Twenty-second District StateSenator Cristina Castro andWaubonsee CommunityCollege President Dr. ChristineSobek raced through the aislesof the Batavia Jewel Osco in the16th annual Food Check-OutChallenge Shopping Spree tobenefit local food pantries.During their 7.5-minute dashthe pair collected $1,969 in gro-ceries, purchased by the FarmBureau and donated to the FISHPantry in Carpentersville andthe Marie Wilkinson FoodPantry in Aurora. Castro gathered $1,024 worth

of groceries, with the help ofMary Graziano from the FISHFood Pantry. Sobek collected$945 in non-perishable items,assisted by Diane Renner of theMarie Wilkinson Food Pantry. During pre-event announce-

ments, Steve Ericson, Directorof Food Procurement for theNorthern Illinois Food Banklauded the efforts of the co-sponsors, “Jewel donates tens ofthousands of dollar worth offood to the Food Bank eachyear” said Ericson, “and theFarm Bureau and its members,through their Harvest for ALLprogram, provide the muchneeded support for the Milk 2My Plate program, providinghealthy, nutritious milk toclients of local food pantries.” KCFB Manager Steve

Arnold thanked Jewel StoreDirector Gus Elioupolis for thestore’s 16 years of support forthe event. He told that crowdgathered for the event that theShopping Sprees had raisednearly $29,000 for hunger reliefand that the Farm Bureau’sHarvest for ALL hunger reliefeffort had contributed the equiv-alent of 1.75 million meals tolocal food pantries since 2009. The event is traditionally

held during February and isdevoted to hunger relief, whileteaching consumers how tostretch their grocery dollars withhealthy, nutritious food.U.S. farmers are the most

productive and efficient foodproducers in the world, food is areal bargain in the U.S. whencompared to the rest of theworld, but the shopping spreerecognizes the fact that for manypeople, their resources arestretched to the limit. Each year,the “Challenge” allows two foodpantries to stock their shelves

with much needed items. Special thanks to JEWEL-

Osco and the Northern

Illinois Food bank for their partnership in this activity,

sponsored by the KCFB PRCommittee.

Enhance the quality of life for member families;Promote agriculture, farms & food; and,

Advocate good stewardship of our land and resources.

VOL. 82 NO. 3 MARCH 2017

March Featured Product

Homemade Corned Beef BrisketThe special this month is a three-pound home brined corned

beef brisket. Each brisket will come sealed with the seasoning andincludes the cooking instructions for your St. Patrick’s Day cele-bration. The Member price is $19.50, PLUS Members $17.50, andnon-Members $22.50.

Overstock Sale! While supplies last.Limited quantities of Illinois and Georgia Pecans,$6.00 per 16 oz bags. Available whole and pieces

Chocolate Covered Pecans, 12 oz bags $7.00

Senator Castro, President Sobek pile up $1,969 in food for pantriesFarm Bureau’s 16th Annual Shopping Spree donates thousands of dollars in food

DATES TO REMEMBER

MarchMarch 2Board of Directors Meeting,7:30March 3Teacher Institute, 8amMarch 6-8IFB Leaders to WashingtonMarch 15IFB Farm Bill Work Session,10amMarch 15On the Road Seminar, Joe’sPlace, Marengo, 6:30pmMarch 21-22Ag Days at MooseheartMarch 24Young Farmers EuchreTourney, 6:30 p.m.March 25Young Farmers Paintball, New Milford, 9amMarch 31Touch-A-Tractor “Paint & Sip,”5:30pm

Photos, left to right:Competitors raced around the Jewel Osco In Batavia raising funds for local food pantries at the KCFB’s annualShopping Spree. 22nd District Senator Cristina Castro tosses pancake mixes into a shopping cart to benefit theFISH Food Pantry of Carpentersville. Castro gathered $1,024 in groceries during the 7 1/2 minute spree.Waubonsee Community College President Dr. Christine Sobek signs a mock check for $945, representing thevalue of groceries she collected for the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry in Aurora during the Shopping Spree. Our contestants pause for a traveling trophy presentation. Each trophy is engraved with the names of the 32community minded public officials who have participated in the Farm Bureau’s Shopping Spree since 2002.Including 2017’s total, over $31,000 has been donated to 17 local food pantries through the event.

