Tennessee Farm Bureau Celebrates 100 Years as the Voice of Agriculture

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Tennessee Farm Bureau history

2021 marks 100 years since a group of farmers formed the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation with the desire to provide a better way of life for farmers and rural people of Tennessee. The organization stands strong today as the largest Farm Bureau in the nation, serving more than 679,000 members, and with the same purpose a century later. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the foresight of our forefathers, but also our dedicated volunteer leaders, employees, partners and so many others. Read on for a timeline of Farm Bureau milestones over these past 100 years:

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1910

The first time the name “Farm Bureau” was used occurred in Binghamton, New York, at the local chamber of commerce. Apparently, they had a traffic bureau and a manufacturer’s bureau, but not a farmer’s bureau, and so the name Farm Bureau was created.

1919

Twelve states were involved in the formation of the American Farm Bureau in Chicago by more than 500 delegates. W.A. Schofield, who was the director of the University of Tennessee Extension at the time, represented Tennessee.

1921

On July 30, 1921, the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation was officially created in the auditorium of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce building. There were 20 County Councils of Agriculture at the organization’s beginning, and those were converted to county Farm Bureaus.

Joe Frank Porter

Joe Frank Porter, a Maury County farmer from Williamsport, was selected as the first president. Travel was difficult in those early days and locating the office near the organization’s president was the most logical and economical thing to do, so the first office was located in the Maury County Courthouse and consisted of a desk and a chair.

Dues were $10 per year.

1923

The Tennessee Farm Bureau News was launched in a joint effort by the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Cotton Association to be published twice each month. In the first edition, President Porter outlined the purposes of Farm Bureau and said, “We will be an association of the manpower from the farms of Tennessee which can accomplish a great deal not only toward promoting the financial and material welfare of our farmers, but toward improving the attractions of rural life and popularizing agriculture and country life for all time to come.”

Tennessee Farm Bureau history

1937

The first board of directors was named, taking the place of the executive committee that had been appointed in the first year of the organization.

1943

The Home and Community Department, now the Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Program, was organized at the county and state level. Mrs. D.W. (Ethel) Bond from Madison County was elected the first statewide chair.

Tennessee Farm Bureau history

1944

On April 24, 1944, the Tennessee Farm Bureau board of directors took action to form the Tennessee Farmers Cooperative, which is now one of the strongest federated farm supply cooperative systems in the nation and has roughly 64,000 farmers who are member-owners of the local co-ops in their home counties.

The state Young Farmers & Homemakers organization began, known today as the Tennessee Young Farmers & Ranchers. Howard Simmons from Washington County was elected the first statewide chair.

Tennessee Farm Bureau history

1946

“Looking backward, I can see a little table, two cane-bottom chairs and a secondhand typewriter in one corner of the county agent’s office in the basement of the courthouse in Columbia. A little sign on the table read ‘The Tennessee Farm Bureau.’ It was a good thing the sign was there, or else we might have been overlooked.”

– President Porter reminiscing about the humble beginnings of the organization in the 25th annual report of the organization. The Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation was created because of farmers like him wanting something better for the farming communities across Tennessee.

Tennessee Farm Bureau history

1947

Tom Hitch

Blount County farmer Tom J. Hitch was elected the second president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.

Access to adequate health insurance was a problem for rural Tennesseans for many years, so the Tennessee Farm Bureau addressed the issue by founding Tennessee Rural Health to promote health and safety awareness and to make health coverage available to its members. (TRH now goes by Farm Bureau Health Plans and is the largest private health coverage group in Tennessee, providing affordable, quality health-care coverage with a wide range of health-care plans.)

See more: Appreciating a Century of the Tennessee Farm Bureau While Looking to the Future

1948

Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Company was founded to provide affordable insurance for rural Tennessee. At a rate of 35 automobile applications a day, 97 agents across the state gave the company its first beginnings. Clyde York was named the company’s first manager.

1952

The first building specifically built for Tennessee Farm Bureau was occupied in Columbia on the Nashville Highway in March.

1954

Scott County completed the 100% goal of establishing a county organization in all 95 Tennessee counties.

Clyde York

1961

Clyde M. York, after establishing and leading the insurance company for 13 years, was elected the third president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.

1964

The first Farm Bureau television program, Farm Digest, aired on WSM-TV in Nashville. The show continues today as Farm Bureau’s Voices of Agriculture on RFD-TV.

1967

The income tax program was launched in March, and the Farm Business Analysis Service began to assist farmers with their financial and tax records.

1968

On Aug. 20, 1968, 3,000 Farm Bureau members and guests sat in 100-degree heat to witness the dedication of the new Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation building in Columbia, which is still the home today.

1969

Tennessee Farm Bureau reached the 100,000-membership milestone.

James Putnam

1972

Tennessee Livestock Producers became a fully owned affiliate of the Tennessee Farm Bureau. Today the livestock marketing services are managed and operated by United Producers Incorporated.

1973

Tennessee Farmers Life was organized, adding another outstanding member service to the Tennessee Farmers Insurance Companies operation.

James S. Putnam, a dairy farmer from Dyer County, became the organization’s fourth president.

See more: A Look Inside the Farm Bureau Exposition Center in Lebanon

1975

A daily radio program, Accent Agriculture, began with the Tennessee Radio Network and continues today as Tennessee Home & Farm Radio.

1976

The Agriculture, Forest and Open Space Land Act, better known as the “Greenbelt Law,” became law. It came about after a Farm Bureau member in Davidson County, who farmed across the highway from the Opryland complex, was having his land assessed on its value as commercial property. Farm Bureau members believed the assessment of land should be based on its annual use, not on its potential development use or because of its location. This law has saved many farm owners from having to sell because they couldn’t afford the property taxes.

Joe Hawkins

1986

Joe Hawkins, a Johnson County dairy, tobacco and beef cattle farmer, became the fifth president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.

Agriculture in the Classroom was organized as an agricultural literacy effort to educate children about where their food comes from.

1990

The Tennessee Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom was established.

1995

Flavius Barker, a Sequatchie County dairy farmer, was elected the organization’s sixth president and the first woman was elected to the state board of directors, Linda Davis of Gibson County.

Flavius Barker

2001

Tennessee Home & Farm magazine began.

Member Savings was organized to give added value to Farm Bureau membership.

2005

Cumberland County beef producer Lacy Upchurch became the seventh president of the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation.

See more: Even as Technology Advances, Farm Bureau’s Core Values Remain the Same

Lacy Upchurch

2010

The Farm Animal Care Coalition of Tennessee began to serve as a proactive, factual voice and provide resources regarding humane care, wellbeing issues and best management practices.

Jeff Aiken

2015

Jeff Aiken, Washington County tobacco and cattle farmer, became the eighth president of the organization.

2019

Dues increased to $30, which means that over the past 100 years, annual dues have only gone up by $20.

2021

Farm Bureau celebrates 100 years. The centennial anniversary will be celebrated at all Farm Bureau events throughout the year, but specifically on July 30. We hope you will join us on that day by sharing on social media what Farm Bureau means to you, using the hashtag #TFBF100.

1 Comment

  1. Judy Blackburn says:

    Thank you Farm Bureau for letting me a part of your team for 45 1/2 years of the 100 years. Went to work there in 1975 with typewriters and paper. Typed the invoices to go out with the policies that were done manually. To me them were the good ole days. Computers make it faster and easy. Congratulation to my FARM BUREAU!!!!

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