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Show i 1967 50 Years (Continued from Page 1) agents, and several other counties in the early phases of organizing farm bureaus. of the biggest problems Utah farmers at that time facing was the price of sugar beets. There had been bad feelings between formers and the sugar companies, so it was natural to form a state organization in an effort to solve some of these problems. Some of the county agents at that time were instrumental in calling the first One On Monday, December 4, 1916, the Utah State Farm Bureau was organized. Among the men at that first meeting were several whose names will be long remembered in the Utah Agricultural hall of fame. Among them were: Orson Ryan, D. D. McKay, R. J. Evans, Ephraim Bergeson, and Thomas R. Cutler. Quoting from the Utah Farmer of December 9, 1916, we read: f,D. D. Mckay, who is president of the Weber County bureau, outlined to those present the purposes of the meeting and the possibilities of such an organization. He was followed by W. J. Chadwick, of Utah County, who spoke on the need of an organization of beet growers in Utah to improve conditions under which growers raise and market their beets, as well as to obtain better prices from them. first officers The of the new organization were: D. D. Mckay, of Weber County, who was elected president; R. W. Creer, of Utah Vice President; C. M. of Salt Lake County, Secretary-Treasure- r. An execuCounty, Alston, tive committee was also named as was a beet growers committee. Not wanting to waste any time, the beet growers committee setup a meeting with sugar officials for the following day. The committee Included two men from southern Idaho, who represented beet growers in Franklin and Madison counties. The growers met with officials of the 1 i i UTAH FARM BUREAU Anniversary Issue meeting. 1 Sugar Company, the Amalgamated Sugar Company, and the Layton Sugar Company. Utah-Ida- ho selling of livestock and farm products are other problems. Many things can be done by these organizations for the help and benefit of their members. February 10, 1917, the Utah Farmer mentioned a report from the Farm Bureau Committee on Publicity and Dissemination of Information. The committee recommended that each county begin publishing a county farm bureau news as soon as membership reached 400. Also, that the Farm Bureau accept the offer of the Utah Farmer of the use of a full page per issue. They also recommended that each county publish an annual report and that standardized signs be used to identify farm bureau projects such as: COUNTY FARM BUREAU FARM DEMONSTRATION OAT SMUT CONTROL. final recommendation was that each county farm bureau have a bulletin board placed permanently in a conspicuous spot. The first annual convention of the Utah Farm Bureau was held October 5, 1917. D. D. Mckay of Huntsville was as and C. L. Waralck, of President; Utah County, as Vice President. One of the items of business was the pledging of support to the Second Liberty Loan to aid in the war effort. Mr. McKay was quoted as saying: In the Farm Bureaus of the state are about 10,000 members and their representatives at the State Farm Bureau meeting who pledged their support to the liberty loan . . That same month the sugar committee again met with sugar officials and this time negotiated a written contract which is to our knowledge the first producer processor contract of its type in the country. By February 1918, the demand for sugar In the war effort had increased to the point where anew contract had to be negotiated this time for $9.00 per ton. In December 1917 the first Utah Farm Bureau policy development activity was initiated. President Wilson had sent out an urgent plea to farmers across the country to increase production of food stuffs to help win the war. D. D. Mckay We urge wrote the following: to meet the farmers together in their local bureau and discuss the problems they wUl have to meet during the coming year and then to send a representative to the county bureau, where another discussion will be given to all the problems of the county. From each county a representative is asked to come to Salt Lake City and there some definite action will be taken and recommendations made as to how we can best cooperate together in helping our nation with increased food production . . . The meeting where the recommendations were finally discussed was held January 15, and 16, 1918, at the Hotal Utah. On the first day they discussed labor, sugar beets On the and kindred subjects. second day they discussed wheat, pork, canning crops, organization A re-elec- ted According to records, the meeting was cordial and businesslike. Following the organization of the State Farm Bureau, the growers had acquired a new stature. The committee made the following 1. That the specific requests: farmers be allowed $7.00 per ton minimum price for the 1917 beet crop with 12 12$ per ton additional for each 12 of sugar content above 15. 2. That they be allowed better unloading facilities. 3. That the farmers be allowed the privilege of starting digging by the first of October and continue as fast as they desire. 