The Agri-Venture game , introduced in 1974 , was based on actual farm situation loan procedures of the Farm Credit banks and associations . The obstacles and hazards in the game were designed to teach the player how to manage assets while providing them with hours of family fun . Game provided by Richard Detring .
Farmers , ranchers , and other agricultural entities borrowed $ 45 billion from the Farm Credit System during 1978 , up 15.9 percent from the year before . Then the bottom dropped out . The value of the U . S . dollar declined . Collateral values dropped while interest rates increased . Farmers found themselves holding huge surpluses and reduced incomes with which to repay their over-extended loans . It was , as some have called it , the perfect storm .
At the beginning of 1980 , the Farm Credit System was a $ 57 billion cooperative , estimated to pass the $ 100 billion mark in loans by 1985 but indications pointed to a downturn in the farm financial picture . Net farm income was expected to drop from around $ 32 billion in 1979 to around $ 25 billion for 1980 . It was an equally difficult time for Farm Credit System employees , many of whom struggled to keep their own farms going . Employees worked long days seven days a week to keep
The Dale Dirck family , was featured in the September / October 1979 issue of Farming magazine .
their member farmers in business . Officers and directors visited struggling farmers and were forced to make many
The sign goes up as a finishing touch to the new Jefferson City office , 1980 .
The PCA Conference for employees in 1981 . Front row : Pam Ballard , Pam Crawford , Joyce Borgmeyer , Kris Kunze , Dorothy Kremer . Back row : Pat Kloeppel , Wanda Borman , Jan Priesendorf , Peggy Moon , Roy Pittrich , Mickey Shipp , Mary Wiswall , Verna Koechner , Lola Mae Pittrich , Carol Shipp , Marie Luebbering .
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