Farmers’ Institutes
Gary Moore, NCSU
Farmers’ Institutes
 Found in nearly every state in the late 1800s
 Structure varied from state to state
Farmers’ Institutes
 Ohio (1847) - County agricultural societies
sent lecturers out on request
Farmers’ Institutes
 New York (1842-43)- State agricultural
society started a program of itinerant
lecturers
Farmers’ Institutes
 Institutes were held in counties,
occasionally there would be 2-3
in a county
 Meetings were 1-3 days in length,
2-3 days at first, then one day
 Variety of speakers featured
– Typically balanced between local
people and outside experts
Farmers’ Institutes Program
 Welcome by local dignitary
 Overview by Institute official
 Speakers followed by question and
answer period
 Speeches were normally 30 minutes
or less
 Question box used to overcome
hesitancy to ask questions
Farmers’ Institutes
 Lunch prepared by the ladies (a time to
socialize)
 Afternoon session consisted of more
speakers
Program, cont.
 If there was an evening
session, it was often light
hearted entertainment (had to
entice farmers back from
doing their evening chores)
Farmers’ Institutes
 Recreational activities
were provided for young
people (baseball, games,
races)
 Institutes were scheduled
for “down time” on the
farms
Farmers’ Institutes
 Once a year there was often
a state wide Farmers’
Institute or Round-up
Farmers’ Institutes
 By 1900 Farmer’s Institutes
were operated primarily by:
– Land-grant colleges (19 states)
– State Departments of
Agriculture (17 states)
– Counties (Delaware, Iowa)
– Independent Board
(Minnesota)
Typical Topics
 How to increase profits in dairying
 Maintaining soil fertility
 Are sheep profitable?
 Potato growing
 Good citizenship
 National Grange
 Rural Roads
Speakers
 University Professors and Experiment
Station staff
– Farmers often had a deep suspicion of
scientists and few trained men could
speak in a manner intelligible to the
farmer
 Well known farmers in the state
 Local farmers
 State Department of Agriculture staff
Farmers’ Institutes
 American Association of Farmers’ Institute
Workers organized - 1896
Farmers Institutes
 1903 - Office of Experiment
Stations (USDA) added an
Farmers’ Institute specialist
 1903 - Congress
appropriated $5,000 for
Farmers’ Institute work
Farmers’ Institute (NC)
 State law in 1887 called for
Farmers’ Institutes to be held in
every county every two years.
 State Board of Agriculture was
responsible.
 No funds were appropriated.
 Some institutes were held in 1890.
Farmers’ Institute (NC)
 New Farmers Institute law passed in
1893.
 State Board of Agriculture was
responsible.
 $500 appropriated.
 State treasurer wouldn’t release the
money, plans were cancelled in 1893-94.
 45 institutes were held in 1895-96
Farmers’ Institutes
 Tait Butler and T. B. Parker were two
early directors
 Boys corn growing contest started in
1906
 Educational reform was often a topic
at Farmer’s Institute meetings
Women’s Institutes (NC)
 A separate Women’s Institute program was
started in 1906
 Program conducted at the same time as the
Farmers’ Institute
 Some joint meetings
were held
 The NC Women’s
Institutes claim to
be the first in the nation
Train Institutes in NC
 1908 - First Demonstration Train
 1909 - Two Demonstration Trains
– Bladenboro to Rutherfordton, 800 miles round
trip, Seaboard
Air Line Rail
Road - 30 institutes held
– Hillsboro to Murphy
- 900 miles round trip,
Southern Railway 27 institutes held
Demonstration Trains
 One car was equipped with modern kitchen
appliances
 Women’s Institutes were held in this car
 Equipment was demonstrated and lectures
given
Demonstration Trains
 One car contained farm implements
 At each stop, the workings of the
implements were explained
 If a team was available, the implements
were demonstrated
Demonstration Trains
 The trains continued
in popularity for
a number of years.
 A provision in the
Smith-Lever Act
doomed the trains.
The End
 Two factors contributed to the demise of
Farmers’ Institutes
– Establishment of the Cooperative Extension
Service
– World War I