n.d.

3

25

North Dakota Small Farm Family Program - project information

1980

4

1

Northeast Task Force for Food & Farm Policy - newsletter, brochure, report

1977-1978, n.d.

4

2

Oklahoma Small Farm Family Assistance Program - report

n.d.

4

3

Oregon Small Farm Family Assistance Program - report

1979

4

4

Organizer's packet - NFFC "how-to" booklet

n.d.

4

5

Presidential Commission on World Hunger - charter, correspondence, testimony, statements

1979, n.d.

4

6

Price policy - reports, analysis

1979-1980, n.d.

4

7

Proposed operating structure for NFFC

n.d.

4

8

Reorganization details

n.d.

4

9

Reports, proposals from NFFC projects and meetings

1979-1982, n.d.

4

10

Resource and bibliography lists for agriculture topics

1975-1978

4

11

Rhode Island Small Farm Assistance Program

n.d.

4

12

Rural America (non-profit organization) - brochures, information

1977-1979, n.d.

4

13

Rural Coalition - policy frameworks, information, reports

1979-1980

4

14

Rural Coalition - testimonies before Congress

1979, n.d.

4

15

Rural Coalition Report - newsletter

1981

4

16

S. (Senate) 795, Farmland Protection Act - bill

1979

4

17

Small Farm Advocate - newsletters

1979

4

18

South Dakota Small Family Farm Assistance Project - report

1979

4

19

Speeches - various people talking on food and farming

1979

4

20

Strategy session - conference booklet for NFFC

1979

5

1

Telephone surveys from NFFC

1981

5

2

Testimonies to/for congressional committees - farm related issues

1979, n.d.

5

3

U.S. Catholic Conference - policy statement on family farm

1978

5

4

USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) -evaluation of Family Farm Development Act

n.d.

5

5

West Virginia Small Farm Assistance Program - report

n.d.

5

6

Working Group on Domestic Hunger & Poverty - executive committee minutes

1980-1981

5

7

World Food Council - reports: hunger, food access

1981-1985