California's first county Farm Bureau Humboldt was organized in 1913. Yolo, San Joaquin, Kern and San Diego followed later in the same year and in early 1914.
By 1919, there were 32 county Farm Bureaus in the state, and, in November of that year, delegates from those 32 counties met in Berkeley to organize the
California Farm Bureau Federation. Today, there are 53 county Farm Bureaus, representing 56 California counties and more than 86,000 members. The current President is Doug Mosebar.
The
American Farm Bureau Federation was also formed in 1919. Today; there are some 2,800 county Farm Bureaus in the 50 States and Puerto Rico. Membership currently exceeds 5-million members. AFBF President is Bob Stallman of Texas.
The mission of Farm Bureau is to actively represent, protect and advance the social and economic interests of farm families and California communities by organizing production agriculture to provide group benefits and mange issues, which affect its membership.
Farm Bureau is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization of farm and ranch families united for the purpose of analyzing their problems and formulating action to achieve educational improvement, economic opportunity and social advancement and, thereby, to promote the national well-being. Farm Bureau is local, statewide, national, and international in its scope and influence and is nonpartisan, nonsectarian and non-secret in character.
The county Farm Bureau is made up of voting and sustaining members. A voting member is one who reasonably expects to receive income from an agricultural operation. Sustaining members are those who join to participate in service-to member programs, have agribusiness concerns, or who believe in the Farm Bureau philosophy. Sustaining members are entitled to participate in all activities of Farm Bureau, with the exception of voting and the holding of office or serving on the Farm Bureau Board of Directors.
The county Farm Bureau Board of Directors is elected by the voting members of the county Farm Bureau as outlined in the bylaws. Board members are required to be bona fide farmers, which is described in the bylaws as one who derives not less than a majority of their income from an actual farming operation in California in the year prior to his/her election or during the five (5) year period prior to his/her election.
The 53 county Farm Bureaus work closely with the California Farm Bureau Federation and the American Farm Bureau Federation to accomplish their goals.
FARM BUREAU and FB are registered service marks owned by American Farm Bureau Federation.
|
