steady one. In 1937 the organization 

 produced hytrid seed com to plant 66,- 

 680 acres. By 1948 the production had 

 increased to 2,240 acres of seed, enough 

 to plant 872,562 acres of corn. 



Production has grown from 8,583 

 bushels in 1937 to 109,069 bushels in 

 1948 and dollar sales from $56,501.79 

 in 1937 to $519,152.18 in 1948. It can 

 readily be seen that the value of sales 

 does not reflect the true picture of prog- 

 ress, since the per bushel price of seed 

 com in the first years was $15, declining 

 to $7, then during the war years gradu- 

 ally working back to around $11.50. 



The Producers holds the distinction of 

 being the first cooperative hybrid seed 

 torn processing plant in the United 

 States. 



These honors were earned by far- 

 sighted Farm Bureau men such as A. B. 

 Schofield, Ford county, first president, 

 who promoted and organized the proj- 

 ect. Other early directors, also of Ford 

 county, were L. A. Barrow, Frank Ander- 

 son, George J. Arends, F. L. Hevener, 

 Charles Dueringer, and Howard J. Stiick- 

 ey. Stuckey, a young progressive live- 

 stock farmer from near Piper City was 

 elected president at the second annual 

 meeting and has piloted the organization 

 to its present successful status. 



The present organization was an out- 

 growth of the Ford County Com 

 Growers which prior to the advent of 

 hybrid com, operated several seed corn 

 testing houses in the county. When 

 hybrid com came in, the seed houses were 

 abandoned and a modem hybrid seed 

 com processing plant was built at Piper 

 City. When the plant was completed it 

 was realized that the projects was too 

 big for one county, and since it was a 

 Farm Bureau enterprise, the Livingston 

 and Gmndy county Farm Bureaus joined 

 in the setup. 



Since that time the service of the co- 

 operative has been extended year by year 

 over the state, but only on the request 

 of the respective county Farm Bureaus. 

 Shaded portions in the adjoining map 

 show the counties which have a complete 

 sales organization servicing "Producers 

 Hybrids" to Farm Bureau members. 



Credit for able management of the 

 Producers is due L. R. Downs, general 

 manager, who has been with the or- 

 ganization since Febmary, 1940. He has 



Map (abov»t sfcews Mi* proposed disfricti 

 In tha raorgonizaflon of Produtert' Crop 

 Improvement Association marked off by 

 heavy line*. Shaded areas are countle* 

 having complete talet service for Pro- 

 ducers' Hybrids, and stars Indicate where 

 present directors on the board live. Towns 

 listed, with exception of Geneva, are caucus 

 sites. St. Charles Is district I caucus site 

 Instead of Geneva. 



been managing agricultural cooperatives 

 for 2 1 years having started with the Farm 

 Bureau cream pools in Piatt county and 

 later managed a cooperative creamery. 

 Prior to coming with Producers, Downs 

 was manager of Columbia Farmers Co- 

 operative Grain Company in Monroe 

 county. 



Playing an important part in the sales 

 growth of Producers is R. A. Hager, 

 sales manager, who came with the or- 

 ganization in November 1941. A former 

 Iowa farm boy, Hager had some eight 

 years sales experience prior to joining 

 Producers. 



For the past several years, the Pro- 

 ducers has maintained a complete plant 

 breeding and research program under the 

 direction and supervision of its plant 

 breeder, R. R. Copper. Copper is a recog- 

 nized agronomist having served on the 



agronomy staff of the University of Illi- 

 nois for five years and two years at State 

 College of Pennsylvania, prior to join- 

 ing Producers. 



In 1945 the Producers established a 

 hybrid seed corn dtying plant at Fair- 

 buty in Livingston county. Then on 

 June 30, 1947 the Blackhawk Hybrid 

 Seed corn Association at Polo in Ogle 

 county was merged with the Producers 

 by mutual consent of the shareholders of 

 both organizations on a capital stock 

 exchange basis. 



