Minnesota Farm Economy Oral History Project: Interview with Merle Allen

Titles: Minnesota Farm Economy Oral History Project: Interview with Merle Allen (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Born on his father's farm in Clay County, Minnesota, on January 31, 1908, Allen has spent his life actively engaged in farming and its many facets. Due to the poor health of his father, Allen was pressed into helping on the family farm at the age of twelve and did so until 1933. He then moved to his own farm, which he ultimately bought in 1946. Allen has raised potatoes, sugarbeets, and grains, with sugarbeets being his main crop. He helped form the Sugar Beet Growers Association in 1936 and served on its board until 1942. He also served as the local REA (Rural Electrification Administration) chairperson from 1951 1972 and as a county commissioner. He has now retired and his sons have continued to farm. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background when and where his parents immigrated, the family farm; the Great Depression its effects on prices; prices in general for his crops; the trucking industry; sugarbeets farming, equipment; corporate farming versus family farming; reasons for the decline of the family farm.

Dates

• 05/02/1989 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Allen, Merle
• interviewer: Robertson, Margaret A.

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 76
• Accession Number: AV1988.167.14

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Minnesota Farm Economy Oral History Project' <OH 76>

Quantity: 1.5 hour sound cassette 27 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Measurements

• 90 minutes length

Subjects

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