McLean County, Illinois - Chapter 29: Farmers Organizations, 1924

Learning a lesson from all the other forms of business activity, the agricultural interests began to discuss some form of permanent organization for mutual interests along in the years from about 1912 to 1914. More and more the idea of organization grew in the minds of the more wide-awake farmers of the county. Eventually, about the year 1914 or early in 1915, an organization to be known as the McLean County Better Farming Association was formed. The first list of officers included the following: President, G. C. (Lyle) Johnstone; vice president, C. L. Mays; secretary, Fred J. Blum; treasurer, W. E. Rayburn; and the directors were Allen Brown, Price N. Jones, Charles Yanney, F. J. Hanley and John Kinsinger.

Having perfected the organization, the services of a man who knew farm problems and could devote his time to helping the farmers solve them was given consideration. After casting about for available men, the association finally employed D. 0. Thompson (known as Dave). He was a graduate of the agricultural college of Purdue, was young and full of enthusiasm, and came to the position with proper equipment and much energy. He began work in this county in 1916 and served through until 1919. This covered the period of the world war, during which time the farmers of the country were called upon to make greater effort toward food production than at any other time in the history of the nation. McLean county farmers took their place alongside the best farming sections of the country in advancing war time production and the scientific farming in general. Mr. Thompson's reputation had spread by his work here, and in 1919 he was called to higher responsibilities as secretary of the Illinois Agricultural Association. For several months in 1919 were was no official farm adviser, for the committee had difficulty in securing a man whom they felt could fit into the work that had been advanced by Mr. Thompson. In the latter part of that year, however, they employed 0. D. Center, who was a man of more mature years and of much practical experience. He remained here until Sept., 1921. In that period the McLean County Farm Bureau (the name having been changed to that) employed R. L. Cuff as special livestock adviser, and he carried on that branch of the work until Dec, 1921. Harrison Fahrnkopf was employed by the Farm Bureau in the capacity of an assistant in 1920, and after the resignations of Mr. Center and Mr. Cuff he became the official farm adviser, which position he holds at this time (1923).

The name of the Better Farming Association was changed several years ago to the McLean County Farm Bureau. The officers of this association are:

The McLean County Farm Bureau began in April, 1923, its ninth consecutive year of existence. The organization justified its formation and continued existence many times over by the practical value it proved to its members and the farmers in general. It began with 300 members, and in the war times of 1917 to 1920 the membership ran up to the total of 3,100. In the slump of 1921 and 1922 the number dropped back to 2,000 and has been maintained about at that figure in the last year. The work of the organization took on a wide range.

County Farmers' Institute. The institute held in this county is one of a series held throughout the state under the general auspices of the State Agricultural Society. Formerly the institute was held for four or five days in the winter, always in the county seat, and addressed by a series of eminent speakers along different lines. Of later years, the meetings have been divided up into smaller units, one meeting of two or three days' duration, or sometimes of a single day, being held in nearly every township of the county. Of recent years, these have been under direction of the McLean County Farm Bureau. The officers of the Farmers' Institute elected in 1920 were: C. L. Mays, president; W. E. Rayburn, secretary. For the year 1921, the elected officers were: W. F. Coolidge, president; Ralph Benjamin, vice president; W. E. Rayburn, secretary; C. E. Hill, treasurer. This last list of officers was re-elected for the years 1922 and 1923. For several years past, S. B. Mason of this county has served as one of the directors of the State Farmers' Institute for this congressional district.

The threshermen of McLean county have maintained an organization known as the McLean County Threshermen's Association, with the following officers: C. F. Kauffman, Stanford, president; A. P. Tyner, Danvers, vice president; H. B. Noder, Normal, secretary.

Many years ago there used to be held an annual poultry show under management of a city poultry association. Of recent years this project has been taken over by the farmers and poultry raisers, who held a fine show in Dec, 1922, and another in the winter of 1923-24. The officers elected were: E. D. Lawrence, president; C. L. Albee, vice president; Mrs. F. J. Blum, Normal, secretary ; A. C. Lantz, Normal, treasurer. Directors, Lyle Funk, Chas. Stiger, C. E. Hill, B. Riseling, Mrs. Whitwood. A marketing auxiliary to the Poultry association was organized in March, 1923, to market full blood stock. Its officers were: I. N. Price of Ellsworth, chairman; Mrs. C. M. Fifer, Bloomington, and William Ertmoed of Lexington, directors. The board of supervisors appropriated $250 for the first poultry show under the auspices of this society.

