JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The Missouri Farm Bureau is part of a nation-wide organization that provides insurance for members, is involved in agriculture issues, and lobbies for legislation that could affect the industry.
Missouri Farm Bureau President
Just a year shy from their 100th anniversary, the Missouri Farm Bureau’s age is comparable to its statewide reach. With about 115,000 members, President Blake Hurst said the Farm Bureau is the largest general farm organization across the state.
“It’s extremely important for farmers to have an organized organization to turn to,” Hurst said, emphasizing that agriculture is a leading industry for the state, which makes their outlet all the more important.
He said their members join for multitudes of reasons, ranging from people who are active in policy issues, people who need the Farm Bureau’s insurance services, agriculture promotion involvement, and some for their scholarships that aim to support college students pursuing agriculture.
“The original purpose [of the Missouri Farm Bureau] was not only to benefit agriculture, but to help set up and popularize the University of Missouri Extension services,” Hurst said, adding that Missouri has seven universities with agriculture programs.
Some of their scholarships help support the UM Extension program, another assists funds for research farms and stations across the state to look into plant varieties, weed control, and other agriculture-related issues. Hurst noted that every county in Missouri has a representative involved in the UM Extension program.
Farm Bureau members come from those who produce every commodity grown in Missouri, he said, “and there are a lot.” These include wineries, greenhouses, dairy farmers, ranchers, and any and every Missouri row crop.
Insurance is a big portion of what the company does to serve their public. Hurst said the majority of their members have some form of insurance for their property, car, farmstead or a combination of the options. The Farm Bureau employs just less than 700 people statewide, the majority involved in the insurance business.
Hurst has been involved with the Farm Bureau for about 30 years. Why? Because agriculture has been such a major part of his life for as long as he can remember. This session, Hurst said the Bureau has been active in the “Right to Farm” legislation and initiative petition reform.
“I like to think the Farm Bureau makes the industry better,” he said. “I think every day has a new challenge and issue, and I find them all to be interesting.”
Plans for the 100th anniversary of the Farm Bureau are in the beginning stages, Hurst said, but rest assured there will be a “really big party.”
To contact Ashley Jost, email ashley@themissouritimes.com, or via Twitter at @ajost.
Ashley Jost is no longer with The Missouri Times. She worked as the executive editor for several months, and a reporter before that.