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TENNESSEANS WELCOMEDIO 



DIXIE FARMERS MAKE THREE-DAY STUDY OF FARM BUREAU OPERATIONS HERE 



§A I FARMER would have to be crazy not to belong 

 Nv M to Farm Bureau in Illinois," a Tennessee farmer 



/■ said during the visit of 300 Tennessee Farm Bu- 



/"■ reau Federation leaders to Illinois in July. 



Thoroughly impressed by the fine county Farm Bureau 

 homes and the long list of services offered Farm Bureau 

 members, the Tennessean leaped to his feet during a visit 

 to Woodford county and asked: "How can an Illinois 

 farmer aflFord not to belong?" 



Another Tennessee visitor said jokingly: "When an 

 Illinois farmer dies and goes to heaven, the first question 

 St. Peter must ask him at the Golden Gate is "Were you a 

 Farm Bureau member?' " 



Entering eastern Illinois after a two-day visit to the 

 Indiana Farm Bureau, the 300 Tennesseans in eight sep- 

 arate bus tours, swept across central Illinois, then through 

 the northern part of the state before meeting at the Illinois 

 Agricultural Association offices in Chicago. 



Each bus load visited three or four county Farm Bu- 

 reaus on the way. At each county the visiting group was 

 given an intensive explanation of the financial, organiza- 

 tional, and operational setup of the county Farm Bureau. 



This included talks by the farm adviser, assistant farm 

 adviser, home adviser, organization director, general agent, 

 service company manager, and other employees such as 

 locker manager, etc. 



; The Tennesseans were particularly interested in the 

 lAA insurance companies because they were planning to set 

 up their own automobile insurance company when they re- 



turned home. 



Rolling past ripening oatfields and corn about chest 

 high the Southerners repeatedly expressed wonder at the 

 fertile flat lands which produced such bountiful crops. '"A 

 land of milk and honey," one man termed Illinois. Several 

 asked why so many Illinois farm homes and buildings were 

 in such poor condition in such a prosperous-looking land. 



The tour ended in Chicago where the visitors inspected 

 the lAA's 12-story office building. 



A dinner in honor of the visitors was given by the 

 lAA at the Stevens building in Chicago. President Charles 

 B. Shuman of the lAA presided. During the after dinner 

 session lAA division heads and company managers ex- 

 plained their organization programs. 



Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation President Tom 

 Hitch expressed the appreciation of his organization for the 

 hospitality extended by the Illinois Agricultural Associa- 

 tion. ""It is a wonderful spirit of cooperation and fraterni- 

 zation," Hitch said, "when you Illinois fanners do your 

 best to help us in this inspection trip through your state. 

 It shows what farmers will do to help other farmers regard- 

 less of where they live." 



In charge of the Illinois end of the Tennessee visit was 

 Roy Johnson, lAA director of special services. Eight lAA 

 staff men acted as guides on the buses during the tours. 



Counties visited included: Edgar, Douglas, Grundy; 

 Champaign, Ford, Will; Macon, DeWitt, LaSalle; Vermil- 

 ion, Iroquois, Kankakee; Piatt, Livingston, DeKalb; Mc- 

 Lean, Kane; Woodford, Marshall-Putnam, Kendall; Peoria, 

 Bureau, Lee. 



L A. A. RECORD 



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