Subseries 1a - Administrative policy records, 1934-1975, bulk: 1964-1969

Subseries 1a contains the administrative files of Marshall O. Watkins, Director/Dean for Extension for the years 1964-1969, and includes administration and extension biennial reports as well as documents regarding Farm Management, the Florida Farm Bureau, the Soil Conservation Service, and efforts to assist low-income groups. Files on various subcommittees usually consist of a statement of purpose, a plan of action (ranging in quality from generalizations about the future of farming to lists of specific objectives), minutes of meetings, narrative reports, and a yearly assessment of progress.

Operation DARE (Developing Agricultural Resources Effectively), begun by Agricultural Provost E. T. York in 1964, inaugurated some organizational realignment within the extension service and a re-evaluation of the technical competency of staff. DARE's stated objective was to delineate emerging trends in agriculture so as to design effective marketing strategies for Florida growers amid intense national and international competition, and to forecast market trends to offset disparities between consumer demand and commodity production. A more important underlying objective of DARE was that of closely synchronizing IFAS and industry policies and goals. A strong effort was undertaken to involve industry in the conceptualization and implementation of the DARE program at every level. DARE consisted of a principal Coordination Committee and subordinate county committees whose responsibility it was to ascertain both the availability of natural resources and labor for farming, and the current adequacy of market outlets.

Several files document the activities of the labor subcommittees and the material and social conditions of rural workers including dilapidated housing, poor health, and inadequate medical facilities as well as family instability.

This subseries is arranged alphabetically by subject, with larger individual files broken down by year.