The Smithers Farmers' Institute was formed in the beginning of the twentieth century to serve farmers and ranchers residing in the Glentanna and Driftwood areas. In days gone by there was an extensive network of Farmers' Institutes along the Highway 16 corridor, but they have slowly fallen away and now only the Smithers and Tatalrose Farmers' Institutes remain. As such, the Smithers Farmers' Institute now serves a much broader geographic area.
The Smithers Farmers' Institute was incorporated under the BC Farmers and Womens Institute Act in 1922, but was formed prior to that in 1909. The objectives of the Smithers Farmers' Institute are:
The Smithers Farmers' Institute was incorporated under the BC Farmers and Womens Institute Act in 1922, but was formed prior to that in 1909. The objectives of the Smithers Farmers' Institute are:
- to improve conditions of rural life, so that settlement may be permanent and prosperous;
- to promote the theory and practice of agriculture by lectures, essays, the circulation of information and other educational methods, and to stimulate interest by exhibitions, prizes and other means;
- to arrange on behalf of its members for the purchase, distribution, or sale of commodities, supplies, or products and generally to act on their behalf in all matters incidental to agricultural pursuits; and
- to promote social intercourse, mutual helpfulness, and the diffusion of knowledge and to make new settlers welcome.
