New England Agricultural Economics Council Collection

Background on New England Agricultural Economics Council Collection

The New England Research Council on Milk Marketing and Food Supply was established in 1922 as a vehicle for interstate communication and coordination on issues surrounding agricultural products. Having made significant contributions to assisting farmers in navigating the exigencies of the great Depression, the Council began to decline after passage of the federal Research and Marketing Act of 1946, which shifted the focus of support for marketing research in agricultural products away from the regional level.

When the Council was formally dissolved in 1955, a group of agricultural economists from the six state universities in New England felt the need to maintain a regional focus and reorganized as the New England Agricultural Economics Council. Through its annual conferences, proceedings, and newsletter, the NEAEC promoted education and research on agricultural economics and on the social problems surrounding the production, marketing, and consumption of agricultural products. Milk, New England's major agricultural product, remained a particular focal point.