> What exactly, and who exactly, is the Farm Bureau?
> Here in NY, the Farm Bureau wields considerable political interest in the
state level beekeeping organization.

If you don't even know who or what they are about, why would you, permit
them to wield any influence over any beekeeping organization to which you
belonged?  :)

Actually, the passage of legislation backed by the Farm Bureau that included
a greatly expanded apiary inspection program against the clear objections of
the self-proclaimed state beekeeping organization is what prompted those of
us who keep bees in "downstate" NY to lobby the executive branch to pull
funding for the whole shebang.  Foulbrood and other diseases and pests have
not increased one little bit since the funding was pulled, so there is now a
rational basis to say that the money was being wasted for years.

I can compare and contrast the VA Farm Bureau with the NY Farm Bureau.

In most states, including VA, the Farm Bureau is a co-op, and membership for
about $50 a year is a prerequisite to buying their farm-oriented home
owner's insurance, vehicle insurance, and product liability insurance.  Most
people join for the insurance, and you don't have to own a farm to join and
buy their car or homeowner's insurance.  They covered my farm, my beekeeping
operation, my haying operation, my cars, everything.

Most state Farm Bureaus also do a good job of lobbying on behalf of their
membership, mostly fighting a rear-guard action against the increasing
suburbanization of rural farmland, and the demands that newly-arrived
residents make from their ticky-tacky subdivisions of McMansions built on
former grazing lands. The newcomers generally insist that cows and fields
continue to remain in view to look picturesque, but demand that the cows
refrain from making any noises or odors.  Ditto for farm equipment, and they
want manure spreaders banned, of course.

In NY, the Farm Bureau does not sell insurance, for reasons unknown.  So,
they are little more than a lobbyist and a Political Action Committee.  They
do joint marketing and offer deals to members, but the deals are pretty
lame.  

To contrast the two, here are the four VA Farm Bureau "State Issues":
1) Agriculture BMP cost-share funding
2) Predator control
3) Property rights and trespass
4) Soil and water conservation district funding

And here's the NY Farm Bureau's "Bill Memos" on state issues.  There's 82 of
them, go ahead and count.
http:/nyfb.org/legislative_affairs/bill_memos.cfm

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Sent from my not-so smartphone.
My typo rate may vary
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