The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-11-01
THE FARM BUREAU
AND ITS WORK IN
DEVELOPMENT
One Of the Strong Organizations
of the County
HELPS IN MANY THINGS
Employs w. T. Teachout as
County Agent And Miss
Hardy In Club Work

Foremost among the agencies that II
have. in the past year, brought orga,
nized agriculture conspicuous to
the front, both through the press and
. at Congress, is the Farm Bureau. Il
II, Starting at first as County PROPOSE.
! ton, it has widened ont into State
and National Federations. AT the I
! present time, there are more than 4
J. 100000 members in all states and |
: the leaders look to see the 5000 900 |
i mark reached before January 1928 /
!. But while we must recognize the /
Q national phase of the work and its
importance to agriculture both from |
an economic and legislative stand |
point, it is OF primary interest to
analize TIE work Of the Bennington |
: Farm Bureau, it's purpose, accomplish |
: ments and aspirations. The Farm |
bureau, is a county institution for the |
4. purpose of the development OF agr !
culture It is Jointly supported and
: directed by the farmers OF the Coun- !
: ~ through Farm Bureau Association, |
: and the State and Federal Depart I
lments of Agriculture, through the
q State Directors ONCE. Its staff CON
3 sists of County Agent, and Boys
y and Girls Club Agent. These agents
= are directed by q Board OF Directors
: chosen By members Of the associa-
? ton.
: The finances for Farm Bureau work
I" come Jointly from the u, S. Depart
= lment Of Agriculture, State Tax, q
!, County Tax and membership fees Of
the County Association The annual
bmgt u the Bennington County
. Farm Bureau Association, which in
cludes a County Agent and Boys
and Girls Club Agent, amounts to
about $4,000 approximately two
fifths OF this amount has to be raised
by membership and subscription.
drive will be launched in November
increasing the membership OF the or
ganization from 81 to so SO that the
farmers themselves may bear a
greater proportionate part in the
maintenance of the Bureau.
The objects Of the Farm Bureau
are briefly % to protect and boost
the business OF agriculture by making
a study Of its needs and problems aud
assisting in their solution t2l to bet
ter the rural country life through the
work OF the Boys and Girls Clubs
and go to make farming more profit
able through the agencies of seed
selection, dairy improvement coop
erative buying and marketing. etc.
Through the efforts OF the Ben
nngton County Improvement Associ-
alton this County was the first IN the
State TO receive TIE services Of a
County Agricultural Agent During
tire PAST seven years / has grown
very rapidly both IN size. membership
and accomplishing g. Most notable
among these has boon the addition of
Boys and Girls Cub leader 70 the
organization.
Without doubt, the most constTuc
tive and lasting work of the Farm
Bureau Is tAo club work conducted by
Miss Marion Hardy Miss Hardy
spends her entire time working with
rural children in their comes and
schools insiructing Thorn in improved
methods az agriculture such as poul.
try, cooking, gardening, sewing, etc,
and urging their parents to give each
Z
dispose OF as 1t wishes, Such work
is of unestimatabe value IN keeping
boys and girls on the farms.
The County Agent, w T. Teachout
sees to the general management OF
the Farm Bureau and the develop
ment of rural cooperation and i'm
proyement. Some Of his accomplish
ments during the past year are:
The preliminary survey and organi
cation OF cooperative creamery at
Manchester Depot which will market
comparatively very nearly half the
milk Of the entire County. Bankers
and other business men are quoted as
Saying that a creamery will do more
to increase the value of farm lands
and Improvement of tue dairy indus
try than any other factor.
Securing seed for. supervising the
planting and spraying Of 40 acres OF
potatoes out OF which 20 acres passed
certifcation by the State Department
Of Agriculture.
Organization and supervising .
Cowtesting Association in Rupert
Dorset and Manchester giving The
participants invaluable assistance ii
the management OF their herds.
Organizing and supervising coop
eratlve buying OF fertilizers, seeds
lime, and grain in the towns of Pow
nal Bennington, Shaltsbury, Arling
ton, Manchester and Dorset, savini
thousands Of dollars to farmers bot
directly through buying and indirect
ly by keeping down local prices
Organizing and supervising u co
operative Spraying Association 70
the spraying OF the fields on "a farms
Securing and assisting SS farmer
to conduct variety tests o; potatoe.
lime, alfalfa, etc, to determine tn
best yafities to grow in }eNn pgt3
County.
Conducting tours to places wher
improved methods and stock can b
seen first hand The lIolstein tou
viii result in better sres on approx
mately farms.
Cooperating with Manchester Fal
Association, County Improvement A
sociatlun Grange and Red Cross /
any measure that will tend to assis
or improve rural conditions.
Through years OF progressive az
vance. phased on completed project
similar to the ones mentioned Qbov
tho Farm Bureau has become to iii