A McLean County Beekeepers' association was formed in February, 1922, and at the first annual meeting in 1923 the following officers were elected: Dr. H. B. Henline, Bloomington, president; W. L. Archer, McLean, vice president; W. B. Brigham, Bloomington, secretary-treasurer.

The McLean County Swine Breeders' association is a live and progressive organization. Its 1923 officers were: W. D. Brickey, Bloomington, president; Simon Moon, Towanda, vice president; F. J. Basting, Bloomington, secretary; J. E. Donnelly, Lexington, treasurer. The association co-operated with the officials of the LeRoy Fair in holding the county Swine Show. This show was pronounced by authorities in touch with the different fairs of the state as ranking one of the very best held anywhere. The large number of animals shown in the different breeds possessed a type and quality which is the resultant only of constructive breeding. The members of the swine breeders association fostered the Boy and Girl Pig Club show. They helped make arrangements for the show, furnished the judges and also paid a goodly part of the prize money.

One of the organizations in the county which has been of the incalculable value to its members is the McLean County Cow Testing association. This association was reorganized during the past year and very good reports have come from the various members. There are twenty-six herds containing approximately six hundred seventy cows in the association. For the year 1921-1922 approximately one hundred unprofitable cows were sold. The officers for 1923 were: President, C. M. Mounts, McLean; secretary, J. L. Withrow, McLean; treasurer, Pearl Mauny, Bloomington.

The McLean County Jersey Cattle club is formed to promote the interests of owners of Jersey cattle. The officers are: President, D. M. Stutzman, Chenoa ; secretary, Lloyd H. Mason, Armington ; treasurer, W. L. Mays, Bloomington.

Shorthorn cattle owners and breeders also organized an association, whose officers in 1923 were: President, John 0. Bozarth, Gillum; vice president, W. T. Stautz, Bloomington; treasurer, Sam Elkins, Bloomington; secretary, Ebon C. Jones, Bloomington; directors, C. C. Brown of Heyworth and W. F. Mecherle of Heyworth.

Swine breeders who are especially interested in Durocs have formed an association of their own, with the following officers: President, Fred J. Blum, Bloomington; vice president, Simon Moon, Towanda; secretary, F. J. Basting, Bloomington; treasurer, G. C. Johnstone, Shirley.

used to be in this county. The McLean County Percheron association is officered as follows: President, Dan Augstin, Carlock; vice president, M. L. Ramseyer, Hudson; treasurer, L. F. Stubblefield, McLean; committeeman, C. L. Mays, Bloomington; directors, S. L. Stutzman, Ed Miller, Fred Blum, E. M. Merritt, William Henline, John Peck.

The farmers of McLean county have formed a county branch of the Federal Farm Loan organization, with the following officers: President, Frank Stewart, Lexington; vice president, John Howard, Leroy; secretary-treasurer, Harrison Fahrnkopf, Bloomington; directors, J. Ben Mc- Reynolds, Stanford; Mrs. Flora Orendorff, Randolph.

One of the biggest projects which the County Farm Bureau has undertaken was the securing of a building for the use of the Producers' Market and an office headquarters for the Home Bureau and the Farm Bureau. The building at the corner of Center and Monroe streets in Bloomington was leased, and considerable money spent in remodeling and renovating it to make it fit for its new uses. The structure had many years ago been an armory, and earlier than that a library building.

Farmers Grain Dealers Association of Illinois, an affiliation of 550 Farmers Co-operative Elevator Companies in Illinois, was organized at Springfield, Feb. 19, 1903. At that time there were about 30 Farmers Co-operative Elevator Companies in Illinois and 17 of them were represented at that meeting. J. C. Collins was the first president and J. A. McCreery the first secretary. Mr. McCreery continued his duties as manager of the Mason City Farmers Grain and Coal Company, giving only part of his time to the Association work. The office remained at Mason City while Mr. McCreery was secretary. In 1913 A. N. Steinhart was employed as secretary to give his full time to the work. At that time the office was located at Bloomington, where it has since remained. The association now occupies two rooms in the Peoples Bank Building, with Lawrence Farlow as secretary and two office assistants. Fred A. Mudge of Peru, 111., is president of the organization.