The basis and means of forming an all embracing organisation

In 2018, Dr Sharon Greene, archaeologist and historian, on the 100th anniversary of her grandfather Dr Juan Greene’s birth, was charged with looking back on his life and achievements.

With multiple breakaway groups challenging the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to represent the interests of farmers, the candidates have been questioned throughout the hustings on how they will restore unity to the organisation. It is fitting to look back at how it was achieved by the first leaders.

“It can be reassuring to know that we have good foundations. Many people have expressed their admiration for the inspiring work that Juan and his team did in those very early days in forming the National Farmers’ Association (NFA). So I do feel that it is really very relevant as the challenges and the attitudes can still be applied to today’s themes.”

On his death in 1979 it was written in the International Federation of Agricultural Producers (IFAP) news that “Juan Greene was an outstanding man is shown by the fact that a large-scale farmer in a land of small holders, a protestant in a land of Catholics and a member of the British armed forces, he nonetheless was elected unopposed as the first president of the NFA”.

He described himself a mere farmer. He didn’t think of himself any other way, so others didn’t either

So how did a highly educated, large-scale farmer with a strange name become a representative for Irish farmers and unite them under one umbrella?

The name Sharon easily explains. “Juan was born in Argentina in 1918. He and other siblings born in Argentina were given Spanish names, it’s as simple as that.

“He described himself a mere farmer. He didn’t think of himself any other way, so others didn’t either. He was apolitical and that meant that he didn’t really offend anyone. His aim was to build up others so that they could talk to politicians and he brought his children up not to be in awe of anyone either.”

He worked hard and had an excellent social life. He captained three rugby teams, a squash team and was on organising committees for dances

The family moved back to Kildare in 1919 and Juan’s father Johnny began to apply the methods of large-scale farming he had learned in Argentina to Ireland, growing a large and progressive farming enterprise. Juan attended school locally and graduated with his medical degree from Trinity College in 1941.

Sharon is at pains to ensure that Irish Country Living knows that Juan was a fun man. His nature, however became apparent as we spoke. “He worked hard and had an excellent social life. He captained three rugby teams, a squash team and was on organising committees for dances.”

Background

Juan joined the RAF as a medical officer and was posted overseas in Burma and India. In 1946, he was back in Ireland and farming in Levitstown.

The following year he met his friend from university, Juliet, who had also just returned from serving in the women’s auxiliary air force (WAAF). They married in 1948 and the city girl began her education in farming life pulling ragwort and making butter.

Juliet made just one speech while her husband was president saying that the three things the farmer’s wife needed were thrift, patience and a good sense of humour. But there is no doubt that she was the driving force behind the farm while her husband was away on NFA duties.

Sharon remarked that although the photos and images from the past do not reflect a lot of diversity, similar to her grandmother there were an awful lot of invisible women. The women who kept things running while their husbands were away.

From Macra, the NFA was born

In the 1940s Stephen Cullinan was teaching rural science in Athy and encouraged the students to form the young farmers clubs so that they could continue to meet. In 1944, he proposed bringing all these groups together which became what we know now as Macra na Feirme. The main goals were to cater for the educational and social needs of young farmers.

Even though Juan had grown up on a farm, his training was in medicine so he attended night classes in Athy Technical College and also attended meetings and social events organised by Macra. His father had been on the board of the Beet Growers Association for a number of years at this stage and it was at his instigation that Juan allowed his name to go forward to replace him when he stepped down and it was in this capacity that he attended that fateful meeting on 6 January 1955 when a proposal was made by Juan that a National Farmers’ Association be formed.

Recruiting members and setting up various county executives was difficult. It quite literally took a lot of legwork

He was elected president with Sean Healy of Macra the first secretary general. It was around this time that Juan sketched out how the organisation might be structured on a napkin. Sadly, Sharon says: “The napkin didn’t survive but I think the structure pretty much has.

“Recruiting members and setting up various county executives was difficult. It quite literally took a lot of legwork. Juan and his colleagues spent huge amounts of time traveling around attending meetings and other events, convincing farmers of the potential of this new representation.”

Juan recognised that the membership had to be made up of all types of farmers to be considered truly representative. This hard work paid off with 446 branches established and membership from all 26 counties.

In drafting the rules of the organisation, Juan insisted that the non-political, non-sectarian stance was non-negotiable. No politician with allowed to hold office as it was “recognised that politics was the downfall of attempts to represent farmers in the past”.

Political edicts regarding what farmers should or shouldn’t be producing were made and Juan was front and centre in ensuring that farmers were taken seriously by those in power making decisions.

Hurdles

The 1950s were an economically difficult time in Ireland with a struggling economy and there were already numerous organisations representing farmers. So, one of the challenges to the early NFA was bringing them together under one umbrella.

Juan said and it remains as relevant today: “As farmers, we are far from being an organised community and must avoid appearing either precocious or complacent. Those who may hesitate about joining might reflect that their support will more rapidly bring results. Those progressive agricultural countries who are now our serious competitors in world markets, owe their enviable position to the practical application of their belief that the farmers are the best people to look after their own business. Their progressiveness and efficiency is a reflection of their organisation, and the loyalty they attach to it over the difficult periods, and when unpleasant facts have to be faced.”

By 1961, Juan was hoping to retire but the council passed a resolution calling for the rules to be changed to allow him to stand for re-election. He did agree to stay on provided an exit strategy with the president elect taking over was agreed. He had a number of concerns with staying on as president, stating clearly that his belief was that “it is one of the weaknesses of rural organisations that leadership remains for too long a period”.

He also feared that the organisation would become too identified with one person eschewing that with voluntary organisations like the NFA, there’s always a tendency to encourage and flog the winning horse. He acknowledged that agriculture faced numerous problems and the solutions weren’t always obvious and that he may run out of ideas. He said if anything he had said before needed to be repeated, this could not be done as effectively by the same person and a new voice was needed.

Lastly, he said that he wasn’t prepared to spread doom and gloom to raise the interest of those that had so far failed to engage and stated that his approach might not be forcible enough resulting from what he called an “excessive reasonableness”. With the NFA moving towards more militancy, he felt that his methods no longer represented the mood of the members and it was time for a new approach. For example, according to Sharon, the farmers rights protests in 1966 would not have been his approach should he still have been in the position of president.

However, his work on behalf of farmers was far from over. Through IFAP he was involved in the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and was one of a small Irish delegation to attend the second world food congress in 1963. The main aim of this event was to bring together those who could shape national policies, influence public opinion and secure the involvement of people.

His leadership style has been described as giving the NFA a responsible, respectable dignified image

Sharon’s research shows that: “He understood that all farmers, regardless of the size of their holdings or what church they attended, were running a business and had to put food on their table, and those of their employees. That they were providing the most basic necessary commodity, which could feed the nation, and trade it internationally for the benefit of the wider economy. In that, farmers deserved the same respect and reward for their efforts as those involved in any other industry.

“His leadership style has been described as giving the NFA a responsible, respectable dignified image. My grandfather was modest and never looked for praise. But that does not mean the praise is not merited, not only for him but for all the IFA forbearers who had the foresight to recognise that strength comes from unity and diversity.”