Speaker talking about three goals: providing enough food and fiber, enabling family farms to achieve parity, and expanding programs to utilize surplus. He pledges the cooperation of the Farmers Union with President John F. Kennedy and Secretary Orville Freeman towards agricultural policy and the agricultural plank of the Democratic platform. He talks about eliminating poverty in rural America and a domestic food usage program for the needy. He hopes Kennedy will convene a World Food Conference. He recommends creation of an agricultural economics administration.
Congressman John Melcher of Montana talks about working on farm legislation in Washington, D.C. He also talks about the Chamber of Commerce plan for welfare for farms and the problems with the low prices farmers are receiving.
Speaker asks why country clubs shouldn't belong to country people, stating that the South Dakota representatives in Congress are not working for the constituents. The speaker presents his plan to amend this.
Statements by Senator Hubert Humphrey about Richard Nixon's lack of interest in agriculture until the election and how the American farmer is suffering under Nixon's policies. The president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union speaking against the recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture from the National Milk Producers' Federation executive committee.
Continuation of National Farmers Union 1973 Convention, Part 1 (MA012-AV-0027_01). National Farmers Union President Tony Dechant speaks at the annual convention about the Agricultural Act of 1970 and how rural America has been united by financial cuts. He calls for unity among rural America, the Farmers Union, and with people of all races and all laborers. The recording is continued on National Farmers Union 1973 Convention, Part 3 ( MA012-AV-0030_01).
Political panel at the South Dakota Farmers Union convention featuring candidates for Governor and Congressmen. Nils Boe, Republican candidate for Governor, discusses taxation. John Lindley, Democratic candidate for Governor, discusses 25% aid to schools. Ben Reifel, Republican candidate for Congress discusses farm legislation in Congress and the future of the livestock industry. George May, Democratic candidate for Congress discusses improving farm programs to maintain farm income. Byron Brown, Democratic candidate for Congress discusses the rural community development aspect of the food and agricultural program. The candidates' introductory remarks are followed by a question and answer session.
South Dakota Farmers Union annual convention speakers. Robert Chamberlain from Hecla, South Dakota, minority leader in the South Dakota House of Representatives, acting as substitute speaker for Senator George McGovern speaks about the Farm Bill, the history of agriculture in the U.S., and agricultural legislation. Alec Olson, Congressman from Minnesota and member of the Rural Development Subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee speaks about the Johnson Administration, legislation, drought, and reads a statement about the Omnibus Farm Bill from the October 8 Congressional Record. National Farmers Union President James G. Patton speaks about U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey, Senator McGovern, the Pick-Sloan Program, the Taft-Hartley Act, the Farm Bill, parity, family farms, Food Stamps, rural poverty, inflated value of land, the New Deal, community development, corporate farms, cooperatives, and commodity groups.
Tony Dechant, President of the National Farmers Union, speaks at the South Dakota Farmers Union convention about the farm bill. The Farmers Union opposes the farm bill as it would reduce farm income. He ends by asking the South Dakota Farmers Union members to elect congressmen who will be ready to present bills in Congress which favor farmers.
Political panels at the South Dakota Farmers Union annual convention includes candidates for South Dakota Governor and the U.S. House of Representatives. Frank Denholm, Dexter Gunderson, James Abourezk, and Richard Kneip debate various issues including inflation, the judicial and law enforcement system, Fred Brady's Citizenship Training Camp for youth, criminal justice reform, and due process. They also speak on the importance of agriculture to South Dakota's economy, federal tax sharing, tax reform, farm foreclosures, and House Bill 548. Senator McGovern's Legislative Director, John Holum, who previously was the editor of the South Dakota Farmers Union publication, is acting as substitute speaker for George McGovern. He reads a letter from Senator McGovern and delivers McGovern's speech which includes remarks about the new farm bill, agricultural surpluses, farm programs of the 1960's, parity, Nixon/Agnew Administration, price supports, Secretary of Agriculture, farm economy, rural to urban migration, and pollution.
Tony Dechant, President of the Farmers Union speaks about profit margins for farmers, farm production expenses, parity, the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922, cooperatives, G.T.A., Central Exchange Marketing, Farmers Union insurance, commodity future prices, and the future of agriculture. Ben Radcliffe gives the annual report of the South Dakota Farmers Union State President and speaks about the annual convention in Houston next month, membership, the youth program, upcoming Farmer/Worker Conference, organized labor, and S.D. tax reform. He states that the South Dakota Farmers Union will take the South Dakota property tax to court, asking that it be declared unconstitutional as a main source of revenue for education in South Dakota. State secretary Lee Swenson gives the financial report for the fiscal year just ended.
Senator George McGovern speaking at the South Dakota Farmers Union convention about how the farming community has had problems making a profit and meeting the demands of the growing population. He discusses what steps in policy change that need to be taken in order to keep the family farm alive.
Ben Radcliffe at the South Dakota Farmers Union convention talks about how the disappearances of railroads is a large issue in moving produce. He also discusses farming legislation that needs to be passed in order to save the family farm. Tony Dechant talks about farming legislation and bills that need to be passed in order to strengthen the farmers and make sure they can make the profit they need to keep going.
Senator Dick Clark of Iowa talks at the South Dakota Farmers Union convention about how effective George McGovern has been in Washington D.C. on the Agricultural committee. He also talks about the value of the family farm and the importance of American agriculture both nationally and internationally.
Homer Ayres, Tony Dechant, and Bill Walker speak about the California anti-trust lawsuit when ranchers won a $32 million judgment against the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in 1927. Other topics were price fixing, 'Beef-in,' and a Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) investigation suggested by Farmers Union President Johnson. A different man who represents the National Farmers Union speaks about energy policy and food policy, world food shortage, embargo on sales to Russia, grain marketing, and world trade. The last speaker is a man who talks about agricultural policy, Alliance for Food, the embargo by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Earl Butz, national food reserve, Food Stamp Program, and a national food policy.
