The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-12-14
FARM BUREAU Is OF MUTUA,
BENEFIT.
By Alex. MacVittie.

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Farm Bureau organization is an
absolute necessity, not alone to the
county agent, but to the farmers of
the county as well. The county agent
requires Bureau organization for
the reason that it brings him in con-
tact with larger number of people
than he would otherwise meet, and
therefore makes his services worth
much more to the county, as well as
giving the county some of the benefits
to which they are entitled from the
office.
With an organization in each COM
munity in the county, it is possible for
the county agent to become better ac-
quainted with the particular REQUIRE
ments of the communities and the
county as a whole, since farmers of
each locality are better acquainted
with the local conditions. In addi-
tion, it furnishes the county agent
with the advice of the better farmers
of the county, if the organization is
made up as it should be, and every
one is working with the one end in
view Of improving the agricultural
conditions in that county. The coun-
ty agent being able to call into con-
ference the better farmers of the
county means that, not only are the
better farmers cooperating, one with
another, but the same farmers and
the agent are cooperating to that one
common end of improving agricultur-
al conditions, and they are doing it
from the best knowledge that the
couty possesses. The fact of the mat
ter is every county possesses from 25
to l50 farmers who are doing things
about as well as they can be done any,
how; the only difficulty is that many
OF these farmers are "hiding their
candles under bushel" and invaria-
bly, this is due to disposition of re-
tirement or undue modesty on their
part.
The county agent, through the or
ganization, will acquire a better un-
derstanding of just what are the best
practices and policies to be carried
out in each local community, and it
will therefore mean that his knowledge
and efforts are not dissipated in ex-
perimentation, but that he gets imme-
diately to the real problems of that
community, and assists in solution
of these problems.
The organization is an absolute ne.
cessity to the farmer because it af-
fords him the closest association to
any progressive movement from an
agricultural standpoint. The really
worthwhile things that are being ac-
complished in counties today are be-
ing accomplished through Farm Bu-
reau organizations. The bureau af-
fords the farmer an opportunity to
carry out neighborly cooperation,
which, through the various branches
of the organization, will become coun-
ty-wide, rather than limited to his
own sections.
1t is necessity from the standpoint
of education in the best farm practi-
ces, and brings the farmer in concen-
trated, usable form, which is appli-
cable to his particular local situation,
much of the technical information
which has gone out in the form of bull
letins, which, heretofore, in most in
stances, have been used as shaving
papers. 1t is an absolute necessity
to the farmers from this standpoint:
He is investing money in the employ
ment of the county agent, and, in or
der to realize on that investment as
he should, he must have Farm Bu-
reau organization to work through, as
it is physical impossibility for the
county agent to give to him personal
5y, and to all the other farmers of the
county, the attention which they
should receive.