NFO-252 (AV10755): US Farm Report: Farm Coalition

[music] So those country side home era, and so we have at tremendous We, representatives of 32 general farm commodity and cooperative groups in the coalition of farm organizations meeting in St. Louis on April 6, 1970 ask the help of Congress the administration and the American people to make a renewed commitment to the preservation of family agriculture the attainment of parity prices for agricultural products and the restoration of rural America the industry of agriculture is the greatest creator of wealth in the nation farmers do not receive a fair share of the value of this production net agricultural income is about the same as it was over 20 years ago the economic imbalance thus created is resulting in the depletion of rural communities and urban areas bowler night with people and the coalition of farm organization seeks economic equity for agriculture we seek a system under which farmers can produce to fit the needs of the market we seek price protection that will prevent hardship we reaffirm our support of the coalition farm bill so reads the first three paragraphs in the resolution of the National farm coalition us farm with what cameras were on the scene in St. Louis Missouri so that we might bring to our audience today's filmed report this man is John W. Zwach a Republican member of Congress from the state of Minnesota congressman Zwach who was preceded at the rostrum by Graham Purcell Democratic congressman from Texas was introduced by Oren Lee Staley president of the national farmers organization of achieving a reasonable and a good farm bill this session of the Congress it is important and significant that we work together right down the line remember remember in every farm organization they're great many people that believe just as you do cultivate them get them going let's get a let's build up a new a momentum that Washington can't resist and that they will understand and let's wind up with a fine improved farm program to give us to buy some of the time we need Oren Lee and the rest of you that we need to build up further our strengths on the home front it's a real privilege to be here thank you and good luck in the afternoon session a panel discussion on the subject of city farm interdependence was moderated by Tony Dushant president of the National Farmers Union comments that were made by congressman Graham for sale in congressman Zwach we now move to another phase of our deliberations here today of our discussions and I'd like to say that if there's one thing that farmers have learned the hard way it is that our numbers are shrinking we've heard it time after time and we've been told time after time that our votes are shrinking and this has brought us to the realization belatedly perhaps that we really can't pass legislation in Washington by ourselves we must have the help of others I'm glad to say to you today that the news in this regard is on the plus side we are finding that the farm program is not only of concern to farmers but to all segments of this nation it makes good sense that the biggest biggest business in the nation should be the most important one to this nation obviously those do business in rural America farmers farm implement dealers bankers all of them all of us have a vital stake in the farm program but I say to you that the consumers of this nation both those in rural areas and those in the urban areas have the biggest stake of all and indeed now it must be said that if the farm program does not serve all of these interests it has little reason for being we are on the front end of this change farmers understand it business and that includes agriculture does not exist for itself alone it must serve the public interest but we are only on the front end of this change the enormous centers of corporate power still have their heads buried under their common stock short-term profits and high interest rates blind them to the long-term public interest I'm glad to say to you that most farm organizations are ahead of the trend it is now obvious that one word has gained acceptance in Washington it is coalition later I have the pleasure of visiting with Tony in a room near the conference floor Tony I know that you're very anxious to get back to Washington and I appreciate your taking just a few minutes to appear on u.s. farm report when you get back to Washington what will be the status of the Farm Coalition bill it's in the Senate and the House now is it not it is in the Senate and the House we're hoping that in the immediate days ahead the Senate will be marking up its bill and I'm inclined to believe that that we may come out of the Senate Agriculture Committee with a good bill the House of course will be marking its ble Subcommittee on grains and livestock will be considering various phases of the farm legislation so things are going to be popping in Washington and the immediate days ahead now there were some 32 far organizations represented here in this coalition today did you get the feeling of a real unity among at least 32 well there's been unity for a long time we've we've developed a very fine consensus during the last six months the thing we had here today that encouraged me a great deal and impressed me a lot was enthusiasm and there was some real enthusiasm for the bill and obvious intention of going home and trying to do something about it and of course this is what we need we need action out at the farm and rural community level Tony I think you would agree that for many years politicians have been saying to the farmers why don't you fellas get together and agree on what you want then tell us in Washington what you want and we'll try to get something done for you now here is a case of agreement being reached what do you think the the reaction of the politicians will be well I hope it'll be favorable many times the politicians have urged us to go home and get together because that was an excuse for them to keep from having to face up to the issue of which way they were going to go but the Secretary of Agriculture a year ago called for a consensus among farm organizations and among farmers and he went out in the country to try and find this consensus and we all I think all of the organizations applauded him on this we thought it was very fine he certainly was a very patient fellow went out and visited with farmers and tried to develop a consensus well a number of us I took him at his word and we got busy too and we developed a consensus in agriculture and we think it's a true consensus because it's one that represents a majority of the producers of this nation so it is significant that 32 farm commodity and cooperative organizations would get together in St. Louis to try and figure out what we can do now to get the coalition farm bill passed in Washington in that same setting John W Scott master of the National Grange was my guest John you chairman did you not the resolutions committee for this meeting yes mr. Hinkle had asked me to serve as chairman it was I think you've done a splendid job I read these resolutions of the National Farm Coalition and a lot of things really came home to me that I enjoyed reading them and one of the things that that you have called for here is a preservation of family agriculture the independent farm now I get a lot of comment on the other side of that coin from time to time particularly I think from urban dwellers who say to me well what's the