Two county farm bureaus have merged into one to better address financial issues.

The Winnebago and the Boone County bureaus have joined to become Winnebago-Boone County Farm Bureau. Discussions about a merger between the bureaus began two years ago.

Officials say managing a bureau and finding volunteers to serve on boards has gotten harder over the years. Six other organizations in Illinois are also mergers of two different counties; this is the first since 1992.

"This gives us a chance to redesign our organization to be more efficient," said Winnebago County Farm Bureau president Earl Williams. "To use better use of our funds and try to do a better job meeting the needs of our members."

The members of the Winnebago-Boone County Farm Bureau will meet tomorrow evening to elect its new officials.