By EMMA HOPKINS-O’BRIEN

Indiana Correspondent

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) celebrated its 100-year anniversary with a cake and coffee reception at the Statehouse in honor of its March 25, 1919, establishment – which fell only about half a year before the centennial of American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), on Nov. 12.

Several legislators attended INFB’s celebration to remarks from Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and INFB President Randy Kron. Members of INFB’s board of directors, Women’s Leadership Committee, and a special 100th anniversary planning committee were also in attendance.

“The farmers back in 1919 came together and said, ‘Hey, we can be better at the Statehouse, and even in our local governments if we work together,’ and I think that still holds true today,” said Kron. “There’s no doubt there’s a lot of challenges in ag today, but we’ve got a great history, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

Much in the same way, AFBF was the result of Farm Bureau leaders from 34 states congregating in Chicago for a meeting. A declaration at the beginning of the convention said: “This country needs the sound, conservative common sense of the farmers expressed in a collective and organized way.”

A century of advocating for agriculture and rural needs has taught the organizations what is important to members and how to stay relevant. Kron said much of being relevant requires investing in future leadership.

“I think we’re putting extra effort on youth development with the FFA – we’ve started several programs, working with FFA to form future leaders, and then also with the collegiate chapters at several universities in our Young Farmer program, so to me that’s the future, and we have to put extra emphasis on that,” he explained.

Crouch read a proclamation issued by the Governor’s Office designating March 25, 2019, as “Indiana Farm Bureau Day.” INFB is a presence in all 92 of the state’s counties, which was noted in the proclamation along with the grassroots advocacy efforts of the organization.

“I was going to start by listing the 100 reasons why the Farm Bureau is important to Indiana, but they only gave me five minutes,” Crouch joked. “So let me start by saying to all FB members here, happy birthday.

“Since your first meeting some 100 years ago, to your more recent meetings last week at the Statehouse, for generations your organization has been helping farmers find their voice, and have stood beside those who have clothed and fed Indiana.”

Kron recalled some “greatest hits” of INFB, including a time when a tax issue prompted 10,000 members to gather at the Statehouse on one day.

“It’s been starting other businesses, like co-ops, that not only help on the production, but help on the input cost and help bring down the costs for farmers on their inputs. I think there’s a lot of different things that we’ve done and, looking forward, there’s a lot of challenges right now for agriculture, and staying tied to the members is No. 1.”

A history of advocacy

Kron said looking back through the history of the AFBF, it is evident the organization has seen and overcome much already. In the 1920s, AFBF was responsible for enacting into law bills that advocated for and stabilized the industry. The Packers and Stockyard Act, the Emergency Agricultural Credits Act, the Futures Trading Act, and many others were put in place with AFBF support.

Through devastating times such as the Great Depression and Dust Bowl, the organization supported farms by drafting the first piece of New Deal legislation in 1933.

Some modern aspects of the ag industry that are vital to its maintenance were forged by AFBF – for instance, the organization’s experience in World War II prompted its conclusion and support of finding overseas markets for American farm products in order to ensure a financially robust industry. Later on, the establishment of the “Soil Bank” became the predecessor of today’s conservation programs.

AFBF spent the 1960s-1980s fighting farm debt, expanding world trade, and continuing to represent farmers to Congress. In the new millennium, AFBF lobbied for fairer and freer trade for American farmers, as well as the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which set a Renewable Fuel Standard requirement for ethanol and biodiesel, to reduce reliance on foreign oil.

In the past decade, the organization has fought against legislation such as the 2015 Waters of the U.S. rule and launched a “Don’t Cap Our Future” campaign in response to a push in Congress to pass cap-and-trade legislation regarding farm operations’ emissions.

Today, AFBF strives to build strong ag communities and strengthen rural America through advocacy that addresses the industry’s pressing issues and protects future generations of farmers.

INFB plans to continue making its anniversary a year-long celebration. There are also plans to honor INFB at the Indiana State Fair this year, as well as a final celebration at its conference in French Lick this December.