THE 



ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION RECORD 



To advance the purpose for which the Farm Bureau was organized, namely, 

 to promote, protect and represent the business, economic, social and educa- 

 tional interests of the farmers of Illinois and the Nation, and to develop 

 agriculture. 



THE STATE FARM 

 BUREAU PUBLICATION 



NEW IDEAS AND THE NEW LOOK 



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A SMALL group of lAA officers stood watching a 

 huge transport truck at the Pana Refinery loading 

 its precious cargo of fuel for farming. It gave me 

 a thrill to look beyond the loading dock to the busy 

 refinery. In a way it seemed to typify the activity 

 and progress of the far-flung cooperative service structure 

 being built by the Farm Bureau mem- 

 bers of Illinois. 



I wish you could have gone with us 

 on this 2,000 mile inspection of a few 

 of the facilities and operations of your 

 own organizations. You would have 

 seen thousands of cans of milk coming 

 into the Prairie Farm Creameries each 

 day to produce tons of high-quality but- 

 ter, milk and milk products; hogs by 

 the hundreds moving through your own 

 yards to all parts of the nation; paper milk bottles at Olney; 

 huge piles of graded wool at Paris; great towers of con- 

 crete and machinery pouring a golden stream of grain into 

 river barges at Hennepin and Havana; pelleting machines 

 and conveyor belts at the Benton Feea Mill; a hog de- 

 hairing machine in the co-op slaughter plant near Carlin- 

 ville. These we saw, together with hundreds of other 

 examples of progress typical of the farmer cooperative 

 marketing, purchasing and service organizations affiliated 

 with your own organization. 



Why have farmers built this huge and varied structure? 

 The price in terms of time and loyalty and hard earned 



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dollars has not been cheap. Illinois farmers have also 

 accepted a great responsibility in the proper guidance and 

 direction of their multi-million dollar cooperative institu- 

 tions which today employ in excess of 5,000 people. I 

 am sure that they have not followed the co-op route solely 

 to save a few millions of dollars. Everywhere we went we 

 heard the same statement, "We started this organization 

 because we farmers could not obtain the kind or quality 

 of service which we desired at a reasonable cost." That 

 is the answer! 



You can be proud of the fact that your cooperatives 

 have been pioneers in introducing the "new look ' to busi- 

 ness and industry. The old system was based on production 

 to suit the industry with dependence upon high pressure 

 sales programs to induce farmers to purchase. For ex- 

 ample, low analysis fertilizer is produced «.nd sold because 

 it suits the convenience and equipment of the manufacturer. 

 Our own cooperative has taken on a new look and asked 

 the farmer what kind of fertilizer he wants. The result 

 has been a higher analysis, more economical product. Again 

 and again we visited successful cooperatives operating on 

 this policy of oflfering the farmer the service that he wants 

 and needs. 



Future progress and further expansion of our co- 

 operatives will depend upon the extent to which farmers' 

 marketing, supply and service needs are properly analyzed 

 and filled. Cooperatives will fail if they blindly follow 

 old methods; they will thrive on new ideas and the "new 

 look" toward service. 



X X X X 



JULY, 1948 • VOLUME 26, NUMBER 7 



ILLINOIS AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION OFFICERS and BOARD OF DIRECTORS (By Dittrlcts) 



Praudent, Charles B. Shuman ^ulliTOo 



Vice-President. Floyd E. Morris Builalo 



Sceretary, Paul E. Mathias Hiiudala 



Field Sec, Geo. E. Metzger Chicago 



Treasurer, R. A. Cowles Bloomington 



Comptroller. C. C. Chapelle Chicogo 



General Counsel, Donald Kirkpatrick Chicago 



1st to llth £arl M. Hughes, Woodstock 



12th C. I. Elliott, Streator 



13th. Homer Curtiss, Stockton 



Ulh Otto Steiiey. Strongburst 



ISlh „ —Edwrin Gumm, Galesburg 



16th Russell V. McKee, Vania 



I7tli E. T. Culnon. Lincoln 



18th „ John T. Evans, Hoopeston 



19lh Ifilton W. Worren, Mansfield 



20th K. T. Smith, Greenfield 



21st _ Don L. Clarke. New Berlin 



22nd J. King Eaton. EdwardsTille 



23rd Chester McCord, Newton 



24th „ Lyman Bunting, Ellery 



2Sth JUlMrt Webb, Ewing 



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Editor, Creston Foster. Ais't. Editor, James C. Thomson. Field Editor, Lewis A. Reisner. 



The Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD is published monthly by the Illinois Agricultural Association at 1501 W. Washington Road, Mendota, 

 111. Editorial Offices, 43 East Ohio St.. Chicago, 111. Entered as second class matter at post office, Mendota, 111,, Sept. II, 133E. Acceptance for mail- 

 ing at special rate of postage provided in Section 412. Act of Feb. 28. 1925, authorized Oct, 27, 1335. Address all communications for publication to 

 Editorial Offices, Illinois Agricultural Association RECORD, 43 East Ohio St., Chicago, The individual membership fee of the Illinois Agricultural As- 

 sociation is five dollars a year. The fee includes payment of fifty cents for subscription to the lUinais Agricultural Association RECORD. Postmasten 

 Send notices on Form 3578. Undeliveroble copies returned under Form 3679 to editorial eiiicss. 43 E. Ohio St., Chicago 11. U. 



JULY. 1948 



