[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 99 (Thursday, June 28, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN RECOGNITION OF THE 95TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FRESNO COUNTY FARM BUREAU

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                             HON. JIM COSTA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 28, 2012

  Mr. COSTA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my sincerest 
congratulations to the Fresno County Farm Bureau which is celebrating 
its 95th anniversary this year. Since its establishment in 1917, the 
organization has continued to evolve. It began as general farm 
organization as an arm of the Agriculture Extension Service, and is now 
at the forefront of farming in California. As it nears the end of its 
first century, it continues to lead the agriculture industry and the 
community in addressing issues that result in long-term economic 
viability for agriculture and promoting the economic vitality of the 
region as we move forward in the 21st Century.
  The Farm Bureau started shortly after the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 
established the Agriculture Extension Service. The Act stipulated that 
before a county could obtain farm advisor services, it had to form a 
general farm organization through which the Extension Service could 
disseminate information and promote better farming methods. In the fall 
of 1917, George Fever, J.A. Poytress, Sam Heisinger, H.W. Wrightson and 
Charles Parlier were among a group of farmers that met with Leroy 
Smith, the first Extension Service farm advisor assigned to Fresno 
County, to lay the groundwork for a Fresno County Farm Bureau 
organization.
  Fresno County Farm Bureau, like many other County Farm Bureau 
organizations, was originally set up in joint offices within the 
University of California Agriculture Extension Service. The Farm Bureau 
membership rose and fell in the pre-World War II days, dropping to 350 
during the Depression. The largest growth in membership occurred around 
the Farm Bureau's 50th anniversary, between 1945 and 1967 when it rose 
from 1,000 to 4,500 members. Today, the Fresno County Farm Bureau 
represents more than 4,000 members. In the early 1960s, Fresno County 
took first place in total production value of agriculture commodities. 
Fresno County remains the number one agricultural county in the 
country, bringing in $5.94 billion in 2010.
  The Farm Bureau has played an integral role in many projects 
throughout its history, including: presenting President Franklin D. 
Roosevelt a program to strengthen agriculture during the Great 
Depression years in 1931; partnering with the Madera, Tulare and Kings 
County Farm Bureaus to organize the California Farm Bureau Marketing 
Association in 1918; starting a pilot program to sell tree-ripened 
fruit to southern California consumers in 1966; and playing a major 
role in the development and implementation of the Immigration Reform 
and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986.
  Today, the Farm Bureau is a grassroots, nationwide network of Farm 
Bureaus organized on county, state and national levels. The county Farm 
Bureau is the center of the organization and is one of 53 county Farm 
Bureaus currently representing a combined membership of over 4,000 
family members in Fresno County. Collectively, Farm Bureau is 
California's largest farm organization with memberships from 76,500 
farm families in 56 counties.
  The Farm Bureau continues to lead the agriculture industry and the 
community in addressing issues that result in long-term viability for 
agriculture and promoting the economic vitality of the region. Farm 
Bureau spends countless hours researching agriculturally-related 
legislation; testifying in front of local, state and federal 
government; and conducting meetings with elected officials. In 
addition, it fields hundreds of calls, providing education and outreach 
to the community, which has continued to be a centerpiece of the Farm 
Bureau. Through Coffee Talk meetings, which provide the opportunity for 
farmers to share information in an informal setting and discuss 
current, local issues with special guest speakers, the Bureau has 
continued to make community outreach a top priority. It is also 
involved in promoting the Blossom Trail, the Fruit Trail and the Big 
Fresno Fair, and annually recognizes deserving reporters and editors 
for conveying accurate and objective reporting about agricultural 
issues and the industry.
  On top of these important efforts, the Farm Bureau offers valuable 
agriculture education and leadership development assistance in the 
community. The annual Farm and Nutrition Day is put on for more than 
1,500 third-graders, providing facts about food and fiber production in 
Fresno County. In addition, representatives from the Farm Bureau are 
on-hand during the annual Fair Education Program to conduct mini-
presentations about agriculture for students. The Fresno County Farm 
Bureau also works with local universities and conducts classroom 
presentations. In addition to this, the Future Advocates for 
Agriculture Concerned about Tomorrow (FAACT) Leadership Development 
Program provides community leaders with a comprehensive eight-month 
class, highlighting specific issue areas in agriculture. FAACT offers a 
balanced, factual presentation of several issue areas specific to 
agriculture.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Fresno 
County Farm Bureau as it celebrates its 95th anniversary and prepares 
to continue to provide outstanding leadership for the agriculture 
industry throughout the Central Valley, the State of California, and 
our nation.

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