▁and ▁ma ize ▁fields , ▁a ▁small ▁kitchen ▁garden , ▁and ▁a ▁pe ach ▁orch ard . ▁The ▁min ing ▁bon anz as ▁provided ▁an ▁imp et us ▁for ▁developing ▁c ash ▁c rop ▁agricult ure ▁and ▁required ▁an ▁organized ▁body ▁to ▁promote , ▁expand , ▁improve , ▁and ▁modern ize ▁agricult ural ▁production . ▁ ▁Many ▁agricult ural ▁soci eties ▁had ▁failed ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁nation wide ▁profile , ▁while ▁the ▁Trans va al ▁Volks ra ad ▁had ▁been ▁very ▁host ile ▁to ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁establish ing ▁a ▁department ▁of ▁agricult ure . ▁On ▁March ▁ 1 8 , ▁ 1 8 9 4 , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁men ▁in ▁Johannes burg ▁gathered ▁to ▁consider ▁found ing ▁an ▁organization ▁to ▁promote ▁far ming ▁and ▁organ ize ▁fair s . ▁They ▁agreed ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁rec ruit ment ▁committee ▁and ▁to ▁hold ▁a ▁general ▁members ’ ▁meeting ▁in ▁May . ▁Meyer ▁was ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁inaug ural ▁meeting ▁of ▁the ▁Wit w aters rand ▁Agricult ural ▁Society ▁on ▁May ▁ 1 5 , ▁where ▁an ▁Executive ▁Council ▁was ▁elected . ▁This ▁society ▁would ▁ann ually ▁hold ▁what ▁came ▁to ▁be ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Rand ▁E aster ▁Show ▁or ▁simply ▁the ▁Rand ▁Show , ▁a ided ▁in ▁this ▁effort ▁by ▁Meyer ’ s ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁l ia ison ▁between ▁the ▁Society ▁and ▁the ▁Z AR ▁Executive ▁Council . ▁As ▁a ▁Volks ra ad ▁member ▁for ▁Johannes burg ▁and ▁later ▁Heidel berg , ▁his ▁support ▁was ▁cru cial ▁to ▁obtain ▁seed ▁money ▁and