The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1920-12-30
CONSTRUCTIVE MOVE.
Farm Bureau Created to Promote
Farming and Make the Occu-
patton More Profitable.
Also to Make Home Life Fuller and
Richer and to Encourage the
Community Spirit.

farm extension agents at Lafayette
Ind, recently c. B. Smith, chief Of tn
office Of extension work of the Unite,
States department of agriculture, de
livercd most instructive speech OF
the creation, development and educa
tional activities of the farm burea,
from which we quote the following:
The farm bureau was created tx
promote agriculture, home and rura
life movement, to make farming al
efficient and profitable business, tt
make rural home life fuller and richer
and to improve the community life Of
the country as whole.
The United States department Of
agriculture is more largely response.
BILE than any other agency for the de-
velopment of farm bureaus in this
! country. Their organization, III Co
operation with the colleges of agri-
culture, was begun as far back as 1911
three years before the Smith-Lever
act was passed. They were intended
to be then, and fundamentally ere to-
day, county extension organizations
or institutions. Up to the time of our
entrance into the war there were a
number of forms of these county ex-
tension organizations generally, but
not always called farm bureaus; but
with the giving to the United States
department. Of agriculture of large
sums of money by congress for the
completion Of the county agent sys-
tenn the department., in corporation
with the colleges Of agriculture, as a
war measure, aggressively encouraged
the development Of rather uniform
and definite form of farm bureau.
The underlying reasons for bring
ing into existence new rural organi-
cation when there are a number. Of
substantial farmers organizations al
ready in existence were:
When the department and the col
leges were charged by congress with
the administration of the agricultural
extension act neither clearly knew the
exact agricultural conditions 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 particu-
uar locality. This was particularly
true in the northern and western
states, where agriculture is greatly
diversified. The logical thing to do,
therefore, as the matter appeared to
them, was to employ a man known as
a county agent, thoroughly trained in
the science Of agriculture and familiar
from experience with farm practice,
and locate him in an area not larger
than a county and let him find out
from personal examination what the
agricultural situation in that county
might be, then cooperate with the
farmers in putting on demonstrations
to show better methods in the particu-
lar phases of agriculture needing at
tention in that county. That was the
first big idea in the organization Of
county farm bureaus, and step near
er the farmers than the department
or the colleges had ever been before.
Very soon it was seen that if the
county agent was to learn in any
comprehensive way the agricultural
situation in the county he must counsel
with farmers in every section of the
county-men who had lived their lives
there and made their living from the
farm and therefore knew it's peculiari-
ties intimately, and many of whom al
so had acquired facts and skill not
generally applied in the community,
but which were worthy of much wider
application. That was the second big
idea in the development of the farm
bureau.
It was then discovered that if any
thing was going to be accomplished
in the way Of improving agriculture
and rural conditions not only must the
trained scientist and the farmers
counsel together, but they must FORM
ulate a fundamental and continuing
policy Of work and development in the
county, not only for one season but
for whole year or period Of years
That was the third big idea in the
farm bureau movement, viz, the sit
ting in counsel Of the trained agents
Of the government with trained far
mers entirely familiar with local con-
ditions and local problems, and both
contributing to the working out Of |
such q longtime program; co-opera-
lion between farmers and agents Of
The government in the closest and most
intimate way.
It soon developed that there were