CONFLICT BETWEEN MANAGEMENT AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS NOT UNIQUE TO FARM BUREAU
Scope and Content Note: Hardiman, based on experience with various cooperatives and school boards, aware that management often inaccessible and unresponsive to membership or to district taxpayers. Wisconsin Farm Service Board, composed of president, vice-president, another Farm Bureau director, and legal advisor, created within WFB to meet members' needs by performing both management and policy-making functions. Hardiman recalls early management conflict in Golden Guernsey Dairy Cooperative which resulted in Gavin McKerrow's appointment as both president and general manager to meet management and member needs alike.

FUNCTIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS OF COOPERATIVE PRESIDENTS
Scope and Content Note: Many cooperatives have considered farmer presidents merely “a necessary evil or a necessary PR man” with no executive authority, distrusting their ability to run a business. Hardiman disagrees, citing examples of Consolidated Badger and Tri-State Breeders cooperatives; maintains a successful farmer must be a good businessman and is capable of understanding complexities of business management and making top-level policy decisions.

WISCONSIN FARM SERVICE BOARD CREATED IN
Scope and Content Note: Organized as reaction to limitations placed on WFB president Curtis Hatch after director Carl Doeringsfeld earlier refused titular presidential position.

RURAL MUTUAL CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY CREATED IN
Scope and Content Note: Successor to Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Company, created in 1934; WFB discouraged its name being linked to financially vulnerable commercial insurance company.

PERSISTENT WFBF INTERNAL PROBLEMS WHILE HARDIMAN A DIRECTOR
Scope and Content Note: Problems generated by an organization offering such economic services as insurance, petroleum, farm supplies, and plant foods. Jealousy prevalent among management of various services and WFBF managers. Hostility often erupted at board meetings.

WFBF REPLACES JIMMY GREEN AS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY
Scope and Content Note: WFBF board member Ivan Kindschi directly responsible for relocating Green; other directors agreed Green unable to communicate with Farm Bureau members and county Farm Bureau presidents. Hardiman disagreed.

MORE ON WFBF INTERNAL CONFLICTS
Scope and Content Note: Various Farm Bureau services, in addition to competing for board time, competed for funding. Fierce conflict in 1940's necessitated orderly rotation of board meeting agenda. Situation typical of many Wisconsin cooperatives, disrupting service and inhibiting growth.

WFBF RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER STATE FARMERS' ORGANIZATIONS
Scope and Content Note: Dissent between WFBF and dairy and other cooperatives and Wisconsin Council of Agriculture (WCA), later Wisconsin Association of Cooperatives (WAC), over who should speak for Wisconsin farmers. Opposing viewpoints taken on issues within WCA while Hardiman and Hatch served on WCA's board of directors. WFBF and WCA cooperated well while Hardiman WFBF president primarily because of close working relationship between Hardiman and Milo Swanton. Kenneth Hones an important spokesman for WAC; conflict arose between Hones and Hardiman and Hatch.

ORIGIN OF WAC
Scope and Content Note: Created in 1944 in response to pressure from National Tax Equality Association. WAC organized by Hones from WFU members and other sympathizers from within WCA. Recalls how Hones earlier led WFU out of WCA. WFBF, caught in dilemma, finally sided with WCA.

WFBF's PRO-BUSINESS ATTITUDE
Scope and Content Note: WFBF not as strongly anti-business as WFU, viewing agriculture as a business and farming as a “family business.” Hardiman saw advantages and necessity of big, often NTEA-affiliated, utilities serving farmers. WFBF joined Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce in early 1950's.

WFBF MEMBERSHIP TRENDS, CONTINUED
Scope and Content Note: Membership grew from approximately 1,700 in 1940 to over 33,000 in 1953 due partially to WFBF personnel changes. Jimmy Green became executive secretary and hired T.G. Petersen as field services manager; Petersen in turn employed seven district field men to help organize counties. Increased Farm Bureau services also helped to attract new members. A well-established and prosperous Rural Mutual Insurance Company provided substantial dividends to Farm Bureau members. Another important service came from 1944 organization of Wisconsin Farm Plant Foods to manufacture high concentrate fertilizer not produced by private industry. Farmers received substantial Plant Food dividends. Bill KasaKaitas' success with Wisconsin legislature also induced many to join Farm Bureau.

