The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1922-06-15

~ States Department
wv of Agriculture in
W the employment of
q county agent or agents; to develop a
definite program Of work that will bring
to the county a better economic, social
and educational condition so as to make
farming more profitable and country life
more attractivei
The mission of the Farm Bureau is to
give service. 1t is not an uprising of out
ragged farmers nor was it organized to
accumulate strength enough to fight the
other fellow. The Farm Bureau grew from
a desire on the part of the farmers for bet
ter production. 1t had its beginning in the
south where demonstration agents woe
hired to try to teach the cotton farmers
how to fight boll-weevil. This was in
1908, and when the first County Farm
Bureau was organized in the north ten
years ago there were three hundred county
farm demonstration agents working in the
south. 1t is because the Farm Bureau is
builded from the ground up, with the
county organization as the basic unit, that
1t has been st%orm-proof.
The Biggest Job.
"Transcending all the other work of the
Farm Bureau is the establishment of
strong local units of the organization in
every community of the land. Without
strong local units composed Of men and
doing the everyday work Of the
farm, selling the products of their farm
labor, and buying things to make better
homes and better farms and better rural
life, the Farm Bureau is without that
which justihes its existence. Where we
are losing members, where people are dis
satisfied, where folks do not think that
they are getting value received for their
due, there you vii! find a local unit that
is not functioning properly. Something
is wrong, and it is up to the members
themselves to analyze the situation and
find out what it is. You will remember
how the Lord commanded Gideon, saying:
"'Now, therefore, go to, proclaim in
the ears of the people, sa ling, whatsoever
is fearful and afraid, let him return, and
depart early from Mount Gilead.'
1T seems to me that we may very we'll
cay to the Farm Bureau host today:
whatsoever is fearful and afraid,
let him return and depart early from
Mount Gilead.'
For Strong Hearts.
For we have a great work yet to do,
and it is no work for the sick at heart, the
weak and the fearful. What, then, is our
work and our future2
IF | had my way, | would make an
ideal county farm bureau. ! would eX-
pand it on a statewide basis and call
that the state farm bureau. Then |
would expand that on a nationwide basis
and call that the American Farm Bureau
Federation. But the movement is too
young for that yet. 1t will take more
than ten years of education and Organiza-
ton to reach this ideal. The arm Bureau
believes that the safeguarding and promo
ton OF agricultural interests are vital to the
public welfare, and that these interests
can best be protected by the united action
of all, regardless of factional or political
differences. 1t depends for its strength
upon the kind of support given it. by the
local communities, county and state or
CARNATIONS and the cooperation which 1t
receives from the various agencies inter
ested in the welfare of agriculture.
Our First Effort.
The Farm Bureau is a mutual self
help organization for the farmer. Our
first task is one Of organization and coop
Grafton. Our first effort to be of real
service to the farmer is to secure for him
a measure Of economic justice.
For instance, every man who I'VE
onto the farm to tak up that work as a
life occupation decides Upon that calling
with the idea of making a living for him
self and his family, to provide the necessary
means of a comfortable living as well as
educational features for his children.
Hence, anything that can be done to in
crease the net income of that farm will
start the owner on the road to purchasing
the necessities of life. 1t is an everlasting
c~ycle-when the farmer quits buying,
everybody has to quit.
Our whole cooperative marketing
program is based on a sound, thorough
analysis of business conditions. Our legis-
lative program is builded from the thoughts
of the sane, safe, agricultural interests Of
the country. Our organization is bullded
with the same thought in mind, and if
these conditions can be righted it will
mean not only more products On the farm,
but better equipment, better homes, bet
ter schools and better churches, and above
all, a better class of citizenship when the
farmers of our forty-eight states once
learn that Together We Win is the watch
word to follow"
'