matter with corporate farming why are you always preaching about trying to preserve the family farm I'd like for you as master of the National Grange to answer these people I think that that our our desire of the desire of all of us to preserve the family farm is is very important I think it's in it it's an approach that must be must be maintained approach to food production let's let's go back and face it this is the kind of agriculture the individual initiative of the family and his members of his family that have made this nation the best food producing nation in the land we've produced food for the lowest price to the consumer of anywhere in the world corporate agriculture is because we ever take the trend which could happen if this legislation doesn't pass that we reduce our farms to save 500,000 in the hands of oil companies who are out there for some purpose other than building a community the main thing that I think the family farm contributes that the corporate farm cannot contribute first place I think they contribute better food at a more reasonable price to consumers I think the corporate farm will go to higher price food but more important than that we build rural communities and if you go into an area of the nation where corporate agriculture has taken over and there are some of those you'll find abandoned town you'll find it that the only thing out there on that great agricultural area is perhaps a tool shed that's locked up eight or nine months of the year and if you go into a good family farming community it's a community of well-kept farmsteads if Agriculture's prosperous because the landowner has pride in his own in his possessions and they maintain a community that not only looks good but a community that provides the need for labor and services of all kinds corporate agriculture will buy in the big in the wholesale market there will be a great loss to the rural community if we lose family agriculture there be an exodus of the rural businessman right alongside the exodus of the farmer the rural businessman the banker the man who sells automobiles and tractors the man who sells everything in rural America the man who makes a living selling gasoline will find that gasoline will be delivered to the corporate farm in tank trucks and he's not gonna be in business in town either John what happens to agriculture if government is phased out of it well there are those you know who say that this is what we need that's right but I wonder if those same people would stand up and say that we don't need any government subsidy or supervision and shipbuilding for airlines or a postal service for all the things that we have determined are essential I wonder if the if anybody would want government to get out of the labor legislative area for instance and turn labor at the mercy of corporations or at the mercy of the market I think they would say no and I think it's just gonna be as critical to agriculture if we would take all try to operate in on a completely referee free situation so to speak if we expect it to operate free in the face of and along with an economy that's regulated in every other industry what can the individual farmer the farmer whom perhaps is listening to us today John do in support of a farm program probably they control the they control the failure of passage of this legislation as to what they can do first of all they need to become acquainted with the coalition bill themselves they need to know what their form program and what the form laws of this nation are doing for them then they need to first of all let their congressmen know that they believe in it that they as one of his constituents they expect him to support it but more important than that they need to talk about it after church with it follow they sat beside in church they need to talk about it at meetings that they attend where their children go to school they also need to talk about about it to their friends who live in the big cities so that we can through this kind of a line of communication build the broad-based support that we must have in order to influence and not influence as much as just so that urban congressmen as well as their constituents will realize the important of a sound food and fiber policy for this nation just as it's necessary that we have sound labor legislation that we have sound legislation in regards to our interstate commerce of all kinds this is us farm report coverage of the National farm coalition meeting April 6 1970 attended by these 32 general farm commodity and cooperative groups in the coalition of farm organizations the importance to agriculture of this historic farm coalition meeting to some degree is yet to be determined for what transpired in St. Louis in early April only time will judge but experts agree that without the meeting of this group of farm leaders farm programs may well have been phased out completely in five years throwing American agriculture on the world market at starvation prices needless to say such a tragedy would destroy not only the family farm but the rural business man of America as well Oren Lee Staley president of the National Farmers Organization had some interesting comments to make Oren Lee as president of the National Farmers Organization do you take some pride in NFO's affiliation with the coalition group well I think that all members all farm organizations all commodity groups are proud to be a part of a joint effort to do something about improving and maintaining at least and improving farm income we had one thing in common and that was that we were all for higher income for farmers we had to make some adjustments give or take as to the methods and this does not affect the policies in the various organization but we have a common objective here in the common cost and I we in the NFO of course take pride in being in a position to work for these other groups they're also striving to maintain and improve farm income well now the coalition represents some 32 organizations or is participated in by 32 organizations representing literally thousands and thousands of farmers don't you feel that this coalition in truth does represent agriculture oh I and I think most of the other leaders and I think all of them really feel that our position is one position that ninety percent of the farmers I believe support this position and they look at the alternatives and then they looked at what these farm groups have been able to put together in the way of a common goal that they're trying to achieve and I believe that all thinking farmers and people that are understand I've been understanding the alternatives to support this and I think the businessmen the rural communities did too though I have heard this comment made up and down the halls here today that these representatives arrived here last night with a feeling of unity they had a meeting today all day long and left with a great feeling of unity now that is really some accomplishment usually that unity can prevail at the beginning but sometimes not at the end well particularly with farmers and farm organizations in the past but I think that the important thing was not only was there a greater feeling of unity but I think a greater feeling of strength and the determination had increased as all people usually do when they have a common goal that they're all striving to achieve and I think that this is very true and this means what's going to happen to agriculture if there is no