WFBF “OPERATION NORTHWEST” ORGANIZATION DRIVE IN EARLY
Scope and Content Note: WFBF directors in 1953 decided to conduct membership drive in strong WFU region of northwestern Wisconsin, believing WFB a misnomer if Bureau continued to concentrate activities mainly in southern third of the state. Proponents of “Operation Northwest” felt southern counties had reached limits of growth; opposition argued the Farm Bureau spent $19.80 to secure one member in northwest compared to $3.00-$4.00 in southern Wisconsin. WFBF set aside 40 cents-50 cents of each member's dues to establish Special Membership Reserve Fund for organizing in northwest Wisconsin. “Operation Northwest” “quite successful” after concentrated efforts, both by organizers and directors, although “the hard battle may still not be won in the northwest.”

FARM BUREAU METHODS OF SECURING MEMBERSHIP DURING “OPERATION NORTHWEST”
Scope and Content Note: Field men took general survey in region to determine strength of Farmers' Union, farmers' philosophies and needs, and to contact town leaders. Survey revealed foundation existed to build Bureau membership since few farmers affiliated with any farmers' organizations, and many would have “liked to cut Ken Hones' throat.”

WFBF STAFF HIRED IN FROM OUT-OF-STATE
Scope and Content Note: Hardiman opposed to recruiting outside Wisconsin while competent people available within WFBF; believed out-of-state top management appointments signified structural flaws in organization and a wasted investment of trained in-house personnel in lower-level positions.

REASONS FOR DECLINE IN WFBF MEMBERSHIP IN
Scope and Content Note: Main factor was communication gap between county Farm Bureau leadership and WFBF management. Other reasons included membership dues increase and a distorted issue of Badger Farm Bureau News published by Oswald Anderson, which indicated WFBF endorsed Brannan Plan.

STATE FARM BUREAU BUILDS NEW HEADQUARTERS IN MADISON
Scope and Content Note: Outgrew headquarters building on Thornton Avenue between Williamson Street and East Washington Avenue; dropped plans to add a second story to existing structure. New building sites included Middleton, location of present State Department of Agriculture building, and 27-acre area on Beltline Highway. WFBF briefly considered annexing its warehouse to new office building, then, after much discussion, budget analysis, and agreement with Madison bus company to extend bus service, decided to purchase 7 1/2 acres at South Park Street and Badger Road. Building constructed for approximately $288,000 with funds from each WFBF affiliate.

WFBF QUICKLY OUTGROWS PARK STREET HEADQUARTERS
Scope and Content Note: One-story addition to Park Street building possible but lack of auto parking space made purchase of 80 acres at Gammon and Mineral Point Roads a more feasible solution. Rural Mutual Insurance Company, whose rapid growth made construction necessary, became sole owner of newest building although Hardiman favored continuation of the building corporation arrangement which allowed each Farm Bureau affiliate to invest in proportion to amount of space required.

WFBF NEWS EDITORIALS
Scope and Content Note: Editor Oswald Anderson wrote most of President Curtis Hatch's editorials, which William KasaKaitas often rewrote before publication.

COMMENTS ON WFBF COMMODITY ADVISORY COMMITTEES
Scope and Content Note: Established to provide directors deeper insight into problems of specific commodity areas such as dairy, grain, swine, beef, and orchard products, and to expose internal conflicts often buried in annual commodity resolutions. Committee effectiveness hindered because too often reports merely reflected individual pet peeves or biases; often ignored by directors or failed to influence organization's resolutions.

