- Agriculture - Janesville Sesquicentennial
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- Rock County Farm Bureau a pioneer
- Rock County boasts the oldest Farm Bureau in the state.
- Facing hard times following a world war, farmers chartered
the group April 19, 1919, to help
- solve marketing problems. But many of the founders didn't
realize how severe the times were that would bankrupt some of
them and shake the very foundation of agriculture.
- R. T. GLASSCO, county agent, had heard about a new
organization called the Farm Bureau in
- Illinois and recommended that Rock County farmers organize
a similar group.
- With George HULL as their president, farmers organized
the first chapter in the state - a fore-
- runner of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau. HULL later became
the first Wisconsin Farm Bureau president and a state senator.
- The group adopted the slogan, "Make Rock County First,"
in 1920. They said: "Why not, we have
- the people, the land, the livestock and other farm produce
which goes a long way for a foundation." They hired an aggressive
young farmer, Hugh HEMMINGWAY for secretary-manager. His
faith in the Farm Bureau, his ability to organize and his foresight
and leadership brought many "firsts" to Rock County.
- As farmers shifted from the era of horses to mechanization,
the group pioneered new ideas in state
- agriculture. For example, since it was difficult for farmers
to lime their soil, the group leased eight limestone grinders
to farmers in the '20s.
- In addition, the Farm Bureau formed cooperative livestock
shipping associations and, by 1922,
- 404 carloads of livestock were sent to terminal markets.
The county Farm Bureau also helped organize a tobacco pool and
70 percent of the crop produced in the county was consigned.
- In spite of some farmers threatening to "shoot it out,"
the Farm Bureau organized a successful
- tuberculosis test for cows in the '20s. Meetings were held
in every township to hear a veterinarian talk about the disease,
and eventually county farmers were able to supply milk and cattle
from tested herds at good prices.
- In 1924, Rock County Farm Bureau Women wanted the Extension
to provide a home economics
- and beautification adviser, but the county board said it
had no funds for such a position. Undaunted, Farm Bureau women
themselves said they would provide the funds.
- Other highlights through the years include:
- 1928: The Rock County Farm Bureau offered $100 for the arrest
and conviction of people stealing chickens.
- 1945: The group urged a wide use of cooperative marketing
organizations to sell farm products.
- 1965: A Rock County farmer was arrested for moving a wide
farm machine, and the Farm Bureau organized the largest meeting
of farmers ever held at the courthouse. Eventually, farmers wrote
a resolution permitting movement of wide equipment within certain
hours, which later became law.
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- The Farm Bureau also favored a uniform vehicle code on school
bus transportation calling for
- vehicles to stop when a school bus is receiving or discharging
school children. The resolution was a Rock County first, first
in the state and first in the nation.
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- [Photograph, p. 2F; caption reads: A farmer, circa 1840 to
1850, shows his oxen team at Edgerton.]
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- [Photograph, p. 2F; caption reads: Horses were once a farmer's
pride and joy.]
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- [Photograph, p. 2F; caption reads: Fred NUTTEN with
threshing machine early this century.]
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- [Photograph, p. 3F; caption reads: A threshing crew takes
a break at the Leader Dairy on Beloit Avenue.]
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