Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation (ArFB), which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009, is a non-profit

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

, grassroots

Grassroots

A grassroots movement is one driven by the politics of a community. The term implies that the creation of the movement and the group supporting it are natural and spontaneous, highlighting the differences between this and a movement that is orchestrated by traditional power structures...

 organization dedicated to agricultural advocacy. ArFB represents the interests of farmers and rural communities throughout the state of Arkansas

Arkansas

Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...

 through policy development, lobbying

Lobbying

Lobbying is the act of attempting to influence decisions made by officials in the government, most often legislators or members of regulatory agencies. Lobbying is done by various people or groups, from private-sector individuals or corporations, fellow legislators or government officials, or...

 and other programs.

The mission of Arkansas Farm Bureau:

• Advocate the interests of agriculture
  Agriculture
  Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
  
   in the public arena;
• Disseminate information concerning the value and importance of agriculture; and
• Provide products and services which improve the quality of life for its members.

Farm Bureau is an independent, voluntary organization of farm

Farm

A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...

 and ranch

Ranch

A ranch is an area of landscape, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool. The word most often applies to livestock-raising operations in the western United States and Canada, though...

 families united for the purpose of analyzing their problems and formulating action to achieve educational improvement, economic opportunity, social advancement and promote the national well-being. Farm Bureau is county, state, national and international in its scope and influence. Farm Bureau is nonpartisan, nonsectarian, nongovernmental and nonsecret in character. Farm Bureau strives to be the voice of agricultural producers at all levels.

Past Farm Bureau Presidents and Executive Officers

Presidents	Years in This Position
J. F. Tompkins	1935-36
R. E. Short	1936-48
Joe C. Hardin	1948-55
Harold F. Ohlendorf	1955-71
Morris L. Bowman	1971-76
Nicky E. Hargrove	1976-86
Andrew Whisenhunt	1986-99
David W. Hillman	1999–2003
Stanley E. Reed	2003-08
Randy Veach	2008-current

Executive Officers	Years in this position
Waldo Frasier	Executive Secretary 1935-55
	Executive Vice President 1955-70
	Vice President/CEO 1971
Arnold Berner	Executive Vice President 1970-82
Jack G. Justus	Executive Vice President 1982-97
Dennis Robertson Dennis Robertson Sir Dennis Holme Robertson was an English economist who taught at Cambridge and London Universities.Robertson, the son of a Church of England clergyman, was born in Lowestoft and educated as a scholar of Eton and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Classics and Economics, graduating in...	Executive Vice President 1997-2002
Ewell R. Welch	Executive Vice President 2002-current

Commodity Divisions

Arkansas Farm Bureau has 12 commodity

Commodity

In economics, a commodity is the generic term for any marketable item produced to satisfy wants or needs. Economic commodities comprise goods and services....

 divisions. Those divisions give producers a channel for emphasis on problems relating directly to the commodities they raise. However, the commodity divisions also contribute to furthering the overall goals of Arkansas Farm Bureau. The following are the 12 commodity divisions represented in Arkansas Farm Bureau:

• Aquaculture
  Aquaculture
  Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
  
  
• Horticulture
  Horticulture
  Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
  
  
• Beef Cattle
  Beef cattle
  Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
  
  
• Poultry
  Poultry
  Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
  
  
• Cotton
  Cotton
  Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
  
  
• Rice
  Rice
  Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
  
  
• Dairy
  Dairy farming
  Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
  
  
• Soybean
  Soybean
  The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
  
  
• Equine
• Swine
• Forestry
  Forestry
  Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
  
  
• Wheat
  Wheat
  Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
  
   and Feed Grains
  Feed grain
  Feed grain refers to any of several grains most commonly used for livestock feed, including corn, grain sorghum, oats, rye, and barley. These grains and the farms producing them historically have received federal commodity program support in the United States...
  
  

ValuePlus

Arkansas Farm Bureau provides a number of exclusive discount

Discount

Discounting is a financial mechanism in which a debtor obtains the right to delay payments to a creditor, for a defined period of time, in exchange for a charge or fee. Essentially, the party that owes money in the present purchases the right to delay the payment until some future date...

 programs for its members, collectively known as ValuePlus. These programs are in place to enable Farm Bureau members to save money on everyday products and services.

Young Farmers & Ranchers

Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers is an extension of a national program by the same name. Young Farmers & Ranchers is program designed to increase the participation of young men and women, between 18 and 35, in county and state level Farm Bureau Organizations, programs and events. The Young Farmers & Ranchers program also provides opportunities for young men and women to earn recognition for their achievements in agriculture, business

Business

A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...

 and leadership

Leadership

Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...

 through the Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Awards program and competitions. Competitive events offer unique opportunities for members to learn about Farm Bureau while earning recognition and prizes. These activities are a great way to learn, network and have fun. Within Arkansas Farm Bureau there are two main awards the YF&R Achievement Award and the YF&R Excellence in Ag Award. Arkansas Farm Bureau also holds a YF&R Discussion Meet competition yearly. The Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet competition simulates a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant.

Women’s Committee

This committee strongly encourages women to join and become active in Arkansas Farm Bureau at any of the various county and state levels. The women’s committee also supports community-based activities and programs such as Ag in the Classroom, farm tours, legislative activities, safety and health programs, etc.

The Board of Directors and Board Committees

The Board of Directors has no less than 14 members, but the actual number can vary. The board’s directors are elected by the voting delegate

Delegate

A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...

s of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation at their annual meeting. For the purpose of electing directors, the Federation is divided into seven districts made up of each County Farm Bureau. The elected Board of Directors then nominates persons for the offices of President and Vice President which are then voted on by the voting delegates. The Secretary-Treasurer and Executive Vice President are elected by the Directors from within the group.

Arkansas Farm Bureau has 13 board committees:

• Executive
• Audit
• Compensation
• Investment
• Animal Care
• Environmental Issues
• Food Security
• Health, Safety & Rural Development
• Legislative
• New Products & Services
• Renewable Fuels
• Scholarship
• Trade Advisory