FARM BUREAU WOMEN'S COMMITTEE GAINS BOARD REPRESENTATION IN
Scope and Content Note: Women's Committee members at all levels united in successful bid for voting membership on state Bureau boards of directors. Hardiman's strong opposition to woman on WFBF board based on principle of independence from American Farm Bureau Federation which strongly recommended directors chairs for women; because it was “absolutely wrong as far as organizational structure” to allow a committee created by the directors a vote on the board and the precedent it would set for the Young People's Committee also to gain a vote.^[1]

YOUNG PEOPLE'S COMMITTEE GAINS BOARD REPRESENTATION IN
Scope and Content Note: Committee had many influential “true adult” members whose arguments for board representation were greatly strengthened by precedent set by Women's Committee. Future leadership role in WFBF also a strong argument in behalf of Young People's Committee. Recalls skill with which Donald Paulson argued case of Young People's Committee.^[2]

DECLINING MEMBERSHIP CONTRIBUTES TO BOARD REORGANIZATION
Scope and Content Note: Arguments of both women and young people strengthened by need to offset declining membership.

COMMENTS ON FORMATION OF WISCONSIN FARMCO SERVICE COOPERATIVE
Scope and Content Note: Continuing management conflicts between Wisconsin Cooperative Farm Supply Co. and the Wisconsin Farm Plant Foods, which used the same distribution points, eventually resulted in Wisconsin Farm Service Board, Inc. creating the Wisconsin Farmco Service Cooperative.

WISCONSIN FARMCO LOSSES REFLECT NATIONAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS IN
Scope and Content Note: National agricultural surpluses contributed to Farmco's loss of $750,000 in 1957, after previous profitable years; many Wisconsin farmers reacted to depressed farm prices by purchasing less fertilizer.

COMMENTS ON RAY PAVLAK'S RESIGNATION AS FARMCO GENERAL MANAGER IN
Scope and Content Note: Scattered weight shortages before Farm Plant Foods purchased an automatic fertilizer weighing machine first “created some real serious doubts in our minds as to what was going on.” Pavlak further alienated WFBF directors after falsely telling Farm Service Board, ten days prior to end of 1957 fiscal year, that Farmco would turn a half-million dollar profit. Board allowed Pavlak to resign out of consideration for his many years of effective management.

CENTRAL FARMERS MAKES POOR INVESTMENT IN OUT-OF-STATE MINES
Scope and Content Note: Farm Bureau a member of Central Farmers Cooperative, which made $20 million investment in Idaho elemental phosphorus plant in mid-1950's, later sold to Gulf and Western at a 50% loss. FS Services, Inc. by 1970's a large owner in potash in New Mexico and Canada, and phosphate in Canada.

MERGER TALKS BETWEEN FARMCO AND MIDLAND COOPERATIVE WHOLESALE ORIGINATE WITH FARMCO'S FINANCIAL PROBLEMS IN
Scope and Content Note: Competition made Farmco a marginal business for five years before its huge loss in 1957 generated support for a merger with Midland, whose services coincided with Farmco's and which had strength in areas of Wisconsin where Farmco was weak. George Niebur and Curtis Hatch represented Farm Bureau at most talks held in Minneapolis. Merger stymied by Midland's refusal to continue Bureau's “differential” payment of dividends to Bureau members only, together with Farm Bureau's uneasiness over Midland's less “conservative” philosophy.

CURTIS HATCH DECLINES PRESIDENCY IN
Scope and Content Note: Hardiman steadfastly refused to campaign actively for the presidency as opponent Arnold Brovold did during 1958 annual meeting. Hardiman, who Hatch believed was his “logical successor,” was elected president at La Crosse convention.

FARM BUREAU DIRECTORS MEET WITH WISCONSIN LABOR LEADERS IN
Scope and Content Note: Wanted to make organized labor aware of farmer economic problems created by labor's support of national cheap food policy in midst of huge surpluses. Hardiman considers Brannan Plan and later similar programs politically motivated; outgrowth of realization that “there are more consumer voters than there are producer voters.” Recalls Hatch took Wisconsin Federation of Labor president^[3] on farm tour to impress on him farmers' production costs.

