February 4, 2000

With those words, history was made for Texas agriculture Jan. 13 as a son of the Lone Star State was elected for the first time as president of the nation’s largest farm organization.

The timing couldn’t have been better. It was the first convention of the new millennium. The convention was in Houston. And the new AFBF president had provided excellent leadership for the Texas Farm Bureau since 1993.

Stallman, a rice farmer from Columbus and former president of the Texas Farm Bureau, succeeds Dean Kleckner of Iowa, who had served as AFBF president since 1986.

"I pledge to you one thing, and that is I want to bring all of us together, as a team, so we can be like that thundering herd that tramples the opposition of those whose best interests are not in our farmers and ranchers," said Stallman in his acceptance speech. "I look forward to being your president. I will need your help, your advice and your full efforts in making this organization the best organization for farmers and ranchers in this country. Thank you very much for this honor."

Stallman certainly has the credentials for the job. The new Farm Bureau president has an extensive background in public policy. While presiding over the Texas Farm Bureau, he also served on the AFBF board of directors since 1994. He is a past chairman of the AFBF Audit Committee and also chaired the 1995 AFBF Farm Economy Committee. In addition, he served as a member of the AFBF Trade Advisory Committee.

In 1996, Stallman was appointed by then House Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts to the Commission on 21st Century Production Agriculture, a panel that is conducting extensive hearings on future farm policy alternatives.

He was a member of the Colorado County Farm Bureau board of directors from 1977 to 1987, and served in all officer positions including president. He was selected as 1986 "Man of the Year in Agriculture" by the Columbus Rotary Club. In 1999, Stallman was recipient of the Texas A&M University "Friend of Agriculture Award."

His most important asset, however, is his commitment to Farm Bureau, said Vernie Glasson, executive director of the Texas Farm Bureau.

"Bob is obviously very dedicated to the Farm Bureau organization, and I think that shows through on everything that he does," Glasson said. "He understands policy. He articulates it well. He believes it. He works hard at it. I think the delegates of the American Farm Bureau Federation recognized that, saw his leadership capacity, and that’s what’s carried him to where he is today."

At a post-convention press conference, the new AFBF president stressed the need for effective communication within the organization. The challenges are great for a general farm organization, he noted, because of the differences in commodities and growing regions across the U.S.

"That plank of my campaign, if you will, is to increase communication amongst all of our levels, from the national to the state to the local. And that all goes back to building teamwork," he said. "Because you have to communicate your goals and objectives, communicate what you’re trying to do, and get input about that to make sure you’re on the right path. And then, if you do that in a two-way fashion—listening as well as speaking—then you get that buy in and you’re a more effective organization."

Complementing former AFBF President Dean Kleckner for laying a tremendous foundation for the farm organization, Stallman spoke of the true strength of Farm Bureau.

"Those members (Farm Bureau) have determined that we meet their needs," Stallman said. "And I guess I’ll say this—since we are the most successful—I guess we do it better than the other national farm organizations. Otherwise they wouldn’t continue to be members.

"And that network all across this country gives us a great deal of strength. And that helps us better implement those policies that meet the needs of producers. So it’s kind of like a chain reaction that keeps feeding on itself.