NOnCE OF DISTRICT CAUCUSES 



For Nomtnation of Directors 

 For Producers' Seed Company 



AprU I. 1949 



Notice is hersb? given to the stockholdeis and 



Farm Bureau patrons oi the Producete' Crop Im- 



Erovement Association oi the district caucuses to 

 e held for the purpose oi nominating a director 

 from each of the eight districts to serve on the 

 board of directors of the proposed "Producers' 

 Seed Company." 



The Proaucere' Crop ImproTement Associatioo 

 is being ^reorganised as tho "Producers' Seed 

 Company". Producers' Seed Compoay ^eill be 

 recognised as the Farm Bureau set-up in Dlinois 

 ior the acquisition, processing and cooperaliTe 

 distribution of hybrid seed com ond small seeds. 



District No. 1, consisting of the counties of 

 Boone. McHenry, Lake. DeKolb, Kane, Cook, Du- 

 Fage, Kendall, Will. GrundT and Kankakee, will 

 hold its caucus April 19, 1949, at 1:30 p.Bi. ia 

 St. Charles. 111.. Community Center. 



District No. II. consisting of the counties el 

 Jo Daviess. Stephenson, Winnebago. Carroll. 

 Ogle, Whiteside, Lee and Rock Island will hold 

 its caucus April 18, 1949, at 1:30 p.m.. in Pola. 

 ni., at the Polo Opera House. 



District No. III. consisting ol the counties ol 

 Livingston. Iro<^uois. McLean and Ford, will hold 

 its caucus Apnl 23. 1949. at 1:30 p.m. in Piper 

 City, 111., in conjunction with the special stock- 

 holders meeting. 



District No. IV. consisting ol the counties oi 

 Mercer, Henry. Bureau, La Salle, Henderson, 

 Warren, Knox, Stark, Putnam, Marshall, Peoria, 

 Woodford and Tasewell, will liold its caucus April 

 IS, 1949, at 1:30 p.m.. in Toulon, 111., at the 

 Farm Bureau Hall. 



District No. V. consisting of the counties ol 

 DeWitt. Piatt. Champaign, Vermilion, Macon, 

 Moultrie, Douglas, Edgar, Shelby and Coles, 

 will hold its caucus April 11. 1949. oi 1:30 p.m. 

 in Tuscola. 111., at the Farm Bureau Hall. 



District No. VI, co n sis ti ng of the counties of 

 Hancock. McDonough, Fulton, Adams, Schuyler, 

 Mason, Brown, Cass, Menard, Logan, Pike, Mor- 

 gan. Scott, Sangamon. Calhoun, Greene and 

 Jersey, will hold its caucus April 14, 1949, at 

 1:30 p.m. in Jacksonville, at the Farm Bureau 

 HaU. 



District No. VII. consisting of the counties of 

 Cumberland. Clark. Effingham, Jasper. Crawford. 

 Clay. Richland. Lawrence. Monon, Jefferson, 

 Wayne, Edwards, Wabash. Hamilton, White, 

 Franklin. Williamson, Saline, Gallatin, Johnson, 

 Pope, Hardin and Maesac, will hold its coucns 

 April 12, 1949, at 1:30 pjn. in Fairfield. 111., at 

 the Form Bureau HaU. 



District No. VIII. consisting of the counties of 

 Christian, Macoupin, Montgomery, Madison, 

 Bond, Fayette. St. Clair, Clinton. Woshington. 

 Monroe. Randolph. Perry, Jackson. Union. Alex- 

 ander and Pulaski, will hold its caucus April 13. 

 1949, at 1:30 p.m.. in Belleville, 111., at the Farm 

 Bureau Hall. 



Persons who are bona fide producer* ol ogri- 

 culturol products, and who are members and 

 common shareholders and in good standing with 

 this Association, are eligible lor election to the 

 ]>oard of directors. 



Plan to attend your district caucus. 



Producers' Crop Improvement Association 



L. R. Downs 



General Manager 



T 



Below Is the Blackhawk Division Plant of fhe Pro- 

 ducers' Crop Improvement Association. It Is located 

 at Polo, III. 



I 



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