The Skwara farm near Borden, Saskatchewan, has remained in the hands of a single family for over 70 years. The majority of that period – over 60 years – is documented in this fonds. In particular, as farmers such as the Skwaras are self-employed, details in income tax and Canadian Wheat Board permit books provide considerable insight into the changing nature of farming practices and the economic reality of farming over time. Blacksmithing costs; beekeeping; the nature of the crops being grown; diversification through livestock; cost (and availability) of transient help; and the number of acres under cultivation all combine to tell not only the personal story of one farm family, but also farming as a business. A plow, purchased in 1945 for $10.50, is replaced in 1950 by one costing $345.00; a tractor in 1967 cost more than a house in 1961.

The fonds is from Jack Arthur Howell's personal collection. It contains nine black and white photographs with matching negatives. These images are of Arthur, Ethel, and George Howell, the Howell family farm, and farming activities. There are also two more black and white photographs. One of the photographs is of the Women's Missionary Society of the United Church and the other is of a Saskatchewan Agricultural Societies convention.

Fonds includes records relating to the Department of Plant Ecology's administration, teaching and research; extension work relating to the Saskatchewan Weed Survey; and correspondence with a variety of institutions and individuals. A series of minutes and correspondence relating to the Saskatchewan Committee on the Ecology and Preservation of Grasslands (established in 1935) documents the efforts to establish permanent reserves of significant grasslands in Saskatchewan. Records of the department and personal records of R.T. Coupland have often been intermingled; in particular, this fonds includes records relating to Coupland's research and other activities.

This fonds contains research notes, articles, clippings, circulars, and reports on topics including forage crops, root studies, dairy production, settlement and migration, and the railway.

This fonds contains abstracts, research reports, and articles, including research on soil structure analysis, soils and roots, chemical herbicides, and weed control. It also includes a copy of Dr. Pavlychenko's thesis, "Root Systems of Certain Forage Crops in Relation to the Management of Agricultural Soils" and lecture notes, bibliographies, list of references and background material, including precipitation records from 1920-1950. In addition, there is a considerable amount of correspondence, both with individuals such as L.E. Kirk, G.D. Fuller, H. Ohorodnyk, and Premier Stewart Garson of Manitoba, as well as with various associations and companies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the Canadian Pacific Railway (specifically concerning weed control on railway rights of way). The fonds also contains the 35 mm black and white film "Roots in the Ground" and two video tape dubs. of that film