FURTHER COMMENTS ON THE ECONOMIC EDUCATION COUNCIL
Scope and Content Note: Milo Swanton, executive secretary of the Wisconsin Council of Agricultural Cooperatives (formerly Wisconsin Council of Agriculture), encouraged Hardiman to organize meetings with representatives of industry, labor, consumer and education groups, farmers' organizations such as WFU, the Wisconsin State Grange, WAC, WCAC, and between 40-50 key farmers to “tell industry and labor a little more of our story.” Recalls loud debate between young farm leader from La Crosse County and John Schmitt, president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, during first meeting. For three or four years, Hardiman's assistant organized the annual meetings which later were continued at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with financial support from participating organizations.

COMMENTS ON FARM BUREAU-ORGANIZED LABOR RELATIONSHIP
Scope and Content Note: Farm Bureau agreed labor had a right to organize, but opposed closed shop.

WFBF PROPOSES SALES TAX LEGISLATION
Scope and Content Note: Wisconsin sales tax a “brain-child of Bill KasaKaitas and the Farm Bureau”; at least 75% of the county farm bureaus had resolutions supporting a general or selective sales tax as a means to lower personal property taxes for both farmers and industry. WFBF for many years countered strong opposition from organized labor and WAC, WFU, and WCAC, which supported a redistribution of income taxes instead of a new sales tax, by arguing that taxing those with higher incomes ultimately leads to higher consumer prices. Rank-and-file Bureau members favored a selective sales tax, but Bureau lobbyists used demand for a general sales tax as a “hedge.”

WFBF OPPOSES DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME
Scope and Content Note: Most farmers were opposed, and still oppose, daylight savings time because extra morning hour cannot be used for farm field work. “The farmer's got to work with the elements.”

WFBF OPPOSES POPULATION-BASED, AS OPPOSED TO PROPERTY-BASED, REAPPORTIONMENT
Scope and Content Note: Development of “fringe areas” around cities where urbanites, with small land holdings, outnumber farmers two to one meant that farmers gradually lost power to combat high property taxes. Many older farmers in Hardiman's neighborhood worry over future property tax increases of the type that ruined nineteenth century German farmers.

FURTHER COMMENTS ON POLITICAL REAPPORTIONMENT
Scope and Content Note: Reapportionment necessary, but gerrymandering, too often done, is “dirty politics whoever does it.” Cites Republican state senator Robert Knowles' 1976 defeat as result of gerrymandering heavily Republican areas out of his 90-mile-long district. Comments on growth of Democrats among farmers since 1950's.

WFB SUPPORTS WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION
Scope and Content Note: Bulk of support for legislation guaranteeing farmers' right to water on property and to maximum water supplies came from sandy areas such as those in Waupaca County, where irrigation is necessary.

WFB SUPPORTS WATER RIGHTS LEGISLATION, CONTINUED
Scope and Content Note: Farm Bureau members participated in hearings with state natural resources officials and the city of Fond du Lac because new city well threatened to lower level of water table.

REMUNERATION FOR LAND CONDEMNATION TO BUILD INTERSTATE HIGHWAYS
Scope and Content Note: Governments have, and will probably always have, property condemnation privileges, so Farm Bureau fought for legislation to compensate farmers for moving, business interruption, and liquidation expenses not normally included in government land condemnation payments. Cites example of Knutson family near Janesville; comments on probability of future food problems created by interstate highway construction removing from cultivation 40-60 productive acres per mile.

WFBF SUPPORTS IMPROVEMENT OF MIGRANT LABOR LIVING CONDITIONS
Scope and Content Note: Problem not only providing good living conditions and adequate facilities but also one of re-educating migrant laborers to “use the facilities that are there.” Cites personal visits to migrant camps where conditions were excellent but abused by workers--situation overlooked by “do-gooders.”

COMMENTS ON INTEGRATION
Scope and Content Note: Contrasts forced integration of Milwaukee blacks with the gradual, voluntary integration of Milwaukee Polish; recalls being “bosom friends” with blacks during high school years because of mutual respect, not because government regulations required it.