The Ordway new era., 1921-01-21

AAS VI eAe COuutIy aS n WnOle.t
Governments develop such an organi-
cation? Why did they not cooperate
In extension work directly with the
Grange in counties where the Grange
is strong, or with the Farmers Union
in counties where the Union is strong
or with the Equity where the Equity
is strong? The reason is simple
enough. Practically all of these are
secret organizations, or are exclusive
organizations, and since the work OF
the Federal and State Governments
is financed by all the people and in
che interest of all the people, these
institutions felt the necessity of de-
veloping a nonclass, nonsecret, non-
commercial, and permanent instjtu-
tion open to all the farmers in the
ounty, through which all could find
expression and deal directly and in
an organized way with the state COL
leges and Federal Department of Ag-
riculture.
Besides. none of the farmers Or
ganizations with which the depart
ment was acquainted had been devel-
oped with the idea of extension work
N mind, and the agents of the Gov
ernment hesitated to take up work
with them, or propose work to them
Il
redirection of their organization, to
say nothing of the jeaIousies which
; might have been created by apparent
favoritism in the selection of the or
ganiZation in preference to another.
''The county farm bureau, there
fore, was created as and has become,
essentially, public institution very
much like college of agriculture. A
name which better describes its func-
tion properly would be County Ex-
tension Institute or County Agricul-
tural Extension School, since the
farm bureau is essentially an educa-
t1onal and teaching institution-a
teaching institution primarily for a.
| dults who have left school, and one
of the highest type that the world has
ever seen on so large scale. The
| teaching is done by the drawing-out
| process rather than by the filling-up
! process. 1t is done by the people
themselves working as full partner
with the trained agents of Govern
| ment, who in cooperation with these
trained agents develop programs of
improvement out OF their own needs,
who assign their own tasks, do the
work themselves, and thereby pro-
vide for their own development in
| the only way that any people ever has
made or can make permanent pro-
gress.
"It is beginning to function in the
county very much as the agricultural
college functions in the State. From
many standpoints the county farm bu-
reau is essentially subcollege of ag-
riculture with all its classroom work
done out on the farmers farm, or in
his barns or home, or fields or cream
cry, or in the market place. The work
| = nf,,<. .,-1y
| plan with the teacher on an equality
with the students, and all associated
| together in discovering the particular
needs of that community and together
working out plans for their solution.
Assists In Many Ways.
.If the term county agricultural
| institute or some similar term will
clear up in the minds of the people
the fact that the farm bureau is not
last another competing farmers Or
| ga,tization, but new kind OF adult
teaching institution instead, the
adoption of some such change of title
merits consideration.
1.-The county farm bureau, like the
State college of agriculture, leads its
| assistance in every way to building
| up any and all farmers organizations
1 within the county, along any legtti-
mate lines, and in developing new or
\ ganizations in the interests OF farm
els. II the farmers of the county de-
| sire to organize commercial organ
i ljzation such as livestock shippers
association. the farm bureau, thru
1 It's trained comparatively employed
agents, would aid any group OF farm
| ers to organize such an association,
counseling them as to the advantages
advising them as to the constitution
4 emo bylaws which have proved ef-
iective, pointing out the difficulties
which they might expect to encounter
( etc, but leaving to that particular
Il group of farmers themselves the &C
q tual handling of the funds involved
II and the actual responsibility through
their own officers for the progress OF
the work, giving them, however
y counsel at every step.
II ''Now, this is simply the best way
! of teaching. Farmers, like other peo.
pie, grow and become self-reliant and
i confident exactly in proportion ~
they do things for themselves.
$50, II the farmers of any commu.
I: nifty want to borrow $4,000 or any
tlother sum, the agents OF the farm bu.
Ereau may. properly advise with them
\. as to how to. form = FEDERAL farm
q loan association and how to get AZ
touch With the governmental or cth|eI
lagency in order to. secure Z l0ngtini1
toans and also help. them a develop;
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