LOOKS LIKE.

>> Eric: THANK YOU.

>> CATHY: THANKS SO MUCH, YOU TWO.

AS WE JUST NOTED, AMERICA'S 250TH IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

PART OF OUR LOOK BACK HERE AT TWIN CITIES PBS IS A "MINNESOTA EXPERIENCE" DOCUMENTARY PREMIERING ON MONDAY THAT GOES BACK TO AMERICA'S 200TH BIRTHDAY AND THE YEARS LEADING UP TO THE BICENTENNIAL IN MINNESOTA.

HERE'S AN EXCERPT FROM THAT FILM, "SUMMER OF '76," THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE BICENTENNIAL VERSION OF FARMFEST.

TAKE A LOOK.

♪♪ >> FARMFEST, BILLED AS AMERICA'S BICENTENNIAL SALUTE TO AGRICULTURE, IT HAD A LOT GOING FOR IT AS FAR AS THE CONCEPT AND THE IDEAS.

RIGHT UTSIDE OF LAKE CRYSTAL, MINNESOTA, AND THIS IS BLUE EARTH COUNTY, A VERY LARGE AREA ON A COUPLE OF FARMS, FROM THIS HILL THAT'S ALL SEEDED IN ALFALFA RIGHT NOW, HAT'S GOING TO BE THE GRAND STAND AREA.

IT WAS SET UP WITH EXHIBITS AROUND AGRICULTURE, A FARM MACHINERY.

THERE WAS EVEN A MUSEUM OF AMERICAN AGRICULTURE.

THEY HAD A NUMBER OF BIG NAME PERFORMERS.

EVERYBODY FROM LORETTA LYNN TO GLEN CAMPBELL.

THIS WAS A PERIOD IN AMERICAN SOCIETY WHEN WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A RAPID TRANSFORMATION FROM AN AGRICULTURE SOCIETY TO ONE THAT'S MORE URBAN AND POST-INDUSTRIAL.

AT THE SAME IME, AGRICULTURE WAS STILL A SIGNIFICANT PILLAR OF AMERICA'S ECONOMY.

>> THIS WAS A TIME WHEN MINNESOTA'S FARMERS WERE EXPERIENCING HIGH ANXIETY, WITH ONE OF THE WOSHESZ DROUGHTS IN THE STATE'S HISTORY LEADING TO DEVASTATING LOSSES.

AND JUST A YEAR EARLIER, PRESIDENT FORD VETOED A FARM BILL THAT WOULD HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY HELPED FARMERS.

FARMFEST WAS MEANT TO BOOST MORALE N RURAL AREAS WHILE ELEVATING THE IMPORTANCE OF FARMERS IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION.

AS THIS WAS ALSO AN ELECTION YEAR, JIMMY ARTER AND HIS RUNNING MATE, WALTER MONDALE -- >> THAT THE CONSUMERS CANNOT AFFORD TO BUY.

>> IF IT HAD BEEN SOMETHING OF LESS SIGNIFICANCE, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SHOWN UP.

BUT THEY DID.

>> WHILE ORGANIZERS HAD HIGH HOPES TO ATTRACT OVER A MILLION PEOPLE TO FARMFEST.

TORRENTIAL RAINS AND MUDDY CONDITIONS KEPT THE ATTENDANCE TO A STILL IMPRESSIVE 300,000.

>> WE LOOK BACK NOW AND THINK IT AS A LARGE DISAPPOINTMENT.

HOWEVER, STILL AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE FOUND THEIR WAY TO BLUE EARTH COUNTY, MINNESOTA.

POLITICAL CANDIDATES SHOWED UP, BECAUSE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL VOTERS AND SMALL TOWN VOTERS WERE STILL A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF GETTING