Bureau County Farm Bureau

Bureau County Farm Bureau is a membership-based organization working to serve the intersts and needs of both rural and urban residents.  While Farm Burea's history and purpose are deeply rooted in agricultute, we also strive to serve the varied needs of the non-farming members as well.

Bureau County Farm Bureau currently has oer 4040 total members, with over  1330 actively involved in agriculture abd the balance being associate (non-farming) members.  Members enjoy a number of valuable services and discounts on the local, state and national level (see the "Membership Benefit" tab for details.

To learn more about membership in Farm Burea or to reveive an application, call Cindy or Jill at (815) 875-6468 or e-mail at bcfb@comcast.net.

Illinois Farm Bureau

The Illinois Farm Bureau was started January 26, 1916, when representatives of a loosely-knit group of county agricultural organizations got together. The meeting took place in Davenport Hall on the University of Illinois campus. The decision was made to form the Illinois Agricultural Association. The first office of the Illinois Farm Bureau was located in the Edison Building at 72 West Adams Street in Chicago. In 1961, the Illinois Farm Bureau moved its offices to Bloomington.

Within months of organizing, a resolution was passed by the statewide group to support legislation regarding grain trade, and plans were made for securing a pure-seed law and for repealing the method of collecting personal and real estate taxes. The organization also resolved to seek appointments to the State Livestock Commission that would include farmers and a veterinarian. Within one year, cooperative-buying efforts had begun. Purchases included such items as tires and seeds.

"To put it briefly, the story of Farm Bureau is simply the account of people who believe the most effective action on a given problem can be achieved through concerted cooperative effort. With faith in this principle and loyalty to the organization, there has always been a nucleus of dedicated men and women who have been the moving force of the organization," Kirchhofer said.

The 2001 mission statement of the Illinois Farm Bureau is to "improve the economic well-being of agriculture and enrich the quality of farm family life." This has always been the vision of the Farm Bureau organization.