FARM ORGANIZATIONS
In 1920 the United Farmers of Alberta (U.F.A.) had a local in this district and held meetings in the Frog Lake School. However no further information regarding this has been brought to light.
The Alberta Farmers' Union (A.F.U.), Heinsburg Local No. 489 was organized at a meeting in 1943 at Frank Bendixen's home. Six members attended this organizational meeting, all of whom became the Provisional Board. Beret Glambeck, President; George Dewey, Vice-President; Frank Bendixen, Secretary-Treasurer; and Ed Lorenson, Ed Rushfeldt and Knut Rinde became Directors. Members were solicited, and that fall the first annual meeting was called. Frank Bendixen was elected President, and Russell Dewey became Secretary-Treasurer. In 1947 the Heinsburg Local supported a province-wide, thirty-day withholding strike which brought the farmers' dissatisfaction with the condition of agriculture in Alberta to the attention of the government and the consumers.
During the year 1949 the U.F.A. and F.U.A. amalgamated to form the Farmers' Union of Alberta (F.U.A.). In 1950 Russell Dewey declined nomination for Secretary- Treasurer, and George Kinch was elected. He still holds that position. In 1956 the Heinsburg Local expanded to take in the Tulliby Lake area, and Joan Belsheim became President. For several years money to operate the local was raised by sponsoring an annual picnic on Section 7, one-half mile east of the Frog Lake Hall, where a dance in the evening ended a much enjoyed event. Later the picnic was held at the Heinsburg Ball Park, and the final one sponsored by the local was at Dufresne Lake in the Tulliby Lake area in 1971.
The local reached its highest membership in 1969-70 with ninety members. The Provincial F.U.A. changed its name to Unifarm in 1970, and since then this has been Heinsburg Unifarm Local No. 43-32. George Sanders was elected President in 1968 and served until 1974 when Ben Womacks took over the position. David Pynten is currently President. Others to hold the office of President during the years were Doug Cooke, Tom Belsheim and Lawrence Coates.
