Minnesota Farm Advocate Oral History Project: Interview with Don and Jan Boll

Titles: Minnesota Farm Advocate Oral History Project: Interview with Don and Jan Boll (Supplied title)

Description: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: The Bolls first came into contact with the Minnesota Farm Advocate Program in 1984 through financial problems on their own farm. Jan became an Advocate that same year and continues as such. Don joined the program later, working with Jan under a single Advocate contract. They are still having financial difficulties. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: The Bolls describe both positive and negative aspects of serving as Advocates. They enjoy helping other farmers with financial problems and find that the experience they gain helps them better manage their own farm. They feel that they can only really help farmers who are willing to change and who are finally able to take over their own paper work and planning. But there have been very few positive financial outcomes among their clients. Many farmers are discouraged. Some of their own clients have talked of or attempted suicide. They ascribe a great deal of blame for the financial state of family farms to governmental agencies (such as the FmHA and Farm Credit Services). Such agencies often refuse to assist farmers without regard for the merit of their individual financial proposals, or even refuse to decide whether or not to provide such assistance. Also, big corporations are moving in and abusing farm programs. The Bolls also describe problems within the Advocate Program itself, some structural and some personal.

Dates

• 05/23/1988 (Creation)

Creation

• interviewee: Boll, Don
• interviewee: Boll, Mrs. Jan
• interviewer: Hunter, Dianna
• interviewer: Meter, Ken

Identifiers

• Library Call Number: OH 37
• Accession Number: AV1991.158.2

Holding Type: Oral History - Interview

Project

• Oral History - Project, MHS Collection, project: 'Minnesota Farm Advocate Oral History Project' <OH 37>

Quantity: 1.5 hours sound cassette 67 pages transcript

Format

• Content Category: sound recordings
• Content Category: text

Subjects

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