It was a historic occasion as the leadership of farm organizations as philosphically different as the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) and the National Farmers Union (NFU) sat down together in St. Louis April 27, 1999, and hammered out a consensus on issues affecting U.S. agriculture. Representatives of 27 other farm organizations were also in attendance.
 

 "This is truly a historic day for family farm agriculture," Leland Swenson, NFU president said of the National Agricultural Summit. "We have forged a strong consensus from a very diverse group of organizations that will better allow us to speak with a common voice before Congress and the administration. We are extremely pleased with the level of unity shown here and the effort by all of the organizations involved to work together on behalf of family farmers and ranchers."

Summit participants ratified a common set of Principles of Agreement in the four issue areas as well as a joint statement on the gathering and its objectives.

Individuals serving as facilitators for the gathering included former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland, former Governor of North Dakota George Sinner, Iowa State University professor Neal Harl, and Auburn University professor Robert Taylor.

The following groups participated in the event:
 

• Alabama Farmers Federation
• American Agriculture Movement
• American Corn Growers Association
• American Farm Bureau Federation
• American Sheep Industry Association
• American Soybean Association
• American Sugarbeet Growers Association.
• Burley and Dark Leaf Tobacco Association
• Burley Tobacco Growers Cooperative Association
• Florida Sugar Cane League
• Georgia Peanut Commission
• National Association of Wheat Growers
• National Barley Growers Association
• National Catholic Rural Life Conference
• National Cattlemen's Beef Association
• National Corn Growers Association
• National Cotton Council
• National Family Farm Coalition
• National Farmers Organization
• National Farmers Union
• National Grain Sorghum Producers Association
• National Grange
• National Milk Producers Federation
• National Peanut Growers Group
• National Pork Producers Council
• National Sunflower Association
• Organization for Competitive Markets
• USA Rice Federation
• Women Involved in Farm Economics