NFO-116 (AV10616): US Farm Report: Housewives Concern for Agriculture

[music] welcome to us farm report a public information program brought to you in the interest of agriculture rural business and the well-being of our nation by members of the national farmers organization in this local area the national farmers organization takes pride in inventing a marketing system to meet the needs of the 20th century collective bargaining for agriculture NFO represents new thinking in a new generation of farmers you as farm report presents housewives concerned for agriculture here is women's director Doris Barry of KTS TVSterling Colorado it's a pleasure to have this opportunity to talk with housewives concerning agriculture and I have some very special guests to talk about this very vital subject and I'd like to introduce them starting to my immediate left we're very happy to have with us Mrs. Alex, Pauline can I call you Pauline from now on Hoffner and she is from Greeley, Colorado and seated next to Pauline is Mrs. Richard and from now I will be Bonnie and Doris okay Bonnie from Kelsey Colorado and seated next to Bonnie is mrs. Adam West maybe I should say this is mrs. Rose West does housewife housewives boycott mean anything to you there and I sure then you'll know who rose is and we're very happy to have all of you here to talk with us and we might just very briefly here I don't want to give her too much time because she'll take it all you know if we ask rose to tell us how to do the housewives boycott get started in Denver Colorado well Doris we had watched our grocery bills now I say our we shop in a neighborly fashion we pool our gasoline and go to the stores and we had watched our grocery bill going up with no explanation as to why and I think the crowning blow was when my bottle of olives that I'd been buying for 33 cents within three weeks went up to 46 cents the olives did it that was the straw that broke the camels back, so four of us in the neighborhood got together we called a divisional manager of one of the stores and asked him to come out and explain to us if he could why prices had risen and after oh a couple of hours talking and a couple of cups of coffee or three or four he said he laughed and he said well I really should girls you've never protested we don't think you ever will you'll never leave your kitchens or your coffee cup said you you're too lazy let's face it so why do we bother no wonder you got mad we got a little upset so from there we went on to the other chain stores we asked them all and we thought maybe we could get the answers to some questions they didn't answer us so we started out with our petitions and you know when we called our boycott and this is not a word that I like I don't like this word but we haven't found a good one to use instead but we do not believe in any sort of violence all that we did was we just had absenteeism from the stores and it worked beautifully but this cannot go on forever but in all this time you have to realize that we were learning every man that walked into these meetings the first person he blamed was a farmer and we couldn't believe that whether you realize it or not most city housewives have some agricultural background either parents or grandparents somebody has been on the farm in the family and so we immediately refuted this you couldn't look at your market reports what the farmer has been getting for his products so it isn't a farmer's fault no but you didn't know that's really to begin with I knew it but as many of the women don't know it they still don't know it they have to be educated they have to be made aware of the fact that here is a farmer not getting enough for his product and here is a consumer paying too much the- the women have cooperated beautifully and we city women do want to learn we have all the sympathy in the world for the farmer and the farmer is gaining more sympathy every day from us to well now these are ladies who are with us today to can I think give a few views on this and Bonnie if you will do you think that the city housewife is to blame for the high prices in your opinion no no not at all I'll go one thing that comes to mind is that the housewives don't complain about maybe the car they buy or the fur coats they buy or some extravagant thing that they would buy but yet they complain about the food why we have to have food why would we complain about food and actually the farmer we raised milk cows we sell our milk maybe we get well maybe 50 cents a gallon and what would you get if it's a gallon huh put that on your list rose so what would the housewives in town pay for them out a dollar change oh yeah half gallon in there right dollar ten cents a gallon oh I'm sorry well then actually you you are farm people you would you live on a farm how about your family do you have children six children do you feel that uh well I bet I think I'll ask out Pauline here do you think that the housewife is to blame in any way for the high cost of living Pauline come on do you want me to tell her what I think well I think the housewife's got a little bit lazy she wants her poor slice of meat in a package instead of getting it off of chunk of meat it should be sliced off of them and the packaged meat does lose its flavor and she wants to go to the supermarket and pick up everything instead of going to different stores what do you mean like hardware hardware and hairspray and how about the soaps that she buys dollars and dollars worth I never heard a complaint about that and yet she thinks she's saving a lot of time by purchasing all these things and the big chain stores she doesn't think about this but there maybe I ought to put in a beauty shop she takes time off to go to beauty shop she takes time for a lots of other things but her