The Monett times., 1921-05-20
HISTORY OF FARM
BUREAU FEDERATION
BY Ronald Campbell.

that is for every thing that is gooc
for the farmer that is not harmful
to society. This is the definition
4 given by Chester H. Gray, president
of the Missouri Farm Bureau FEEDER
alton. The State Federation started
on March "a, 1915 when a meeting
was called at Slater, Mo-, by the
county agents and Farm Bureau
leaders. The purpose of the meeting
was three in number
First, that the officials of the
various County Farm Bureaus Boards
might gain fuller understanding of
the scope of the great movement under
their administration;
Second, that the Bureaus assembled
might gain valuable information by
! general exchange of experience; and
Third, that the farm Bureaus of the
several counties of Missouri might be
united in single organization for
! the advancement of the County Agent
movement and the Agricultural in
terests of Missouri.
The state organization was formed
and a constitution and by laws were
drawn up and adopted at this meet
ing. The new organization was called
Missouri Association of County Farm
Bureau Boards. It's membership con-
sisted of the Farm Bureau Boards
in the various Counties. The fee for
each County Farm Bureau joining the
Association was $500 year.
| There were only 10 counties repre-
sented at their first meeting. They
were Buchanan, Carroll, Cooper,
jackson, Johnson, Knox, Marion,
Pettis, Saline and st. Francis.
At this first meeting a Resolution
was adopted which reads: 1t is fur
ther resolved that steps be taken by
this organization looking forward
toward the formation of national
Farm Bureau organization.
As far back as 1915 these men of
destiny laid the foundation of the new
great and powerful State and Ma
tional Farm Bureau Organization.
These same counties have met every
year at differert places and every
time enlarged upon the plans of help
for agriculture. Year after year has
seen more counties added to these first
ten until today there are sixty-five
| Coubties with strong, vigorous
organizations with County Agents at
their heads. The Farm Bureau move
ment is the greatest movement of its
kind ever ATTEMPTED nv anv body of
! farmers in American history. Today
the National Farm Bureau has 46 of
! the 48 States in our Union cllied in the
National Federation, with member
shin of over 100000 wide awake,
ambitious. red blooded American
farmers demanding square deal for
! themselves and the consumer.
The county organizations realiZ-
ing that they alone could do very lit
tie bv themselves, allied with the
other county bureaus and made q
state organization. After they had
wade stqte nrrarization thew saw
the follv of only state organization
without the protection of the other
states in that as state against At
when it came to selling their eXport
rrodrcts they we're helpless, for these
| gamblers and BUYERS could and would
combine against them to buy where
they were, as sheep in den of wolves
without any protection in the selling.
So on November IL and 10, 1919, 35
State federations met at Chicago and
formed the American Farm Bureau
Federation. Now that the Bureau
has all but two states in the organiz-
alton or in ether words Mississippi
and Georgia, and they are almost
ready to come in as state organiz-
ations the Bureau realizes that the
American Agricultural problem is not
yet solved. We must deal in inter-
national affairs.
President J. r. Howard of the
American Farm Bureau Federation
appointed the committee of II to study
the farmers problems on his grain as
to marketing, the committee of Is to
study live stock, the committee of 21
to study the fruit problem and the
many other committees on tobacco,
wool, milk, cotton, fertilizer, legis-
lation, rural credits, rural conditions,
publicity, etc. The committee of II
is the only committee to make a COM
plete report and under their report
it will now in necessity mean the
extension to an International organiz-
alton in that we must have American
Farmer representatives in every
civilized country in the world 70
keep us. posted on the markets in these
different countries and create de-
,,apd FOr. Avoor;can o.,.in,,ltl