Guide to the Pacific Northwest Farm Forum Taped Addresses 1978
CT 3

Pledge of Allegiance. Opening remarks by Ron Bair, Mayor of Spokane. 

Reminiscence of the first Pacific Northwest Farm Forum in 1954. Changes in agriculture over the last 25 years. 

Increase of efficiency of resource use in agriculture. Human resource development. 

Introduction by Don Jacobson. 

Decline of farm and ranch profits-. Farmers' demands for cost of production or 100 percent of parity. Problems with parity. Export production. 

Grain prices. Wheat production. Feed grains. Barley. Dry bean market. Potato stocks. 

Repeat of end of SIDE A. 

Necessity for an agriculture advocate in Washington, D.C. 

Problems in American agriculture. 

Blank 

Problems of high operating expenses and inflation. Land expansion. Pressure to expand production. 

Franchise food business. Financing suppliers to fast food outlets. New developments in the cattle business. 

Major farm bill legislation--crop insurance. Farmer's Home Administration. 

Demonstrations go with his job. 

More about prevention of grain elevator explosions. 

The wheat market. Export development. Food aid as an economic developing tool as opposed to a surplus dumping device. 

Parity. 

More on the parity problem and the American Agricultural movement. Financing graineries on farms. Orderly marketing by farmers. 

Repeat of the end of SIDE A 

Food for Peace Program. Food aid programs. The example of Malaysia. Identifying needs of developing countries. 

Introductions for Evening Banquet 

Foley introduces Bob Bergland, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 

His appointment by Jimmy Carter. Why he decided to accept the appointment. 

Where agriculture is headed in the U.S. and the world. Keeping the global market in mind. Building a stable agricultural policy. Expanding export markets. 

Financing graineries- on farms. 

Establishing an international wheat agreement. 

Establishing a wheat cartel. Problems- establishing a good farm policy. 

160 acre reclamation laws. 

USDA crop production figures. Private surveys. 

Separation of various departments within USDA. Streamlining the government bureaucracy. Abstractor:- Date: Time: Margot H. Knight 6/25/79 18 mins. 

Gasahol. 

Bushel marketing quotas. 

Why beef is imported when cattle production in the U.S. is low. Cyclical importation. 

Establishing a higher price of wheat. Oil prices and land prices and their relation to agriculture. 

Opportunities for women in agriculture. Role of the woman on the farm. Economics of farming. Importance of preservation of agricultural land. How to keep young people in the farming community. 

The decline of the family farmer. Unknown problems in agriculture. Energy. Mismanagement of the food system. Trade policies. Farmers must unify. Unneeded regulations-about farming from OSHA. What the Oregon Women for Agriculture are doing. 

Women are more active than ever in agriculture and politics. What the California Women for Agriculture are doing. Urban consumers- don't understand the complexities of farming. 

Undeveloped talents of farm women. OSHARs regulations. What the Washington Women for the Survival of Agriculture are doing. Emergency pesticide regulations. Educating the general public about agriculture. Agriculture leadership programs. 

Protecting the land from urban sprawl. 

Role of government in pricing in agriculture. The status of the family farm. 

How to preserve the family farm. Marketing strategies must be able to compete with the larger companies. The grain export business. The beef industry. What producers can do. 

Conclusions about the importance of the family farm. 

Relationship of agriculture to labor. Value differences. 

More about transient workers in various areas of the U.S. Low wages for farm workers. Many farmers don't make minimum wage. 

Labor Union movement in agriculture. Seasonal agriculture. Unionization does not necessarily mean higher prices for consumers. Sometimes producers-move when labor costs increase. Decisions generally go in favor of the worker. 

Introductions. Opening remarks. 

Export markets. More on importance of Farm Forum. 

Introduction. 

Agriculture from the Canadian perspective. Similarities between beef farmers. Problems between beef producers on both sides of the border. 

Differences between America and Canada with regards to agriculture. Concept of an international wheat agreement. Canadian Wheat Program. 

Canadian marketing co-ops-. Stability of domestic market is their primary concern. Voluntary crop insurance funds. 

Tariffs the U.S. levies interfere with free market and open trade for many Canadian- products. Canadian soy beans. Example of corn market in U.S. and Canada. 

Eugene F. Whelan--Press Conference. 

Effect of American farmers' strikes on Canadian farmers. New Food Strategy now being implemented in Canada. 

Progress on an international wheat agreement. 

Discussions with Bob Bergland. He doesn't have as much power as Bergland does. 

Present administration of U.S. agrees with many of Canada's agricultural policies.- Competition between Canada and the U.S. for grain markets. Domestic price of wheat is stable in Canada. 

He, too, was once a farm organizer and understands the position of the striking farmers in the U.S. 

The Canadian Wheat Board and their pooling system. Feed grain sold off the board.