Interview with Allen C. Franks, July 16, 1985

Interview Summary

Allen C. Franks is a farmer in Todd County, Kentucky who has vast experience working with the Cooperative Extension Service. He was born in northeast Ohio in 1934, and graduated from Ohio State University with a Bachelor's degree in Agriculture. He first became involved with the cooperative extension service in Ohio as a child when he was active in 4-H programs.

Franks and his family moved to Kentucky in 1965 where he quickly became a friend and supporter of the UK extension service. Franks talks about his farm operation where he owns 520 tillable acres and produces wheat, beans, and corn and runs a large hog operation. Franks talks about the role of the farmer in the 1980s, and his own reliance on the extension services for help in the areas in which he is not an expert, namely finances, marketing, and estate planning. He describes the help that agriculture engineers have provided in the construction of buildings on his farm.

Franks also describes his involvement with the Kentucky Farm Business Analysis Program. In December of 1981, he spoke at the National Pork Producers Council Profit Symposium on the need for farmers to keep meaningful records. He discusses breeding programs and a program on his farm to recycle swine waste. He describes his involvement with the Soil Conservation Service, and recalls being selected as the Farm Home Administration's farm family of the year and being awarded a National Soil and Water Conservation Award. He talks about his involvement with the extension finance committee where he has attempted to express to the need for more money in agricultural programs to government officials. He recalls when the Secretary of Agriculture John Block visited his farm in October of 1984. He also discusses his involvement with 4-H club programs including his work with young people from Chile and France. Franks describes the role the Farm Bureau plays for the farmers in Kentucky, namely providing representation for the farmers in Washington.

Interview Keyword

Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service

Interview LC Subject

Franks, Allen C., 1934- Franks, Allen C., 1934- --Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History University of Kentucky. Cooperative Extension Service Agriculture

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Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.