agriculture program well Bill the first thing that would happen is that he would take the floor out from under our our agricultural structure those that say we should have a phase-out of farm programs those that advocate doing away with farm programs I don't believe realize and certainly the farmers if they're supporting that viewpoint and rural businessmen don't realize what would happen to them if farmers could not secure loans on their crops at harvest time they would be forced to sell in a depressed market and in a situation where they were forced to sell then the parity concept and all the other fundamental parts of a program that has at least give them some base to work from would be destroyed and it would mean that the rural business people as well as many many of the farmers a very high percentage that no longer exist as business people in the rural areas well the future of Agriculture makes it perhaps imperative that the farmer who might be looking in today and listening to us Oren Lee does something about supporting the passage of the farm coalition bill what can he do well if they realize how serious it really is and what is a really at stake I think they will immediately sit down and write their congressmen supporting the farm coalition bill I think they're right there senator and unless they do this they're studying idly by without voicing their opinion and letting those opposing farm programs say that they represent them when really I don't think they do Clell Carpenter vice-president of Mid Continent Farmers Association MFA host organization for the conference was my next guest Clell is vice president of the Missouri well of course now I'm mixed up a little because I've known this is Missouri farmers association for so many years but now it's Mid Continent right farmers association Still MFO still MFA object and it is your organization that hosted this meeting in St. Louis today of the farm coalition group well there we actually tried to do some of the fiscal arrangements on it actually if there's a 32 members of the coalition that were honestly the host and we have held that under midcontinent auspices in years past meeting something similar to this but I must say never any as large and then as well attended and we think there's been a fine here yes mr. Hinkle your president shared this meeting which I did an outstanding job we hope to include him in our coverage but he had some previous commitments and won't be able to be with us but we'll take the vice president okay that happens I want you to comment Clell if you will for our viewers on just exactly what the coalition farm bill is what does it represent in terms of improvements to the farmer well number one Bill I think I could say what it is we feel the 32 members the coalition that this is honestly consensus of opinion of honest-to-goodness dirt farmers on on what is needed in the area of farm legislation now if it take several rolls of tape to go into all of the bolts and nuts of what it is but just let me say briefly that we in effect are proposing the continuation of the agricultural act of nineteen and sixty-five with major income Improvement Amendments I wanted to make that real clear that we have a feeling that and the facts bear it out that the agricultural act of 1965 has been a great factor in stabilizing farm prices we are the first to admit that they are not high enough and that is what this coalition is endeavoring to do Coloradan Sug Hatcher president of the National Association of wheat growers made some pertinent observations Sug how long has the National Association of wheat growers participated with this coalition the National Association of wheat growers that was one of the first groups that is attended the first meeting when it was readily discussed and thought about whether this could be brought in to be and I would recall it this first meeting had to been at least two years ago I don't remember the definite date for the discussion at that time rather than being brought into existence well it was in the discussion stage two years ago it must be pretty obvious to everybody who attended here today that now there exists in truth an organization with great purpose and unanimity don't you feel that way about it I definitely feel this is true because in the past years we were always told why don't the agriculture people get together well we realized that this could happen and in the discussion period there were some difference but we very readily decided that the differences can be solved in a hurry when we did this and I think this is something that everyone should realize that this is not a new organization really by some people be being considered as a new organization not representing true agriculture I don't know the exact percent but the commodities and farm organizations I would guess if we represent 85 percent of the people because they've grown to different farm organizations different commodity groups and they all feel that this is the way to solve a problem is to work together our US farm report crew in looking over the people in attendance here today concluded that in truth some of the most brilliant farm leadership was represented in this meeting today and that this leadership representing these 32 farm organizations indeed is most representative of agriculture across the nation I feel this is definitely right I've only been president as wheat grows about a year and a half I've had the privilege of meeting a lot of people and I feel the most brilliant agriculture people were represented here today and they are practically over one grass root as a culture people too sometime another in the past they have been on the farm are still on a farm and I think that this is something that that our Congress and Department of Agriculture should realize by all means but this is grassroots people trying to write a program they're not reaching up in there and picking it from there they have been through this they know what it is so this is wanted that I think the collation is going to stay together I don't think it can be pulled apart because it's grassers people and they believe in what they're fighting for and they're not about to give up should do you feel that there will be good response in Washington on the part of legislators to what occurred here today I think it did depends a lot on the follow-up probably the first day though the legislature so acknowledge our meeting but they don't sort address decide but if we can do what I'm in hopes that the people at this conference today will do is go home and bailiff are under there people at home and we better communicate congressman then it's got to be something and this is what the congressman it's it's a deciding factor plan when they have letters well their pressure or not but letters stating true facts from the constituents at home then they're gonna listen and I feel that these people were overwhelmed today with the enthusiasm when they left and I think you're going to see that and go back into the agriculture district and they're really going to work and they're gonna work on the city cousins people and try to present that true story to their City case because we've got to have a city cousin's health what we've got to be with jail and more facts and our problems will help us farm report was there on the scene of the National farm leaders conference sponsored by the national farm Coalition in St. Louis Missouri so long everybody [music]