The �mes, they are a changin’Interested in getting more information on upcoming

events, membership benefits, Farm Bureau news, volunteeropportunities, etc. from Kane County Farm Bureau and otherlocal sources? Give us your email address and we will addyou to our list of other members interested in being kept upto date on all the latest happenings within the organization.

As an incentive, Farm Bureau Members who send in theiremail address will be entered into a drawing for a $25 GroceryCertificate card to Meijer. To enter, fill out the form below andmail it back to the KCFB office prior to March 24th. Return to: Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall

Rd, St. Charles, IL 60174 by March 24th

Member Name: ___________________________________

Email Address: ___________________________________

Touch-A-Tractor: Join us for farm, family & funKane County is a unique

county that is home to both ruraland suburban landscapes. Whatwe have here is not all that com-mon, the ability to travel from ahighly populated shopping cen-ter to a farmstead surrounded bycornfields in 10 minutes. Kane County Farm Bureau

hosts Touch-A-Tractor to bringa little bit of the rural side of thecounty to the suburban side fora fun-filled 3 day weekend.Now in its 12th year, the farm-city event has grown in popular-ity each year.This family friendly event

has a wide variety of activities

for the entire family. Kids cansit in the seat of an antique trac-tor, see modern farm equip-ment, participate in hands-onactivities, ride pedal tractors,shell corn, see farm animals,and enter for a FREE chance towin their very own pedal tractor.From toddlers to teens, this

event has something for every-one. Bring the entire familyover to Kane County FarmBureau on April 7-9 and seeworking tractors straight from afarm field, and meet the hardworking farmers who drivethem.A $2 adult or $5 family

donation for admission isrequested at Touch-A-Tractor.Donations are used to fund Ag-in-the-Classroom and Scholar -

ship programs of the not-for-profit KCFB Foun dation.Attendees can show theirWinner’s Choice Raffle ticketstub for FREE admission. Food,drinks, and snacks are availablefor purchase throughout theweekend. At the conclusion ofthe events on Sunday, April 9the winning tickets will bedrawn in the KCFB FoundationWinner’s Choice Tractor Raffle. If you’d like to bring an

antique tractor or other farmequipment to Touch-A-Tractor,to add to the ambience andenhance the learning environ-ment for our city neighbors,please call the KCFB at 630-584-8660. Mark your calendarsnow. We hope to see you atTouch-A-Tractor.

Bring the family to Touch-A-Tractor April 7-9 for a fun and educational expe-rience like none other. Meet working farmers and see the tractors they drive.See livestock and explore all that Kane County farms have to offer.

The farm and ranch familiesof Farm Bureau raised morethan $1.1 million and donated arecord of more than 28.9 mil-lion pounds of food to assisthungry Americans in 2016 aspart of Farm Bureau’s “Harvestfor ALL” program. Combined,the monetary and food dona-tions also reached a record levelof the equivalent of more than31 million meals.Now in its 15th year, Harvest

for ALL is spearheaded bymembers of Farm Bureau’sYoung Farmers & Ranchersprogram, but Farm Bureaumembers of all ages from across

the nation contribute to theeffort. By heeding the call toaction, they help ensureAmericans in need can enjoythe bounty of food farmers andranchers produce.In addition to raising food

and funds for the initiative,farmers and ranchers tallied9,067 volunteer hours assistinglocal hunger groups in 2016.“Farm Bureau has a long tra-

dition of helping provide nour-ishment for those who need itthe most,” said Kalena Bruce, acattle farmer from Missouri whochairs AFBF’s national YF&Rcommittee. “More than 50 per-

cent of Americans strugglingwith hunger live in rural areasand farming communities. We’repleased to help families in ourcommunities who are in need.”Harvest for ALL is one of the

The February meeting of theKane County Farm BureauBoard of Directors was called toorder at 7:30 pm on February 2,2017. President White gave his

report, starting with a review ofthe CFB Presidents meetingheld January 31. White reportedon the new Professional mem-bership class of members andnecessary bylaw changes,employee retirement programs,legislative Action Requestbenchmarks, and a new IFBHorizon Award. A survey fromIFB on tax policy preferenceswas also discussed. Arnold gave a Managers

report, providing an update onprogress in remodeling thelobby space at the KCFB to pro-vide additional room for farmtoys, edible products and othercommercial items offered byFarm Bureau to members andthe public. The new “storefront’will be finished by early April.

