Bureau County Farmers Market

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. 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.