Clarke County Farm Bureau
By Mickey Thomas
The Clarke County Farm Bureau began in 1918. The founding members included O.C. Fenn, Frank Paul, Will Touet, Frank Bell, Earl Paul, Lloyd Thurston, M.M. Harris, and Lester Daniels. With dues of $5, the membership reached 211 the first year.
Marie White’s, “Osceola Business Directory,” states that the Clarke County Farm Bureau occupied a second floor Main Street office, which they shared with E. E. Agans, extension agent, in the building now occupied by Robinsons. Their purpose was to exchange ideas, achieve economic improvement, promote favorable legislation, and create agriculture services. Membership polls were taken to reflect the needs of agriculture.
In 1960, I was a guest of Dick Touet at a local Farm Bureau meeting. Clarke County was suffering from a severe drought. Farm Bureau members voted to begin a cloud seeding effort using mercury substances dropped into the clouds by an airplane. Some of the bureau leaders included Tom Swain, Richard Carson, Don Gibson, Robert Gaumer, and Harold Smith. At that time the Farm Bureau office was in the 100 block of North Main Street. The seeding effort was relatively unsuccessful because there was no way to control where the moving clouds would drop their moisture.
In the 1980’s, the downtown property was sold and the Farm Bureau purchased the former Production Service Credit building with three acres at 2215 North Main Street near the junction of the Truro Pavement.
Today, the Clarke County Farm Bureau has approximately 800 members. Their membership reflects the changing face of agriculture. Now, over half of all farmers supplement their incomes with off-farm jobs and many do not live on the land they farm. The services offered by the Farm Bureau Federation are available to non-farmers. These services include Farm Bureau Insurance and the Farm Service Co., a co-operative with a farm supply dealership at Murray. The insurance division offers home, auto, health, life, annuities, and commercial insurance.
The Clarke County Farm Bureau has made land available at their office site for the Osceola Diversity Gardens. Thirty garden plots are available for citizens to raise fruits and vegetables. The Clarke County Farm Bureau shares the sponsorship of this program with Iowa State University Services, Osceola Lions Club, Sisters of Mercy, Garden Club, Resource and Conservation Development, Conservation Board, Soil and Water District, and the Clarke County Development Corporation.
The present Farm Bureau officers are Randy Barnard, President; Bart Griffith, Vice-President; John Siefkas, Secretary; and Warren Keeler, Treasurer. Other board members include John Carson, Dale Escher, Rick Glazebrook, Andy Gonseth, Dennis Chaney, Kelly Curnes, Harold Fuller, Scott Hook, and Ed West. Leola Boyce is the administrative office assistant.
The North Main Street office of the Clarke County Farm Bureau shares space with Farm Bureau Financial Services. Their staff includes Britt Grimm and Connie Harmsen, sales associates; and Ron Barton, agent. A Farm Bureau Financial Services office is located at 800 South Main Street. Robert Reasoner is agent; and his sales associates are Glenda Reasoner and Garla LaFollette.
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