B. Collins gave the PR &Membership Report. He

informed the board of contribu-tions to the KCFB Foundationduring the previous monthincluding: Harvest for AllContributions by: Dale & LindaDrendel to NIFB – Milk 2 MyPlate, William & Patricia Watsonto NIFB, Alan & Gayle Volpp toBurlington/Hampshire FoodPantry, Dave & Judy Klussendorfto NIFB – Milk 2 My Plate, JohnVan Bogaert to NIFB, Bill &Karen Collins to St. Peter’s FoodPantry, Wayne Schneider toNIFB, and Craig & AngelaBradley to NIFB; andFOOD>Forward contributionsby: Bill & Karen Collins and JaySchrock (in memory of JoelSchrock). In the Government Affairs

and Public Policy report,Schneider spoke with the Boardabout the latest Committeemeeting, held January 23.Topics included the ShoppingSpree on February 20, Lunchesto Legislators, IFB’sGovernment Affairs LeadershipConference, and the Kane

County Stormwater TechnicalAdvisory Committee. For theShopping Spree, WCCPresident Christine Sobek willbe raising funds for the MarieWilkinson Food Pantry andSenator Cristina Castro will beraising funds for the FISHpantry in Carpentersville. A written Ag-in-the-

Classroom report from SuziMyers was circulated, whichincluded an update on Ag Days.This event is scheduled forMarch 21-22 at Mooseheart,and the KCFB still needs farmanimals for Ag Days. The boardalso received updates from theYoung Farmers Committee.This update informed the boardthat at their holiday party theYoung Farmers raised $308 formedical expenses for farmersNate & Brittany Hill. At the YF-FFA Acquaintance night at theNorthern Illinois Food Bank,held on January 26th, 17 stu-dents from 2 FFA chapters par-ticipated. Committee membersattended IFB Young Leaders

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER MARCH 2017

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLYSteven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorAudre Pack, Training Specialist

Elizabeth Polovin, Member Services CoordinatorKristi Van Oost, Development & Program CoordinatorValerie Johnson, Administrative & Program Assistant

OFFICE: Randall Rd. between Routes 64 & 38Address: 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles

PHONE: 630-584-8660info@kanecfb.com www.kanecfb.com

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-4:30 Monday though Friday

(USPS No. 289700)POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kane County Farmer

2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

Periodical Postage • Paid to St. Charles, IL 60174Year Subscription: $2.00

■ DISTRICT 1Aurora, Sugar Grove,Big Rock Twnshp.

Nan Long11461 E. County Line Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511815-693-7214

Donna Lehrer7S027 Jericho Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511630-556-3476

William KeckP.O. Box 281Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-4668

■ DISTRICT 2Kaneville, Blackberry,Gen./Bat. Twnshp.

Bill Collins1125 Lewis Rd.Geneva, IL 60134630-484-6852

Karl Kettelkamp0S860 Rowe Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-365-2713

Joe WhitePresident47W727 Main St. Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-557-2517

■ DISTRICT 3Virgil, Campton,St. Charles Twnshp.

Frank Carlson104 Sumac CourtSt. Charles, IL 60174630-513-9980

Chris Collins1143 AndersonElburn, IL 60119630-934-4642

Dale Pitstick128 N Hadsall St.Genoa, IL 60135630-816-0223

■ DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.

Beth Gehrke12N860 US Hwy. 20Elgin, IL 60124847-697-2538

Mike KenyonSecretary/Treasurer1250 E. Main St.South Elgin, IL 60177847-741-1818

Craig Bradley37W791 Orchard LaneElgin, IL 60124847-888-2380

■ DISTRICT 5Hampshire, Rutland,Dundee Twnshp.

Joe Engel516 Sawgrass Ln.Hampshire, IL 60140847-347-5561

Gerald Gaitsch10613 Brittany Ave.Huntley, IL 60142847-669-2003

Wayne SchneiderVice President721 Lindsay LaneWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-0488

You receive the Kane CountyFarmer because you are a FarmBureau member. If you are a farmoperator or owner, you benefitfrom a local, state and nationalorganization committed to agri-culture and your way of life.