ideas when she goes into a supermarket she's saving time I don't believe she has and not only that she gets to the cash register and looked at her bill and my what a food bill but what does she have in her cart not all food but in your opinion then she's reflecting this on to the farmer that's right that he's getting too much and they bill is too high that's right but I don't believe that the farmer I put the hairspray on the market the baby bottles and the soap you don't raise those no I don't think we're raising but yet she puts this on her food bill now what about this Rose as far as the housewives the organization has such a heavy did they do this in the beginning no we went to to the stores we took only food items we took each thing item by item by item we watched bacon go for 69 cents a pound to a 1.29 a pound now did you get any more for your hogs at that time and we did not do any comparison shopping on you know the hardware the drug items or things of that sort in fact I think all of us have come to the conclusion that the hardware store man handled hardware let the druggist handles the drugs items and let each man have his own business we feel that the supermarkets are cutting into fields other than food now it isn't all our fault that these things are in there they put them in sure to draw women who are unaware of what they are what they are doing I think that a grocery store should be a grocery store and let the food store sell food but do they have to move into every area of business this is this is what they're doing to you farmers don't you realize that they own their feedlots their bakeries their packing houses you know how many packing houses that gone out of business lately and what we are trying to do with this new national organization is to be able to have investigations made and to prove that these stores are monopoly and then let them be regulated let them be regulated by the government as other monopolies are beautiful speech I'm sorry that's all right you know let's get back to agriculture really do you gals who who actually live on a farm how many in Colorado last year left the farm Bonnie I think I saw in the paper just the other day a thousand farmers a thousand farmers left their farms in one year where did they go and just call that well they're probably populated at the town's mom now as I understand also in Nebraska last year several thousand farms were so people left their farms and in your opinion now Pauline what's happening to these people what are they gonna do when they go to town well they're just going there let's don't get in our head that the farmers are dumb because they're not and they're going to knock a city man often his job why how did he do that because he's going to be more ambitious he's used to long hours and he's a hard worker he's not gonna worry about his coffee break because he doesn't get one on the farm and I don't know if any farmers that I went to town and wanted really wanted a job that didn't get a job of some kind and they're not real particular about what kind of job at first because once they get started they move up the line pretty fast they find out that a farmer is just as smart as the city man I agree a hundred percent you know like don't get mad at me I just asked but seriously this is what is happening and these people are very efficient they know how to manage their time and their money because they sure don't giving up very much as I understand now what about the children all are your children in staring on the farm well I have one son and here's a college graduate but he likes the way of life on the farm how long he can stay there we don't know but and he thinks it's a wonderful place to raise the family I have one friend that's a veterinarian and he still feels like he's connected with the farm yeah and I have a daughter and of course she's- her husband still in school which will be a doctor too but now it seems to me then you're you're urging education for these children I am because they're going to need it because the way things are going I'm afraid these children won't have a chance on the farm what do you mean things wasting farmers the way they're leaving the farm the way they're being squeezed out Bonnie what about your family would you like to take them to town oh no not at all well the oldest is 15 so they're all still home and I don't know I have four boys I don't know how they'd like town I don't they had their animals and all and I'm sure they wouldn't enjoy town at all do you think that the children have more respect for their elders do you know I guess this is kind of a passe thing and I ain't supposed to mention anymore but do you think farm children have it well I certainly do of course I don't know I think so many people in town the parents both work and I feel that maybe the children are left on their own so much more that the on the farm they work right along with their parents and their parents are there and to supervise I think it makes for a healthier place for the children to be raised do you think these what do we call that a family farm is this the right way yeah right that's what we're fighting for is family farm do you think this is the almost on the way out I sure do I think we're well on our way out when we lose a thousand farmers a year just in one state and I would like say Doris to I think it's very necessary for the port the farmers to organize I don't know they've been I know trying but now I think the farmer and the consumer since we have found how much at fault we are I think the farmer should admit that he has faults and one of them is disorganization if I can use that word and another fault he has sometimes he's playing knuckle-headed to you girls agree yeah your husband or dad you know well I'm trying