The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1920-11-11
WINDSOR COUNTY FARMERS
Make Good Showing in Joining the
Farm Bureau.

| farm bureau.
That the Windsor county farm bu'
reau meant business when it voted at
T, the annual meeting in Barnard to JON
the national farm bureau program IS
shown by the progress made to date
in the campaign for members on tho
basis of $40 annual dues, as lSs mem
beers have signed up during the past
three weeks of campaign and these
| are confined to small section OF the
county. The town of Woodstock has
responded with memberships from %
| out of a possible "A farmers in the
| town and Barnard has done even bet
! ter. showing over IS per cent of the
| farmers as members of the farm bu-
reau The campaign Is proceeding IN
| other towns in the northern end OF the
county with equal success. total OF
over 1900 farmers in the county VIII
have the opportunity to join the farm
| bureau on the new plan.
With the additional income from
large number of members on the $40
basis, it is expected that the farm bu-
reau will be able to render better serv-
ice in the way of supporting crop and
dairy improvement, and to encourage
cooperative buying and marketing,
within the county and state 1t will
also help to develop a better home
demonstration and boys and girls de-
partments. These things, combined
with the program of the national farm
bureau federation, certainly make a
worthwhile goal. Windsor county was
the first in Vermont TO organize a
farm bureau and has been a leader
from that time. Addison county in
Vermont forestalled her only by few
weeks in joining the national organi-
cation with members on the $40 basis.
Addison county now has nearly 300
members.
However, the initial step in actively
correlating the farm bureau with CO.
operative business enterprise still rests
with Windsor county. The Farmers
Cooperative exchange has been in sue
cessful operation in the county nearly
two years. 1t has proved its worth by
saving its members more than 10 per
cent in their purchases of grain, feeds
and fertilizer and selling of potatoes,
Under the present plan the $40 dues
in the farm bureau also cover a nomi-
nal 50-cent membership in the farmers
exchange and farmers are required to
be farm bureau members iTfI order to
take advantage of the exchange prices
and service.
Farmers are backing up the coopera
tive exchange with honest money. Last
June it was voted to authorize $4,000
of capital stock to insure credit and de-
velop the business generally. The
shares have par value of SIS, and
their sale is being actively conducted
along with the securing of members
for the farm bureau. Nearly $1,000 of
capital stock has been subscribed by
farmers in the same territory covered
by the farm bureau, as mentioned
above. A large number of the farmers
joining the farm bureau are taking one
or more shares of the capital stock of
the exchange. At one of the communi
ty meetings held on Rochester, every
farmer present joined the farm bureau
and took one or more shares of stock
in the exchange.
The cooperative exchange has been
of particular benefit in purchasing feed
in carloads at low prices. 1t also Sc
cured fertilizer last spring when other
sources in the county were unable to
deliver it. Advantageous sales of po-
tatoes, both table stock and certified |
seed potatoes, have been made for |
growers, through the exchange.
The fact that the farmers of the |
county are supporting these organiza-
tions in such solid manner can mean |
but one thing-that they are con
WINGED that farmers business must be !
handled by farmers in business like |
way.
The program of the American farm |
bureau federation certainly deserves
this kind of support from every farm
er in New England. Its policy of un-
qualified defence of American farmers |
interests seems right from every stand
point
The need of a large central organi-
cation to serve the interests of cooper
alive purchasing and marketing is cas-
lily seen, and the best method of carry
ing on the work is strong support of |
each local cooperative enterprise.
Farmerowned cooperative mills and
plants, as well as ware
house and factories for packing farm
products in New England, are not i'm
possible under such a system.
w. Il. d. Rummell of Che American
farm bureau federation and +. II. Alb
bott of the Eastern States Farmers
exchange are assisting in the cam
paign.