The archivist will travel throughout the state to collect and preserve personal papers, letters, photographs, memorabilia and other materials that tell the history of rural and farm women in Iowa from the nineteenth century to the present.
Many women believe their lives have been insignificant.
By gathering the papers of rural and farm women from all corners of the state, including those now working off the farm, we will illuminate the vital roles these women have played in our state's history. Mason said the collected materials will be available at the Iowa Women's Archives to students, scholars and others interested in researching women and farm issues. Guides to each collection within the project will be accessible globally through the World Wide Web. The IFBF is the state's largest general farm organization and is dedicated to improving net farm income and the quality of rural life in the state. More than 159,000 Iowans are IFBF members.