If you do not have direct tiesto farming, your membershiphelps promote local farms andfarming, encourages wise use ofour limited natural resources andpreserves farmland and our agri-cultural heritage while allowingyou to enjoy COUNTRY insur-ance and the many other benefitsof one of Illinois’ premier mem-bership organizations.

We appreciate your member-ship and continued support andwe welcome your comments onthe content of the Farmer. Weencourage you to make recom-mendations about farm, home,food, natural resource, renewableenergy or agricultural heritage andhistory related topics for inclusionin future issues of the Farmer.

KCFB Board Review

Beef store is now open! By appointment only

100% hormone free beef.Selling individual cuts. Buy as little or as much as you want.

815.895.4691Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park Sample Packs make great gifts!

Conference in East Peoria andcurrently 2 committee membersplan to attend the YoungLeaders Ag Industry tour toOntario in July. The YoungFarmers will host their District

1&5 Euchre Tournament onFriday, Match 24th at 7PM. Thenext scheduled Kane CountyFarm Bureau Board of Directorsmeeting will be held onThursday, March 2 at 7:30pm.

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEJANUARY 2017 THRU DECEMBER 2017

JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG SEP OCT NOV DECC. BRADLEY X X X X X X X X X X XF. CARLSON X X X X X X X X X X XB. COLLINS X X X X X X X X X X X XC. COLLINS X X X X X X X X X X X XJ. ENGEL X X X X X X X X X X XX XG. GAITSCH X X X X X X X X X X X XB. GEHRKE X X X X X X X X X X X XW. KECK X X X X X X X X X X XM. KENYON X X X X X X X X X X X XK. KETTLEKAMP X X X X X X X X X X X XD. LEHRER X X X X X X X X X X X XN. LONG X X X X X X X X X X X XD. PITSTICK X X X X X X X X X X XW. SCHNEIDER X X X X X X X X X X X XJ. WHITE X X X X X X X X X X X X

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETINGNotice is hereby given that the 104th Annual Meeting of the

Kane County Farm Bureau will be held at the Kane CountyFarm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 onTuesday, April 4, 2017 at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of receiving andacting upon reports of officers, the board of directors and manage-ment for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016, and to announcethe eight directors elected to serve terms of one or three years torepresent Districts 1through 5, as determined by a Resolution of theBoard of Directors adopted January 7, 2016, and for transaction ofany other business that may properly come before the meeting.

Michael Kenyon, Secretary

Farmer-members, please see page 7 for information on a proposed

bylaw amendment that will be voted upon at the April 4 Annual Meeting.

On Thursday, January 26th YoungFarmers Committee Chairman WayneGehrke presented a donation to Amy Hettinger, Senior VolunteerCoordinator at the Northern IllinoisFood Bank. This contribution is thanksto the Illinois Farm Bureau YoungLeaders Committee’s sale of limitededition Harvest for ALL die-cast trac-tors. The funds raised from this salewere divided amongst the participat-ing Young Farmer Committees in thestate. The KCFB Young FarmersCommittee decided to allocate thefunds back into the Harvest for ALLprogram in the form of a donation toNorthern Illinois Food Bank.

An On-The-Road seminar willbe held at Joe’s Place, 9716 E.Grant Hwy., Marengo onWednesday, March 15 at 6:30 pm.Illinois Farm Bureau along withDeKalb, Kane, McHenry, andWinnebago-Boone County FarmBureaus will be co-hosting thistwo-hour seminar that focuses ontrucking laws, both new and well-worn, for farmers. It will also takea special look at the latest“Covered Farm Vehicle” exemp-tions, and participants will havethe opportunity to ask questions.

A lot of laws have changed inthe past 2 years. In fact, just last

July, the governor signed legisla-tion adding a new exemptionfrom the CDL. Prior to that, therewere changes to regulationsregarding the medical card, hoursof service limitations, equipmentinspection requirements, ATVoperation, mobile phone use,out-of-state CDL use, post-tripinspections and more.Also covered will be the

recent changes and some of themore established but misunder-stood rules, such as the USDOTNumber, UCR registrations anddriver’s license classifications.Presenting the seminar will

be Kevin Rund, from IllinoisFarm Bureau, who has special-ized in farm transportationissues for more than 30 years.The seminar and pizza buffet arefree to farm members courtesyof the sponsoring County FarmBureaus, but advance registra-tion is required. The cost forassociate members and non-members is $20. To reserve yourspot, please call 815-338-1520.An OTR seminar will also be

held at 1:30 pm on Tuesday,March 21 at the Kendall CFB inYorkville, Call 630-553-7403 toregister.

