Grundy County Farm Bureau Records, 1853-1989 | Northern Illinois University
Administrative/Biographical History
On April 1, 1914, Mr. C.H. Root called a meeting of farmers in Morris, Illinois to form an association to advise and educate the agricultural community on crop breeding and seeding, soil cultivation, and livestock inoculation. The Farmer’s Soil and Crop Improvement Association elected Fred Harford, President; M. Wilcox, Vice-President; Charles Dirst, Treasurer; and C.H. Root, Secretary. On September 1, 1921, the members changed the organization’s name to the Grundy County Farm Bureau.
During its history, the Grundy County Farm Bureau expanded its advisory function in agricultural techniques to include economic and legislative education for local farmers.- Bureau field advisors enlightened farmers on issues of price fluctuations, livestock shipping, fuel taxes, and road improvements. In later years, the Farm Bureau created affiliates to provide other essential commodities and services. Established in 1938, the Grundy Refrigerated Locker Association offered a method for cold storage of meats, fruits, and vegetables. In 1961, the Grundy Producers Supply handled biological supplies for livestock disease control. The Bureau also sponsored social functions such as county picnics, county fair exhibits, and agricultural youth clubs.
Located in Morris, Illinois, the Grundy County Farm Bureau continues to provide many services and benefits to the local agricultural community.
Subjects (links to similar collections) Administrative InformationMr. Milford Bjelland deposited the Grundy County Farm Bureau Records in the Northern Illinois Regional History Center on August 28, 1980.
The Grundy County Farm Bureau Records document a substantial portion of its history from its inception in 1914 to 1970. A complete set of meeting minutes (1914-1970) details the business concerns of Bureau members providing advice and services to farmers in planning and organizing their farm businesses. Topics discussed at these meetings ranged from improved crop-raising techniques and disease control to farm legislation being considered at the state and national levels. Audit reports (1924-1970) comprise a second major series of the collection and contain income and expense information illustrating the annual financial condition of the Bureau. Additional detailed financial data is recorded in a set of general financial ledger books for the Farm Bureau’s later years, 1950-1970.
The collection also includes records from The Grundy County Producers Supply. Organized in 1961, this cooperative distributed serum and biological supplies for the Farm Bureau. The meeting minutes (1961-1970), audit reports, and ledgers completely document this affiliate’s history until its demise in 1970. Audit reports from a second affiliate, the Grundy Refrigerated Locker Association, contain financial data for this organization from 1949-1958. Unfortunately, other Locker Association records are missing from the collection. Finally, a minute book from the nineteenth-century Grundy County Agricultural Society traces the movement of that group toward advancing the mechanics of agriculture in Grundy County.
Researchers should note the collection provides very few supplementary materials such as booklets or programs.