Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-07-27
FARM BUREAU
NEWS0F INTEREST
North Iowa County Agents Hold Big
Conference at Mason City
With State EXten-
sion Workers.
MARKETS AND TAXATION
WERE DISCUSSED
Commercial Club Turned Over Ele-
gantly Furnished Hall for Use
Of The Visitors.

OF The Visitors.
About twenty County Agents from
northern Iowa were called into con-
ference at Mason City on July Goth
and 21st to confer with some of the
State Extension workers in regard
to the fundamental principles of
economics evolved in cooperative
marketing and taxation. The agents
were fortunate to have the leading
speakers Dr. Nourse and DR.. Brinde-
ly of the Iowa State College.
Mr.. Roy O'Donnel, who is County
Agent at Mason City, demonstrated
in a practical way to the other
County Agents what true cooperation
means. The first surprise came on
learning that the Commercial Club
had turned over their elegantly furn-
ished hall for their use. This hall
is used by the Rotary, the Lyons,
Kiawanias, and the Commercial Club,
its furnishing being somewhat more
luxurious than the average County
Agent is accustomed to. The next
surprise came when it was announced
that luncheon would be served in the
dining hall adjoining. Seated at the
head of the table was Mr.. Barber,
who is secretary of the North Iowa
Fair, who proved himself to be a
very able speaker for the occasion.
The fact was emphasized that inten-
sive cooperation on the part of the
business man, the Fair board, the
County Agent and the County Super
visors had made it possible to build
up real live Fair in Cerro Gordo
county and had strengthened the
Farm Bureau organization as well
as promoting a proper understanding
between farmers and business men.
In the evening the Commercial
Club provided automobiles to take
the Agents to visit the fair grounds
where a mamouth new hog barn is in
the process of construction. Mr.,
Murphy, who is superintendent of
the hog department and leading
purebred auctioneer, explained to the
Agents the plan of the building in
detail, which will accommodate ap-
proximately thousand hogs, stated
that they already had entries fol
more than a half of that number and
expect TO have the building full at
the Fair. From there the party was
taken to the Schermerhorn Farms
where a speciality is made of pro-
ducing some of the best Holstein
cattle in northern Iowa and incident
ally a fine quality of milk and
cream. The cream is sold to the
local ice cream factory while the
skim milk is used for feeding the
young stock on the farm. The
Agents all commented upon the Won
derful size Of the cows and their
excellent condition.
The evening was spent in a Coun-
ty Agents IRound-Table, conducted
by County Agent Leader Mcdonald.
Interesting points were brought out
as to just what activities County
Agents should indulge in and the
fact was emphasized that their work
in the marketing project should be
more to bring information regard
ing practical methods of marketing
than to attempt to handle the actual
merchandise.
On the second day of the con-
ference, after the address by DR..
Nourse and a talk by r. A. Hole
man, who is manager of the Rock
well Cooperative Elevator, a gen.
eraI round-table discussion was con-
Quoted by Sam Thompson of the
Extension Department. Luncheon
was again prepared in the dining
room and an after dinner talk was
given by Mr.. Murphy, who was fol-
lowed by Mr.. Frank Miller who is
one of the County Supervisors of
Cerro Gordo County. He spoke at
length upon the necessity of County
Supervisors cooperating with the
County Agents in every possible de-
tail and stated that he could not
understand the attitude of supervis-
ors in any county which did not give
the Agent this cooperation.
A little trip was made out to the
Kennedy truck farm near Clear Lake
where an overhead system of irriga-
ton has recently been installed. Mr..
Kennedy has about fifty acres of
onions, forty of which he is irrigat-
ing by the overhead method.
By far, the outstanding feature of
the conference, if | may except the
spirit of cooperation and good fell
lowship which was extended the
Agents by the County Supervisors