Kansas Farm Bureau history

OKFB President John I. Taylor and Secretary Dan Arnold made the organization’s first legislative effort to removed sales tax from feed, seed and fertilizer in 1943.

In 1945, OKFB had expanded enough to outgrow their small office in the Livestock Exchange Building.

Oklahoma Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company launched their charter policy campaign May 1, 1946 with a goal of 1,000 charter policies and $100,000 insurance in force by Aug.

In 1955, KFB started a radio farm program known as Radio Kansas Farm Bureau News and in three short months 13 stations across the state carried the program.

Although this attempt failed, the first sales tax success came 14 years later in 1957.

Ora J. Fox, a leader of the welfare lobby, circulated a petition to call for a statewide vote on the new law, but the courts declared the Fox petition invalid in 1959, when the sales tax exemptions went into effect.

In 1963, the "wheat referendum" arose because of declining farm income and federal farm policy over-regulating the wheat production.

In response to resolutions from the previous year, OKFB launched a tire-and-battery service in 1964, offering all types of tires and batteries at considerable savings over regular, retail prices.

With OKFB leading the discussion, fertilizer was added to the list of items exempted from state sales tax in 1965.

In 1966, OKFB hired Jim Williams to organize a safety unit in the information division to promote general farm and household safety as well as highway laws and safe driving tips.

OKFB hired Bob Barr as the first legislative specialist in 1970.

Only after market surpluses declined because of the massive export sales agreement with the Soviet Union (beginning in 1972) did grain exports prosper.

The idea was adopted at the OKFB convention in November 1973 and signed into law by Oklahoma Gov.

Farm Bureau began its reward sign program in 1974, offering $500 rewards for information on crimes committed on Farm Bureau members’ property where the signs were posted.

Kansas Farm Bureau revamped a program started in 1976, that honored farm families who weathered the ups and downs of farming.

Kansas Farm Bureau tried to adapt and keep growing but by 1981 conditions continued to deteriorate and memberships leveled off for the first time in a decade.

In 1985, KFB President Doyle Rahjes and the KFB Board focused on a more personal approach designed to help individual farmer members.

The building located on Anderson Avenue was built to accommodate 350 employees, by 1986, Kansas Farm Bureau employed nearly 600.

The decade began with the success of recalling State Question 614 in 1989, which contained controversial changes in the state’s property tax system, including 100 percent assessment rates.

With strong support from Farm Bureau members in Kansas and help from Senator Pat Roberts, who was then Agriculture Committee chairman in the House, the Freedom to Farm Act of 1996 was passed.

The first national Food Check-Out Day event occurred in Chicago in 1998.

In 2000, the program was opened to any Kansas farm whose current owner/operator is related to the owner/operator of the farm for 100 years or more with at least 80 aces of the original Kansas farmland.

In 2004, the OKAgFund reported a 97 percent success rate in backing candidates for public office during primary elections.

Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters began at Colby and Fort Scott community colleges in 2005.

In 2007, the first book in a series of seven was created as part of Kailey's Ag Adventures.