Administrative Information | Search Terms | Background Note | Scope and Contents Note | Arrangement | PDF of Finding Aid
 

COLLECTION SUMMARY

Title:     South Dakota Farm Bureau records

Dates:     1914-1995 (bulk 1965-1989)

Creator:    South Dakota Farm Bureau

Physical Description:     1.0 linear feet—1 container

Collection number:     MA 26

Language:     Collection material in English.

Repository:     South Dakota State University Archives, Hilton M. Briggs Library, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.

Abstract:     Collection is composed of records of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation and associated groups. Records include minutes, publications, reports, and other materials.

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Provenance:    Michael Held, Administrative Director of the Farm Bureau, donated the South Dakota Farm Bureau Collection to the archives in August 1999.  The material was previously housed at the South Dakota Farm Bureau office in Huron, South Dakota.

Note:  Many South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFBF) records dating before 1965 were removed from the SDFBF offices and are presumed lost.  We have made every effort to locate the remaining materials.

Access Restrictions:     This collection is open to research without restriction. Items in this collection do not circulate and may be used in-house only.

Copyright Status:     Copyright 2008 by South Dakota State University and SDSU Archives. Please credit the SDSU Archives if you copy or reproduce material from this finding aid.

It is the responsibility of anyone reproducing material to determine the copyright holders and obtain permission from them if necessary. Archives staff will provide available copyright information on request. Please note that most collections, especially those received before 1997, may not have complete information on file. (Revised 15 SEP 2003)

Preferred Citation:     [Identification of item]. South Dakota Farm Bureau records, MA 26, South Dakota State University Archives, South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.

Processing Information:    This collection was processed by Crystal J. Gamradt and Elizabeth B. Scott on 28 February 2000 with revisions on July 8, 2008 (cjg).

SELECTED SEARCH TERMS

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the subject guide. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.

Subjects:

• Agriculture, Cooperative—South Dakota.

• Agriculture—South Dakota—Societies, etc.

• American Farm Bureau Federation.

• Cooperative Extension Service—South Dakota State University.

• Insurance companies—South Dakota.

• South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation.

• South Dakota Farm Bureau Insurance Company.

• South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company.

BACKGROUND NOTE

The South Dakota Farm Bureau is one of the oldest farmers' organizations in South Dakota.  Work at the county level began as early as 1913, and the state Farm Bureau Federation was formed in 1917.  At first, the Farm Bureau was closely associated with the Cooperative Extension Service, but by 1935, the association dissipated.

Since 1935, the South Dakota Farm Bureau has actively promoted farming in South Dakota.  The organization is most closely associated with the SDFBF, which is made up of county Farm Bureaus.  The Farm Bureau is not solely the Federation, however.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau has included organizations distinct from the SDFBF.  Today the only one in existence is the South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company.  The SDFBF owns and operates this for-profit company.  It provides a number of services to members of the SDFBF.

County Farm Bureaus

The initial work of the South Dakota Farm Bureau began around 1913. At this time, agricultural educators began to perform extension work in a number of South Dakota counties. In order to promote and support the work of these educators, counties formed organizations known as farm bureaus. This movement was not unique to South Dakota. Agricultural educators supported by local farm bureaus were active in most states by 1914. In that year, the passage of the Smith-Lever Act systematized the work of these educators under the Cooperative Extension Service. The educators became known as county agents, and the United States Department of Agriculture, South Dakota State University, and the individual counties supported their work.

Although support varied from county to county, the local farm bureaus were a primary means by which the agents carried out their work. The farm bureau would organize meetings and demonstrations, provide some funding, and act as an intermediary between the farmer and the agent (and thus South Dakota State University and the USDA). The farm bureaus soon learned they could also benefit from the work of the county agent. Rural people relied upon the county agents not only to educate them about farming methods and home economics, but also to make purchases on behalf of cooperatives.

The work with the county agents had an added benefit for the local farm bureau. The extension work often required meetings, publicity, and action at the grassroots. Since the farm bureaus were locally controlled organizations of farmers, it soon became clear that they had the resources to speak collectively for the farmers on non-extension related activities. To this end, in 1917 the county farm bureaus joined to form the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFBF) to work on legislative and economic issues. In 1919, the SDFBF joined with 28 other state Farm Bureau Federations to form the American Farm Bureau Federation, which worked closely with the federal government over the next decade to promote farm issues, particularly the business of farming.

On the county level, the Farm Bureaus still provided an avenue through which the county agent performed his or her job. The establishment of the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation had serious repercussions that eventually changed this relationship, however.

The SDFBF was not the only farmers' organization active in South Dakota. In particular, the South Dakota Farmer's Union and the Non-Partisan League had a large number of farmer members. These and other groups opposed the relationship between the Cooperative Extension Service and the SDFBF.

They argued that the county agent was a public servant and should not be part of his job to promote an organization that espoused public policies of a controversial character. In addition, the SDFBF appeared to have an unfair advantage over the other groups because of its association with the USDA and the state government through the county agent and the Cooperative Extension Service. Around this same time, organizations across America were protesting the relationship between their state Farm Bureaus and their local Cooperative Extension Service.

