1970s – 1980s Anti-Corporate Farming

Volume 4, Number 4, Fall 1976, by Roger Blobaum Probably no other nation had a stronger commitment to a system of family-operated farms and ranches than the United States prior to World War II. The Homestead Act was only one of many laws enacted to carry out the agrarian policies of Jefferson and others who shaped our national institutions more than 200 years ago. But our country began backing away from this commit­ment in the 1940’s, and we have seen a growing reluctance to challenge agribusiness and other outside forces chang­ing the basic structure of agricultural production. Family farms are still praised in political campaigns. And farm bills still include preambles citing their many contribu­tions. But the performance no longer matches the promises, and the result has been a steady increase in corporate in­volvement in agricultural production and the loss of more than three million farms over the past 25 years. The majority of our policymakers apparently feel that this rural upheaval, even with its heavy human costs, is both desirable and inevitable. But many individuals — farm and city alike—are beginning to question these assumptions and raise critical questions about how our food is produced and how our agricultural…

Publisher: Ballantine Books; March 12, 1975 Wresting Agriculture from Corporate Farmers by Roger Blobaum The issue of corporate involvement in agriculture and concentration of land ownership is the farm policy issue of the 1970’s . . . A recent Minneapolis Tribune poll showed 76 per­cent of the people saying they consider the family farm an efficient method of food production, 95 per­cent feeling it is important to continue the family farm as a way of life, and 57 percent saying they feel corporate farming is a bad development. Yet 71 per­cent said they felt that corporations will be producing most of the nation’s food by the end of this century.

January 29, 1974 Mr. Chairman, I appreciated very much your invitation to participate in this series of hearings on foreign investments in land, grain terminals, packing plants, and other facilities in this country. Although my work as a consultant involves several policy areas, I have concentrated on the issue of land ownership and control, particularly where large corporations are involved. I work closely with the Center for Rural Studies and other national groups involved in the land issue and was chairman of the First Midwest Land Conference last November. It dealt with several problems I want to discuss today.

Roger Blobaum April 26, 1973 I have been asked to report on the impact of corporate involvement in agriculture in the Midwest. The assignment is rather broad because the Midwest is difficult to define, even for us who live there.

By Roger Blobaum, 301 West Seneca Street, Creston, Iowa November 23, 1971 I appreciate this opportunity to appear at these hearings, to discuss the movement of conglomerates, integrators and other corporations into agriculture, and to suggest ways to document this corporate activity and bring it to the attention of those who should do something about it.