Farm Building Conferences

*By Max E. Cook' Fatmstead Engineer, Califonria Redwood Association

Mar E. Cook

The farmer who knows all there is to know about farm' ing has either struck oil or is very likely figuring on movinE back to the citv. There is-no one in any business totav who has leained all there is to know about that business. The competent and intelligent farmer is forever eagerlv seeking advice and encouragement. M'ore and ntJt" h" is ap"pealing with his building .and remodeling problems to his^ Farrn'Advisor, his State Agricultural Coliege, Agricultural Engineers, and various extension worketi.' Oi the other hand his lumber dealer-local building material headquarter5-sle5s at hand, is the one to whom he more often than otherwise looks as an authority for suggestive plans, practical advice and building guidance'. e-an the dealer who does not know the farmer's wants, the varied requirements of farm buildings and how to best meet them, hope to develop and hold farm trade? To really serve the farmir he must think as a farmer thinks-he must have a sympathetic understanding of farm problems' Deal' ers in lumber and building materials in farming communities face a responsibility that challenges their best thought and skill.

The annual toll paid by farmers on impractical Jarm buildings, building blundeis traceable to unsound advice, and. uni"intelligent irse of plan books, often amounts to the difierence befween their iuccess and failure' In a recent editorial in the California Lumber Merchant, our good friend Jack Dionne, in stressing the -retail lumber dealer's need for men with agricultural engineering ability, said: "The loss to the farmers of this nation every year by reason of impractical farm buildings-would pay the interest on our national debt. The retail lumber concern in agrtcultural territory, with a practical and scientific farm building man on their stafi, possesses- -an asset of great vatrue to-its own business and tb the welfare of the community."

This problem of developing bettelfarm buildings is one of first importance to Ag-ricultural Engineers .and to spirited business men-particularly lumbermen. An appreciation of the farmers'- needs, and an understanding of farm building requirements linked with a knowledge of building miteriais, good planning, ?nd sound construction methods, are of lnestimable wortt and value not only to the business of the dealer and farmer alike, but to the welfare and progressive development of farming communities.

That dealers are alive to the opportunities for real ac' cornplishment in this field is evidenced by- the number of highiy successful recent Farm Building Conferences and "Lumber Schools" held throughout the country for the purpose of familiarizing lumber dealers, farm carpenters and mechanics in building trades, with the latdst recommended practices in the planning of better farm buildings. These

Farm Building Qonferences, and particularly the. round table discussipns programmed as a part thereot' have proved valuabie, tob, ii bringing our-Agricultural College iuthorities and' Service Extins-ion Woikers and lumber dealers closer together in a cooperative effort to solve common proble-s aid better prepare to render real service to the farmer.

Although our land-grant institutions were. organized for the specidc purpose oI giving education and assistance to those intereitel in Asriculture, Home Economics, and Mechanical Arts, it hasbnly been recently that commercial groups have asked that shbrt courses and conferences be 6eld it our various educational institutions to deal specificly with the subjects of greatest interest to these- groups. Having followed with griat interest the reports of a number of-recent Farm Bullding Conferences held under the auspices of State Colleges of Agriculture and Retail Lumberiren's Associations (Oregon.-Washington, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana and others), and noting reports of the good results therefrom a lett-er (reproduced in^the May lsiissue of California Lumber Merchant)-wa-s addressed-to a dozen or so prominent Retail Lumber Dealers, and as many Lumbermen's Clubs, to learn what interest and desire there might be in requesting our own IJniversity to arrange similar conferences here in California. Not a-single repiy disclosed that California dealers Pretend to know all theie is to know about their business. Not one was averse to "going back to school." All were unanimously in favor of requesting the cooperation of the University in organizing and arranging such meetings.

Sacramento Valley Lumberman's Club was first to g,et into action and make definite arrangements. Professor H. B. Walker, head, Division of Agricultural Engineering, University Farm, Davis, on invitation, submitted to this club at a recent meeting a very comprehensive outline of cooperative possibilities, as between the T.umbermen and his Division, resulting in the Club scheduling by unanimous action their first Fall meeting to be held at the Campus at Davis on September 21st, next. Professor Walker, formerly Head of Department of Agriculture Engineering, Kanias State Agricultural College, is recognized as one o[ the country's leading agricultural^engineers. He had had experience in arranging such Conferences or Lumber Schools and can confidently be expected to make this an outstanding success.

Central -California Lumbermen's Club members and others have been invited to attend this Conference. Other Lumbermen's Clubs are planing similar conferences. This in a fine start. R. F. Wells of Turlock, one of California's most progressive retail lumbermen, in adding (Continued on Page 96)