to do something about it but there's a lot of farmers that I feel aren't trying to do anything about it well this is true I think that all farmers should be made to see that it's very necessary that the farmers joined together and by golly now you have the consumer ready to join and help fight I think that this is a thing that should be but in anyway you are part of a consumer public and a great part you consume a lot more things than the ordinary city family you know what it might take us somebody to go out to all of the farmers in all of the area and say to them the same thing that made you housewives mad in Denver huh you know like you'll never do it I don't think you'll ever make it do you think this was possible to join I don't know I wouldn't do that I got enough trouble at that bottle dollies I'm not I have a little chart here I don't know we could probably pick it up but it's just actually two lines that are at this point separated and as you can see this as I understand now is the cost or the price paid to the farmer you can see it started going down down down and they tell me that in 1967 the the price of food is going to go way way up now all of let's you see them and see if you agree that this is the thing that you feel is going to happen I mean it's just plain two lines that are being separated shouldn't they be started together down yes they are going to be paying more than that well now I think that I've explained this a lot of times but I want to do it again we have a sort of a little half circle here the farmer is here at one end the consumer is here at the other you aren't getting you're just profits no for your products now it's predicted at that next year food prices will go up 5% it's also predicted that your the price that you get for your products is going to go down well you're getting gouged at one end and we're getting gouged at the other so I think maybe it's time we became partners and we have found out from our very feeble efforts that like I said at this there can reach there bakeries and all of these things and we wonder if maybe one group of people aren't acting as the middleman and also to take her in at the other end of where the consumer buys his food you know I just gotta say this about the city housewives oh sure okay so they're lazy and they enjoy going to the supermarkets you know where you've been a one-stop shopping center type thing but oh I think I'm really sticking my neck out but I sort of blame the farmers too because they sometimes it seems to me are waiting for George you know over here to do this and well maybe if I sit back long enough the other guy'll get it done so and this is as you said mentioned rose and my feeble efforts of understanding this agricultural situation that just seems to me that the the farmer should be a bargaining group to get the price now and I'll use a an example here the other thing I know of for instance stuff if I were to go into a store and buy a pair of shoes or ask about a pair of shoes that ordinarily sells for say fifteen dollars and I would say to the merchant I tell you what I'll do I'll give you ten it isn't the way the farmers working well this just doesn't make sense to me so why don't we get together why don't they organize so that they can say well up this is what we want I don't know how this is done exactly understanding as it may my feeble efforts to understand this situation doesn't it seem like this would be the answer do you think that this would help that's right but I wonder sometimes but it doesn't look a little bit years late [speaking over each other, unclear] we still might be able to save the family farming believe me if we don't do it now we're not going to be able to do it ten years from now everything will be big corporate fronting we won't have anything to say about what we pay for food that's right we'll pay a lot more for groceries and food than we are now because they're gonna tell us and nobody's gonna say a word about it they're just gonna purchase it what's going ever since [unclear] here again I I think the farmer should be told just as we were told now I have talked to farmers and they said well let's see how it goes let's see how it goes let's do something about it right now it's gone all right we have to- we- we have to check it right now and I think that you farmers will discover that the housewives city consumers are backing you 100% it's also kind of encouraging yes we hope they are when you get knuckle-headed we'll come out and hit you on the head now let me ask you one other thing here and I don't think we'll have near enough time but we keep saying they how uh how is this big spread and your opinion Pauline who's to- who's to blame for this the farmer leaving the farm the the farms being sold in your opinion well if I say maybe my banker won't lend me any more money but I think it's the bankers because the farmer aides to the feed and why doesn't the banker lend him the money to feed his feed and makes a few dollars there is to make instead they'd rather lend it to the big operator and this is what's happened in lots of instances the big operator then gets together way in the spring and already have made up their mind what they're going to pay that farmer for his feed before it's even grown before it seemed wrong that's right in many instances this is the way it works where the farmers realize this or not and there isn't that competition at all anymore but I real down deep I feel like the banker is to blame for a lot of it he'd rather lend to a big outfit than he would a small family type farmer bankers would say the farmer is certainly to blame too because the farmers aren't getting out and trying to do anything about they're still sitting back and saying well let me what'd you get me that's