Farmer and activist. Merle Elwin Hansen(1919- 2009) was born on his family's farm, north of Newman Grove, Nebraska. After serving in World War II, he returned to farming. He also owned a fertilizer business and was active in Charolais cattle buying and breeding. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Hansen was active in agricultural political groups, such as Nebraskans for Peace, the American Agricultural Movement, and the U.S. Farmers Association.
In 1983, Hansen was a founding member of the North American Farm Alliance. NAFA was a loose coalition of pro-farm organizations as well as some labor and community organizations. Hansen was also involved with The Farmers Union, the National Farmers Organization, and worked with Reverend Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition as Agricultural Advisor.
From the description of Papers, 1932-1999. (Iowa State University). WorldCat record id: 43958236