By 1935, the vocal protests of the South Dakota Farmer's Union, the Non-Partisan League and other organizations prompted a change in South Dakota policy. The county Farm Bureaus were no longer the official organization promoting the work of the county agents. Instead, the Farm Bureau Federation and its local county Farm Bureaus became simply organizations working to promote a particular brand of farming in South Dakota. Today, county Farm Bureaus perform much the same function.

South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFBF) is a federation of county Farm Bureaus.  County Farm Bureaus began their work as early as 1913, promoting and supporting the work of the county agent, which worked through the Cooperative Extension Service.  In 1917, the county groups joined to form the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation to work on legislative and economic issues.  In 1919, the SDFBF joined with 28 other state Farm Bureau Federations to form the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), which worked closely with the federal government over the next decade to promote farm issues, particularly the business of farming.  In the 1930's, the AFBF ceased working directly with government agencies, including the Cooperative Extension Service, but continued to work on legislative and economic issues related to farming.  The SDFBF followed suit, and has continued to do so to this day.

Forty-six county Farm Bureaus representing 10,000 voluntary member families make up the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, which is affiliated with the American Farm Bureau Federation.  The state organization includes an Executive Committee, which is the decision making arm of the group.  A Women's Committee is also strong, as is the Young Farmer's and Rancher's Committee, which promotes the involvement of young people in the Farm Bureau.  The headquarters of the SDFBF is in Huron, where an Administrative Director manages day-to-day operations.  The group publishes a monthly newsletter that promotes its general policies and reports on the work of the organization.

According to recent publications, the South Dakota Farm Bureau was founded on a fundamental belief in God.  It is an independent, non-governmental, voluntary organization of farm and ranch families united for the purpose of analyzing their problems and formulating action to achieve education improvements, economic opportunity and social advancement and, thereby, to promote the national well being.  The organization is dedicated to the private competitive enterprise system and deals in issues and ideas rather than personalities.  Farm Bureau prefers to devote its energies to the positive positions and to its own programs.  It recognizes the need for farmer cooperatives, commodity associations, agricultural agencies, and special agricultural groups.  Farm Bureau is an organization sensitive to member and public opinion with a definite procedure for developing and changing policy.

South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company formerly provided another member service of the SDFBF.  This SDFBF owned company provided insurance to members.  In July 1999, it merged with the Iowa Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company and ceased to exist.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation (SDFBF) encourages meeting the needs of members through the provision of beneficial services.  The South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company was one of the beneficial services provided by the SDFBF.  This service offered varied coverage insurance as an exclusive benefit to members since the 1950's.  The South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation started and controlled the company.  In July 1999, it merged with the Iowa Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company and no longer exists today.

South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company is a for-profit corporation owned and operated by the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation.  Through the years, it has provided a number of services to members through affiliation with buying and selling agencies, such as the Safework Tire and Battery cooperative-purchase opportunity and a Farm Bureau Seeds program.  Single commodity marketing services such as the Cattle Marketing Association have also played a part in both the Service Company and the Federation.

Related Material:

South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, South Dakota Bureau farming, Huron, S.D., South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, 1946- [SD Collection: 630.78305 So87 Oversize]

South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, South Dakota Farm Bureau’s Ag leader, Huron, S.D. : South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, 1982- [SD Collection: 630.7305 So85]

SCOPE and CONTENTS NOTE

This collection is comprised of material from all four areas of the South Dakota Farm Bureau:  County Farm Bureaus, the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, the Farm Bureau Service Company, and the South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company.

The County Farm Bureau records consist of a small amount of material from the Brookings County, Codington County and Hamlin County Farm Bureaus.  Included are reports and minutes.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation records is composed of committee files, minutes, publications, clippings, bylaws, financial records and historical information. 

The Committees material is composed mainly of minutes of the various committees within the Farm Bureau Federation.  Included are minutes of the Executive Committee, Women's Committee, and Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee.

The General files include bylaws of the Federation, clippings, financial material, and histories of several county Farm Bureaus throughout South Dakota.  Folders are arranged in alphabetical order

The Meeting minutes are composed of meeting minutes of the Farm Bureau Federation dating from 1964-1995.  Minutes from several smaller committees are also included. 

The Publications are composed of Ag Leader, a monthly periodical published by the Farm Bureau that reports on activities of the Bureau.

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company records consist of minutes for a meeting held in 1968, bylaws and agreements.

The General files are composed of bylaws and agreements between the South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation, Rural Security Life Insurance Company and the South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company. 

The minutes are composed of minutes from a meeting held in 1968.

South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company records

The South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company records consist of meeting minutes.

ARRANGEMENT of the RECORDS

This collection is arranged into four series: County Farm Bureau records, South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation records, South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company records, and South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company records.

Material is arranged alphabetically within each series.

SERIES 1:      County Farm Bureau records

Box 1.

Brookings County

Codington County

Hamlin County

SERIES 2:      South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation

Box 1.

Committees

General 

Meeting minutes

Publications

SERIES 3:      South Dakota Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company records

Box 1.

General

Minutes

SERIES 4:      South Dakota Farm Bureau Service Company records

Box 1.

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