Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1920-12-22
Farm Bureau News
B. r: Houser, County Agent.

Farm Bureau a Constructive Move
|, nlent.
Actual paid memberships in the Mar
shall County Farm Bureau Association,
Incorporated, now totals 1875. This
means that even now over 60 per cent
Of the number of farms in Marshall
county are represented in the Mime
sofa and American Farm Bureau Fed
GRAFTON.
At this time when the fondest hopes
of Farm Bureau directors are being
realized, it would seem that no time
was better than now to take stock of
lust what is the Farm Bureau"
It is a general opinion that directors
in their zeal to put across this sanest
and safest of organizations have often
befuddled the, prospective member.
Membership has been secured but the
thing really Important is, does every
farm bureau member know just how
great a thing he has done by Joining.
A member to be sold on the Farm
Bureau idea should feel that he is
actually a very important part Of this
organized and Incorporated agricultural
force. He should feel that he has con-
sented to add his weight to this con-
structive movement created to promote
agriculture, home, and rural life move
ment, to make farming an efficient and
profitable business, to make rural home
life fuller and richer and to improve
the community life of the county as a
whole.
The underlying reasons for bringing
into existence. new rural organiza-
ton when there are number Of sub
stantial farmers organizations already
in existence were: When the depart
ment and the colleges were changed by
Congress with the administrators of
the agricultural extension act neither
clearly knew the exact agricultural
condition in each Of the counties and
localities Of the United States. They
therefore did not know just what form
Of extension work was most needed in
any particular locality; This was par,
ticularly true In the Northern and
Western states where agriculture is
greatly diversified: The logical thing
to do, therefore, as the matter appear
ed to them, was to{employa man known
as d County ents:thoroughly trained
In the service ,ofs agriculture and
familiar from experience with farm
practice, and locate him in an area not
larger than county and let him find
out from personal examination what
the agricultural situation in. that coun-
ty might be, then cooperate with the
farmers putting on demonstrations t.
show better methods in the particular
phases of agriculture needing attention
in that county. That was the first big
idea in the organization of County
Farm Bureaus, and a step nearer the
farmers than the Z. s. Department of
Agriculture or the colleges had ever
before come,
Very soon it was seen that if the
County Agent was to learn in any COM
prehensive way the agricultural situa-
ton in the county he must counsel with
farmers in every section of that county
men who had lived their lives there
and made their living from the farm
and thereforesknew it's peculiarities in
timately, and many Of whom also had
acquired facts and skill not generally
applied in the community but which
were worthy Of much wider applica-
ton. That was the second idea in the
development of the Farm Bureau.
(Further and complete development
to be continued next week).
Farm Bureau Bankers Conference at
Cr0Okst0n.
At the joint conference of Northwest
Farm Bureau Members and Bankers at
Crookston, on December 10th, Mr.
Mosher, Of the Ninth District Federal
Reserve, advised Is per cent liquida-
ton Of farm crops now in the hands of
the northwest farmers. Banks from
the twin cities and adjoining counties
were well represented at this meeting
and all presented solid front of the
need Of relief through even partial
even with prices where they
are.
. Mr.. L. E. Potter, president of the
Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation,
exploded bomb In the meeting just
before adjournment when In the face
Of great odds he counseled that al
though he had vet no specific reason
for thinking anything wrong, that he
could not understand why big business
interests were continually advising the
farmer to lquidate. He further ad-
vised the farmers to hold out a while