fine I'm gonna work 24 hours a day almost and still give my stuff away for whatever they're going to give me for it amazing I mean this is an intelligent group of people but it's not intelligence really is this is this an economic thing that you're forced into why is it I sort of think we're yes our parents did it so it's good enough for us I guess times are changing yes this is a new generation a new time but you say that in ten years you mentioned earlier Pauline that you had talked with a scientist recently at some meeting you attended and what we're against that views on what's going to happen about the food we're not going to have enough food regardless of how many surpluses they say we have that we're not way the population explosion we're not going to have enough food and it's closer and sooner than we think and then someone asked him the question about well what about the ocean see reading on ocean foods needs that once we start harvesting that we'll be surprised how short that won't be because it's been millions and millions of years that this is going there and in the bottom of the ocean and he said it's it will be sooner than we think that we'll be hungry well I hope that so I'm just that I've learned a lot here and I feel that maybe our viewers will have learned a little bit can they get information how can they possibly find out how they can organize maybe we should mention that there is an organization and there are many farm organizations that do good jobs throughout the country but the national farmers organization for instance bringing the US farm report to the viewers is one it seems to me that's doing something at least attempting to do something do you feel this way Bonnie it's trying to organize the farmers the farmer is the only part of the economy that actually is unorganized I mean your teachers have their organizations that fight for their salaries and and now the housewives are organized to fight for what they want to the farmers are about the only economy part of the economy that isn't organized you know what they need don't you it's a good woman to lead them you know I didn't have some remarks there from the Secretary of Agriculture the United States Mr. Freeman who said when the housewife boycott started he gave him credit for not blaming the farmer now it seems to me that the housewives been artists Pauline says they are quite as dumb as they might look either you know and I don't like the term I'm just a housewife this has got to go Pauline don't ever ever say it again because if the housewives united and the farmers united just think what you have there you know we could have the greatest organization in the world nobody- farmers and the housewives or I don't like to exclude the house husbands he do okay we're count 'em well I want to count 'em all right add but all this together as the producers and consumers if we get together then we can have one of the greatest things in the world but if we're gonna sit back and let George do it well if I'm going back sit back and let Jane do it then it just isn't gonna get done you have to get yourself what about the membership you thought I'd never asked didn't you yeah the housewives and by the way this title is sort of long Rose is the President of the United National Consumers did I get it right United National Consumers Association that you can cut it down to CUNCA CUNCA mm-hmm okay how many members do you have now well I don't know because the membership goes into Washington I as you know got crush your membership last night every night Oh meeting and I'm so proud of the farmers I just have to say that but now to get information about this they can write to me sure in Denver I think everybody knows my address or they can write to the office in Washington that is at 79 79 old Georgetown Road Washington DC 20014 it has that zip code do it I'm good you know she gets mail what about the Sam Oh the feisty grandmother in regard there Denver Colorado get it mrs. rose West mrs. Adam West no I'm not Mr. Adam West certainly is that right no it's Paul certainly we want to say that in all seriousness these things that we have talked about today I hope have been of some value to you that you have learned that there is a joining of forces so to speak the Housewives of America and the farmers of America and if the housewives can organize it would seem to me that the farmers and the farm families could organize and in just a couple of minutes here that we have Bonnie do you feel that if one minute is what it is we'll be able to get this thing done I mean be optimistic about it if we we try yes I think we better or else we're not gonna be farm lives anymore you want to be a farm to do how about you calling well I feel like bonnie does and don't say just a housewife from now on okay okay and we do want to thank all of you for being with us this afternoon it's been a very great privilege for me to have this opportunity to visit with these ladies and to talk to you about the housewives concerns for agriculture and I think after this discussion you'll agree that the housewives all over America are concerned and they say we better be concerned about agriculture thank you and good afternoon thank you thank you [music] u.s. farm report has presented housewives concerned for agriculture with women's director Doris berry of KTV STV Sterling Colorado leading the questioning members of the national farmers organization invite you to tune in again next week at the same time for more facts in agriculture and rural America which is the gear wheel in our economy that produces the majority of our nation's new wealth the farm income pattern sets the nation's prosperity and the national farmers organization represents new thinking in a new generation of farmers [music]