The American Farm Bureau Federation was organized on November 12, 1919, in Chicago, Illinois, by Farm Bureau leaders from 34 states. A declaration at the beginning of the convention said, "This country needs the sound, conservative common-sense of the farmers expressed in a collective and organized way." The newly-minted farm organization gave farmers and ranchers a voice and a seat at the table with the powerful economic interests of the day--business, manufacturing, railroads and labor. American Farm Bureau is the national advocate for farm and ranch families through good times and bad in the belief that a more prosperous agriculture contributes to the well-being of all Americans