4. That the formers be given first consideration in buying beet pulp at the price of 25$ per ton. 5. That sugar companies cooperate with farmers through their state organization, in securing local field men and weigh-masteand such other questions and other subjects. Because of the difficulty in as shall be for their mutual beneThe sugar officials stated traveling long distances in those fit. that they would take the requests days, round-u- p meetings were also under advisement and furnish each held in Richfield, Logan, and Cedar committee member a written reply City. The Richfield meeting was held January 14 to 21; January 21 a latter date. on December 30th, the sugar to 26 in Logan; and February 4 companies announced that they through 9 in Cedar City. Bureau The Utah State Farm would pay $7.00 per ton for beets though the extra sugar content (as it was known in those days the word Federation was added price was not settled until somefortime later. They gave permission much later) was active in the Farm American for growers to begin digging beets mation of the 1919. on the first of October, and said Bureau Federation late in at that unloading facilities were being According to reports given the in 1920, convention worked on including experimental annual were paid to the facilities for the new motortrucks. memberships members. They expressed regret at not being AFBF for Utah's 12,000 able to sell pulp at 25$ per ton It was also reported that a comhad been hired by though they would be happy to give mercial agent was J. the beet growers first chance at Farm Bureau. His name Edward Taylor and he operated purchase. McCormick The December 1916 Utah from an office at 620 was the Farm This one of Building. Farmer noted a quote from Utah. in office first Bureau's In He said: the county agents. At the 1920 convention it was one district, members of the purbureau have stated a movement for reported that Mr. Taylor ha,memBureau inFarm the for chased the organization of a county Buying and bers, $120,454.00 worth of corn, surance company. rs, , i hr Page 3 NEWS hay, bran, flour and oats during the period from November 29, 1919 when he was hired, to January 26, 1920, the date of the convention. Ephraim Bergeson, of Cache County became the scond Farm Bureau President and served from January 1922 until just before the annual meeting in January 1926 when he resigned to become Farm Bureaus first full time manager. He served in this capacity until late in 1927 when it was decided to dispense with this position. In January 1928 he was again elected president and served until 1931 when George Stallings was elected During the interim president. when period Eph Bergeson was of the UFB, Martin Brown manager of Weber County and David P. Neal of Sanpete County both served as president of the organization. In 1925, Lucile Greenwood was i UFB Executive Committee, from left, S. Jay Child, Vice Preselected to the Farm BureauExecu-tiv- e 966 Don T. Allen; Lee Barton; Alton Hoffman; Barbara Whitbeck, Committee, the first woman ident; in the history of the organization women's chairman; Elmo Hamilton, President; V. Allen Olsen, Exand very possibly the first woman ecutive Secretary; and William Holmes. to serve in such an important post in the entire farm bureau movement. Later the chairman of the Home and Community Section became a member of the Executive Committee automatically. The Home Section had first been organized in January of 1921 with Mrs. Ray Pixton of Murray, the first chairman. In 1924, M. S. Winder of Sugar House, was elected Utah Farm Bureau secretary, a post he held until 1927 when he was chosen as the Executive Secretary of the American Farm Bureau Federation. In 1931 at. the January annual convention, George Stallings was elected president and he served until Joseph Anderson was elected in 1933. Mr. Anderson served until January 1937 when Ward Holbrook was elected. Mr. Holbrook served until the annual meeting in November 1941 when George Hobson was elected. In November 1948, Alden Barton was elected president and he served until early 1950 when his duties as Commissioner of Agriculture forced him to resign. John Schenk followed, serving until March 1954 when he died. Blaine Swenson was the next president, being in office until November 1955 when A. V. Smoot was elected. Mr. Smoot served until November 1966, the longest term for any president in the history of the Utah Farm Bureau Elmo W. Hamilton, the current president was elected in November Women's Committee includes Thelma Peterson, left; Elda Doris Noyes, directors; Barbara Whitbeck, chairman; Roxie Nelson, vice chairman; Elaine Nelson, secretary; and Carol Allen, retiring director. F. B. Hill-yar- d, Congratulations to Farm Bureau for 50 years of service 1966. Through the fifty years of Farm Bureau in Utah, the organization set up the Utah Sugar Beet Growers Association and the Utah Poultry Producers Association, which became the Intermountain Farmers Association; the Cooperative Life Insurance Company of America which later became the Country Mutual Life Insurance Company; and the Utah Farm Bureau Insurance Company. But as a wise man once said, the past is prologue which liberally translated means, you ain't seen nothin yet. . See IFA for your new BUTLER Building! If you are planning a farm structure of any kind, we can save you time and money. Stop in at your neighborhood IFA Center. We are equipped to sell and erect any Butler Building, storage, feed or utility buildings. We will counsel with you to insure the best structure for your farm, or your need, with a minimum of time or trouble. We invite you to stop in and ask about our layout and planning service. We can help with your financing and offer you complete service after sale. Lynn Adair, KSL's Farm Director, interviewed Charles Shuman for his radio and TV programs. j J INTERMOUNTAIN FARMERS ASSOCIATION |