County Farm Bureaus post membership gains again in 2020
(WACO, TEXAS)—County Farm Bureaus across Texas were recognized for membership achievements during Texas Farm Bureau’s (TFB) 87th Annual Meeting.
“Even in a year of unpredictability, our Farm Bureau family continued to grow,” TFB President Russell Boening said. “Our organization is made up of individuals who collectively work together to ensure agriculture stays strong and the rural way of life remains viable. Continued membership growth shows the value of Farm Bureau to agriculture and rural communities.”
TFB gained 3,985 members for a total of 533,856 member-families. Out of 205 organized county Farm Bureaus across Texas, 130 counties gained members during the year, and a statewide retention rate of 88.69 percent was achieved.
The top 10 county Farm Bureaus that gained the most new members are: Collin County, with a gain of 1,930 members; McLennan County, 1,775; Brazoria-Galveston County, 1,564; Ellis County, 1,283; Fort Bend County, 1,221; Bell County, 1,144; Grayson County, 1,084; Kaufman County, 1,076; Harris County, 1,073; and Johnson County, 1,070.
County Farm Bureaus reporting the largest total membership growth include: McLennan County, 817; Gregg County, 412; Johnson County, 381; Grayson County, 343; Smith County, 336; Lamar County, 321; Henderson County, 290; Cherokee County, 269; Bell County, 260; and Ellis County, 248.
The highest membership renewal percentages were achieved by the following: Mason County, 93.47 percent; Knox County, 93.32 percent; Coryell County, 92.89 percent; Washington County, 92.82 percent; Crosby County, 92.72 percent; Kimble County, 92.70 percent; Cottle-King County, 92.59 percent; Llano County, 92.59 percent; Collingsworth County, 92.56 percent; and Floyd County, 92.47 percent.
County Farm Bureaus with the largest membership include the following: Collin County, 13,388; Brazoria-Galveston County, 12,689; Fort Bend County, 10,610; McLennan County, 10,098; Jefferson County, 9,148; Ellis County, 9,095; Bell County, 7,906; Harris County, 7,524; Bexar County, 7,279 and Grayson County, 7,119.
County Farm Bureaus with the longest continuous growth in membership include: DeWitt County, 71 years; Franklin County, 40 years; Henderson County, 31 years; and the following were recognized for 29 years: Atascosa County, Bell County, Comal County, Gillespie County, Hill County, Medina County, Navarro County and Tyler County.
“This makes 20 consecutive years of membership growth. We’re very proud of that accomplishment,” Boening said. “Our mission is to be the Voice of Texas Agriculture. Our growth in membership allows us to add more volume and reach to our message and to our programs. Our collective voice allows us more influence as we continue to work to represent Texas agriculture.”
For more information about the organization, visit https://texasfarmbureau.org.