disputes, should son/daughter go to college or
just start farming. Once I had a visit on
Christmas day from a member wanting to get
married and asking my advice.  No bad
experiences here that I can remember, but
occasionally you feel like you need pastoral
training for this job.  In college, I majored
first in engineering and later in animal
science, with the usual general courses
required.  At that time I could see no reason
to take Psychology 101, but it was required.  I
soon learned psychology was just as
important as my training in Animal Science
& Agronomy classes.  Psychology plays a
huge part in presenting what you think is the
right decision.  People don’t like change and
sometimes resist advice from someone
“outside”.  How you present the idea of a
change makes a world of difference.  Also,
you need to gain that person’s trust before
they will accept your ideas for solving the
problem.  Using the past analysis data makes
it easier to show that person his weaknesses
and find his operation’s strengths.  And
sometimes, the individual goes in exact the
opposite direction, but we are only Advisors.

Well, I never made it back to farming, but I
frequently tell my members that the best
consultant is only “one step off the tractor”
physically and mentally.  And yes, I still have
a small touch with farming, as I have been
helping one of my friends with his harvest the
last two falls.  This occupation is not a “job”;
it is something you have to experience to
understand the satisfaction you get from
helping farm families with their financial
problems, tax problems and some times their
personal problems.  I shall always remember
all the good times of the past 38 years.

»

Phil Benge

 

Unless, the snow blocked the lane or the
plows couldn’t keep up with the drifting. 
Visit schedules were approximate—the
weather ruled.  In a few years, it became
apparent to me that I really liked the tax
work and that is probably why I stayed
here so long.  The only time I regretted
doing tax was in the 70’s when the IRS
hit the farmers with many audits.  I had
about 25-30 audits in two years. 

In my first years, you almost always
were invited to eat lunch with the farm
family and some still insist that you eat
with them.  One member always
commented that the wife never did feed
him decent food unless I or other
company was there to eat---not true, but
he loved to tease his spouse.  I was thin
then and I don’t know how I stayed that

way for a long time, as the food was
always excellent and plentiful—plus I
have no will power when it comes to
eating.  Everyone seemed to have coffee
and donuts, rolls or pie for those mid
morning or afternoon breaks.  I should
have weighed 300 lbs.  With all those
breaks, I drank so much coffee and I
finally had to learn to drink iced tea for
something different. 

In 1963 or 1964, the Farm Analysis
moved into the computer world. 
Individual farm data was entered onto an
input form, sent to the Iowa Farm
Business Association State Office in
Ames for data entry into a computer and
then sent by a modem to ISU Data
Processing Center mainframe for
processing and printing.    The individual
farm depreciation schedules were
handled the same way.  At that time, IRS
required copies of the depreciation
schedule to be attached to the returns. 
Occasionally there would be a keypunch
error so we had to rerun those farms or
submit corrections the next summer and
hand correct the individual schedules. 
The Association Comparative Analysis
average runs were also printed in Ames
and mailed to us.  Annual Analysis
meetings were held to show trends,
averages, and to distribute the
Comparative analysis printouts to each
farmer/member.

Sometimes a consultant gets involved in
rather personal matters--father and son

FOUNDATION

NEWS

The publication of the book “Glimpses, Iowa’s Rural Legacy” has been an amazing instrument in reaching people interested in the history of family farms and the historical and cultural glimpses of rural life in 20^th century Iowa.

The book has also brought about the creation of an “Adult” education course titled “Iowa’s Rural Heritage”.  Paul Lasley, Heil Harl and Jim Almquist are the instructors for this 1½ hour class held Monday afternoons at the Scheman Building on the ISU campus September 19-November 7.  This is an eight session class and seems to be extremely well attended with 61 participants.

 The students will have an opportunity to share their own stories, through short stories, personal biographies, artifacts and photographs.  The course will explore the importance of  personal accounts of one’s life journey and how these personal biographies can be preserved and shared.

The class is being offered through the “College for Seniors” at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.  These classes are available for adults aged 50+.  For more information or a catalog on classes available call 515-294-3830.

 

 

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“38 Years—Looking Back”— Continued from Page 1

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