October 10, 1975 - When harvest time arrives in the northern plains farmers go into the fields to harvest the crop. This story is primarily a montage of sounds of the harvest including combines, farm machinery, and a farmer’s reflections.
October 13, 1975 - MPR’s Steve Monroe interviews Jerry Perkins, a farmer near Worthington about the corn yield this year. Perkins discusses various harvesting challenges, including weather and where do you cut down on the use of fuel at the expense of crop loss in the field?
October 18, 1975 - An interview with June Sochen, feminist historian of Illinois State University, who talks about the life and challenges of women in the frontier and on the prairies.
November 28, 1975 - John Millhone, Minnesota Energy Director, speaking to the Minnesota Farmers Union on energy and agriculture. In speech, Millhone suggests new techniques which farmers might use to conserve energy, saying that present farming techniques are reaching a point of diminishing returns due to energy crisis.
August 5, 1976 - An address by educator-farmer-writer Hiram Drache on the family farm and the future of American farming before a conference on rural America, held in Crookston, Minnesota. The speech is titled "Agriculture in the Year 2000."
August 9, 1976 - An address by futurist author Robert Theobald before a conference on rural America, held in Crookston, Minnesota. The speech is titled "The Role of Rural America in the Year 2000."
August 16, 1976 - Excerpts from Conference on Rural America held in July at Crookston, Minnesota. Father John McRaith, director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference, spoke about land use and the future of rural America; and Father William Ryan, director of the Center of Concern in Washington, D.C., discussed options in international politics. William Ryan’s speech was titled “Toward a New International and Political Order” John McRaith’s speech was titled “People, Justice, Land (Suggestions for Rural America)”
August 31, 1976 - Midday presents a special report on the drought in the southwestern Minnesota. Report provides speeches, interviews, and commentary from climatologists, scientists, government officials, and residents as they respond to the crisis. Topics include climate change and cloud seeding.
October 1, 1976 - "Preserving the Rural Environment" was discussed at the Conversations in the Countryside conference held this summer at Southwest State University in Marshall. Speakers were Stewart Udall, a former Secretary of the Interior and Charles Reinert, an Associate Professor of Physics at Southwest State University. Moderator of the discussion was Morris Behrman, a farmer from Wood Lake. Another participant was Clint Haroldson, a farmer from Renville, who served as a resource person for the discussion. The program began with some formal remarks from Udall.
November 30, 1976 - An MPR Special, titled “Power Line Dispute,” looks into the controversy over high voltage power lines planned in numerous rural counties in order to bring additional electrical power to Minnesota and the Twin Cities.