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Show WESTERN AMERICANA Volume XIX, No. ' .Salt Lake City, Utah 8 August, 1973 i Successlmincs largest r session ever mid-yea- Growth in Farm Bureau membership in the past five years is greater than the total membership of all other American farm organizations combined. With that keynote statement by Eldon Schnoor, national Farm Bureau worker, a record crowd of farm leaders launched on a two-da- y Mid-Ye- ar Conference program recently that ended in success. The 215 attendance figure topped the previous high mark of 150 at a mid-yegathering of Utah Farm Bureau members. These leaders gathered at Brigham Young University in Provo July 19 and 20 for a program that focused on policy issues. Both state and federal programs were reviewed in sessions leading up to workshop groups on issue identification. The growth quoted by Schnoor results from three factors, explained the area field services director for the American Farm Bureau Federation. He listed these three areas as follows : 1. Growth is an important factor in Farm Bureau work. 2. Farm Bureau is devoted to building programs and meeting needs ar of farmers. 3. Participation by volunteer leaders is enthusiastic at local, state and federal levels. John Datt, associate director of AFBFs Washington, D.C., office, also spoke at the opening session of the conference, with a summary of national farm issues. Appearing in Utah the day after the governments announcement of Phase IV, he pointed out that the administration is dealing with some of the symptoms of inflation, not the cause excessive government spending. Datt observed, Unfortunately, we appear to be moving toward more, not less, controls on our economy. He pointed out the Farm Bureau position of moving toward a free market economy. The AFBF official also commented predator control, the minimum wage bill, land use planning, the fuel shortage, a foreign trade bill, the 1973 farm bill, and the recent ruling on orchard reentry time after pesticide use. One of the major victories for Farm Bureau this year was the suit brought by our organization against the two emergency standards. Both went to court, and in both cases the court ordered a stay. Had the ruling gone into effect, Utahs apple and peach growers would have been seriously hampered in irrigating and other tasks after on spraying their orchards with pesticides. Work from the top half of your fuel storage tank was the advice given conference attendees by Cliff Collings, Utahs agricultural fuel allocation coordinator. He spoke at a Thursday luncheon on the farm fuel situation, pointing out the wisdom of sticking with one supplier through the present shortage. Farmers experiencing difficulty in fuel for their should operations report to their getting enough county ASCS office, he advised. In a review of operations of the Intermountain Farmers Association, John Roghaar, general manager, pointed out that although IFAs sales totaled $14 million in 1972, some cooperatives in the nation sold far in excess of $500 million. He explained that Utahs leading farm co-o- p can take advantage of that giant purchasing power through universal organizations that co-op- s, manufacturing and purchasing organizations owned by the individual cooperatives around the country. Sue staff members at Utah Farm Bureau explained the operation of their sections: M. Eugene Carroll, executive vice president, Utah Farm Bureau Insurance and Financial Services; LeGrand Jarman, public policy director; Jacob Fuhriman, New York media hear FB Part of the largest crowd of Farm Bureau leaders ever to assemble at a summer Consession listens to their president, Elmo Hamilton, open the Mid-Yeference. Pleasant surroundings lent to the businesslike atmosphere of the meeting, which produced outstanding results, both in learning and in policy discussions. The registration of 215 people was well above the previous attendance mark of 150. ar manager of the UFB Service Company; Neil Sumsion, director of field services; Elwood Shaffer, director of and Thomas communications; Bingham, director of natural resources. S. Jay Child, vice president of UFB, and Booth Wallentine, executive vice president, explained the policy development program in this state. Child explained the new resolutions research committee. this explanation After of techniques, the audience divided into four workshop groups to identify policy issues they feel merit action by Farm Bureau workers here. We are trying to end government intervention in our farming affairs, said Elmo W. Hamilton, UFBF president, in his concluding remarks at the conference. We have two hopes for the future, he added, increased membership for more manpower to solve farm problems, and increased program activity in Farm Bureau. It fits fine, Elmo Hamilton (left), president of the Utah Farm Bureau, seems to be thinking as Eldon Schnoor of AFBF fits him with the victory blazer symbolizing Utahs reaching its Farm Bureau membership quota for 1973. Member families number 10,100 for the all-tihigh in this state. The presen- me tation was made at Mid-Ye- ar Conference. Record membership hits 10,1 00 record level Utah Farm Bureau membership has reached an e of 10,100 member families. This achievement was announced at the recent UFBF Mid-YeConference at Brigham Young University. Elmo W. Hamilton, president of the state Farm Bureau, presented a check for the final memberships to a representative of the American Farm Bureau Federation during the opening session of the two-da- y conference. In return, Eldon Schnoor, AFBF field representative for the Mountain states, fitted the traditional green blazer onto Hamiltons sturdy frame. The coat symbolizes the states reaching its membership quota of 10,026 members. In a later speech, Schnoor pointed out that Farm Bureau growth in the nation during the past 5 years exceeds the total membership of all other farm organizations. Membership work during the 1972-7- 3 year came under the direction of LeGrand Jarman, until recently the field service and legislative e Farm Bureau director for Utah Farm Bureau. Jarman, a is now the Beehive in 30 for worker public policy director nearly years, all-tim- story ar full-tim- state. Membership activities for the coming year will be supervised by Neil Sumsion. He was recently named field services director after serving in the UFBF for more than 7 years in insurance and information work. Telling the Farm Bureau story to New York radio, newspaper, television and magazine reporters was an exciting experience for American Farm Bureau food president William J. Kuhfuss (right) recently. He reviewed the current inand situation and called for government action to end the price freeze flationary spending. Similar news conferences will beheld in several other large cities around the nation to call attention to Farm Bureau policies. The session was jointly sponsored by AFBF and the New York Farm Bureau r -- Slit i |