Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1921-03-02
M'kERROW EX-
PLAINS FARM
BUREAU PLAN

The County Farm Bureau meetings
last week were addressed by Geo.
NIcKerrow, of Waukesha, President of
the State Farm Bureau Federation.
Mr.. McKerrow took up the history,
organization and workings OF the
Farm Bureau in their respective
order
The Farm Bureau started in a
county in New York about ten years
ago, where county organized to
work with the county agent for better
agriculture. This was reported to the
Dept. of Agriculture at Washington,
D. c., and from there it was published
and made known The u. S. Dept. of
Agriculture advised other counties in
the several states to try it out, and
soon states became organized. The
several organized states got together
and organized a National Farm Bur-
eau Federation, and that is how it
got started. Today there are forty-six
states organized and 100000 farmers
are now members.
The State of Wisconsin has fifteen
organized counties and ten more have
made applications. Twelve thousand
farmers make up the membership in
the several organized counties.
The organization OF the Farm Bur-
eau very closely represents the
regular county government system.
There is a chairman in each town
ship, chosen by the members of the
! township, and they make up the coun-
| ty Farm Bureau Board. The Farm
| Bureau Board choose a county presi-
dent, secretary and treasurer. The
county president represents the coun-
| ty at the State Farm Bureau meeting
and they choose q president and board
| OF directors. The board OF directors
| hire a secretary and the State Presi-
| dents in turn, again represent the
! States at the national meeting and
| in that way a simple plan of Organiza-
| ton is followed out.
| The requirements for membership,
are that a man must be a farmer re-
| tired or active so long as he is land
owner, or he might be land renter.
| The membership fee is ten dollars
per year, per family. Fifty cents of
| this goes to the National fund, where
| it is used for investigation work and
the bringing about of better laws for
to the State fund and this is used
| tor state organization work and the
rest, or seven dollars and fifty cents,
stays in the county for county work.
The constitution contains a clause
which states that no man holding an
office in the Farm Bureau can run for
political office while he is Farm
Bureau official, ana II he does he
/ h
eau office.
:! Mr.. McKerrow took specific pains
to explain that they do not wish to
break up or infringe in any way upon
any organization, but stated that
farmers of all other organizations
have already joined the Farm Bureau.
The first meeting was held at
Rlatteville in the Normal School
Building Wednesday, February %, and
only a few farmers were present.
Professor Ulrick brought in all the
boys taking the agricultural course
and thus Mr.. McKerrow spoke to a
very attentive audience of about forty
students and farmers.
The second meeting was held in
the gymnasium of the Fennimore
High School Thursday, February "a,
and about forty farmers represent
ing a large territory heard Mr.. Nc
Kerrow present the workings of the
Farm Bureau in a very able way AT
the end of the explanations he asked
the farmers present if they thought
the Farm Bureau would be a good
thing for Grant County, and they
raised their hands unanimously in
favor OF it.
The third meeting was held at the
Opera House at Lancaster Friday
afternoon where about seyenty-fve
farmers were present to hear Mr..
McKerrow.
Mr.. McKerrow asked the audience
il a temporary organization was de-
sired and a motion was made and car
ried that such an organization be per-
fected. The result was that the fol-
lowing farmers were chosen for
temporary officers to see if Farm
Bureau organization will be feasible
for Grant County.
! w. L. Gelbach, Lancaster was
chosen for temporary president,
Hugh Harper, Lancaster, was chosen
secretary and p. S. Graham of Fenni-
more, was chosen for vice-president.
A temporary chairman for several
| townships was appointed. Andrew
Glider for Mt. Ida township; Guy
Walker for North Lancaster; John
Elwell, Cassville for Waterloo; Will
Wrestling Lancaster for Potosi; Will
Mccormick, Lancaster for Ellenboro
Will Frankenhoff, for Fennimore; Jes-
sic Williams for South Lancaster
Frank Stivarius, Fennimore, for Wing
vile; Herbert Goldman, Livingston
for Clifton and Jay Morse for Mt
Hope; Gay Landon, Lancaster, for
Little Grant; Frank Schmidt, Sitter
for Liberty and Frank Neff for Mus
coda.
1t was decided that two more SER
les of meetings be held to have the
Farm Bureau Plan presented to the
FARMERS in all parts of the County
| Montfort, Cuba City and Haze
Green will make up one series and
i Boscobel, Bloomington and Cassville
the other series. The idea is to give
i every farmer who wishes to learn
| o1,o,,+ onporfl1ritv IF boa rims Il