The border vidette. (Nogales, Ariz.) 1894-1934, 1926-08-07
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FARM
BUREAU TO EXTENSION
WORK
By P. II. Ross

OCcu 0SVdOIlSuSu III kAIlZOud lOI
twelve years and it has come to
seem to be natural permanent
arrangement. The twelve coun.
ties that are now supporting the
work have each supported it un
interrumptedly since the start
and many Arizona people never
knew or have lost sight OF just
how the financial support of the
Extension Work is organized.
A small proportion of the total
Extension funds comes directly
from the u. S. Department of
Agriculture and makes every
County Extension Agenta repre-
sentative of the u. S. Depart.
ment of Agriculture.
Another source of funds is the
Federal Congress, which under
the Smith Lever Act provides q
difinite amount of money under
restricted conditions to each of
the states. The state makes an
appropriation to Offset the Smith
Lever fund. This campletes the
arrangement for the state and
nation but the work would be not
truly cooperative unless a local
unit were included so county
support has been asked for and
has been generously given.
From the very earliest days of
extension work it was realized
that to be effective the work
must be supported by local or
county organization. Where such
was not provided by law it grew
up naturally, until in practically
every county in the United
States there grew up an organ
ization for the support of Exten.
sion Work and by common con
sent this organization has been
called the farm Bureau.
In Arizona the law specifically
provides for the organization of
a farm Bureau in every county
where county funds are appro
priated for Extension Work.
This law demands q certain per.
centage of the farmers to be
members and also demands that
the program of Extension Work
must be worked out cooperative.
ly between the agricultural Elk.
tension Service and the farm
Bureau before such money can
be appreciated.
Many people are in entire
sympathy and glad to have the
help of the Agricultural Exten
sion Service but do not have full
appreciation of the value of the
Farm Bureau. It is only because
the Farm Bureau is established
and functionining that it is pos
sible under the law to secure
county apropris tions for this
work. The people who are mem
bers of the Farm Bureau are
giving very definite evidence of
their belief in the value of the
Extension Work and they are
also making it possible for any
of those who do not belong to
the Farm Bureau to take full ad.
vantage of the Service. The
Agricultural Extension Service
deals with the farming public
without discrimination. It's pur.
pose is to help build q more
prosperous and altogether moro
satisfactory rural life. To do
this it must have organized sup.
port in the counties, which in
Arizona is provided for in the
Farm Bureau.
Farm Bureaus are performing
an unselfish and altruistic service
by their membership and by
their volunteer service in pro
noting the work. It could be
a great day for Arizona if the
great majority of the farming
people of the State became Farm
Bureau members. It would give
them a feeling of kinship and
cooperation and a means of
tackling their common problems
that could be secured in no other
way. 1t would give an opportu
nifty for the Extension Service
to be many more times effective
than it is at present and it would
give the farmers and their fami.
lies a greater opportunity to
make themselves effective in
service to their communities.