Load up on latest trucking regulationsSeminars in Marengo & Yorkville

Hungry Americans benefitfrom Farm Bureau donations

(continued on page 8)

Washington Post: Trade isImportant to America’s Farmersand RanchersThe Washington Post recent-

ly quoted American FarmBureau Federation PresidentZippy Duvall on the importanceof trade to American agriculture.

“We want a trade treaty,” saidZippy Duvall, president of the

American Farm BureauFederation. “We’re concerned[about Trump’s trade rhetoric],but he’s our president and we’regoing to try to support him. Wedid certainly let him know thatwe’re nervous.”While many industries

praised the United States’ with-drawal from the Trans-Pacific

Partnership, the agriculturalindustry did not agree with theU.S. removing itself from thetrade agreement. The agricultur-al industry exports roughly one-fifth of everything it produces,notes the Post.For more on AFBF’s trade

policies, go to http://www.fb.org/issus/trade.

Want to know what to recycle,when to recycle and how to recy-cle virtually anything in KaneCounty? Then you absolutely,positively must get yourself acopy of the 2017 Kane CountyRecycles Green Guide.The new Kane County

Recycles Green Guide is nowonline for you to downloadand is available at libraries andmunicipal offices and at theKane County Farm Bureau foryou to pick up a (recyclable)paper copy! The guide is fullof information, including listsand contacts for municipalwaste haulers, dates for recy-cling events, “how to” infor-mation on electronics recy-cling and household hazardous

waste, battery recycling, ways toreduce junk mail and much,much more.

MARCH 2017 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

The Kane County FarmBureau Women’s Committee hasscheduled a 55 Alive MatureDriving Program for Tuesdayand Wednesday, April 25 and 26.The class runs from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. each day at Kane CountyFarm Bureau, 2N710 RandallRoad, St. Charles. You mustattend both sessions to completethe course.The eight hour course covers

driving in various road andweather conditions, passingtechniques, the effects of alco-hol and drugs on driving andother defensive driving meth-

ods. Many insurance companiesmay offer a discount on autoinsurance to those age 55 andolder who qualify and attend alleight hours of the course.Contact your insurance agentfor more details.Attendees must be licensed

drivers. Pre-registration isrequired. Cost is $15 per personfor AARP members and $20 fornon-members (payable the firstday) to cover the cost of materi-als. For more information or toregister, contact Kane CountyFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660.

Defensive Driving Class

Kane County farmers canhelp develop Illinois FarmBureau’s 2018 farm bill priori-ties during a work sessionscheduled for March 15.Adam Nielsen, Illinois Farm

Bureau’s director of nationalissues and policy development,will facilitate a series of sessionsthroughout Illinois beginningthis month, with one scheduledfor 10 am on Wednesday, March15 at the Kane County FarmBureau. The session will include

a review of IFB and AFBF’sfarm bill policy. Lunch will beprovided for participants.Participants will break into

groups and discuss what’s work-ing/what needs improving in the2018 farm bill. “You’ll send meback to Bloomington with a listof 2018 farm bill priorities forthe IFB Board of Directors andstaff to chew on,” Nielsen said.For more information or to

register, contact Kane CountyFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660.

Farm bill work sessionon March 15

2017 Kane Co. RecycleGreen Guide at KCFB

IATC coordinators gain insights,tools for now and futureIllinois Agriculture in the

Classroom (IAITC) coordina-tors found themselves “ahead ofthe curve” on new state socialscience learning standards com-ing this fall, Illinois FarmBureau Education DirectorKevin Daugherty said.Daugherty gave ag literacy

coordinators from across thestate, including KCFB AgLiteracy coordinator SuziMyers, a crash course on newlearning standards for studentsin kindergarten through highschool. The standards start inthe 2017-18 school year. “You need to know what

teachers are facing and be ableto talk conversantly,” Daughertysaid, adding that new Ag Magsand other materials available toclassroom teachers from CountyFarm Bureaus will denote appli-cability to the new standards.Divided into groups, the

coordinators brainstormed howto use existing IAITC lessons,books, activities and materialsto address the latest learningstandards. They quickly offeredlesson and activity ideas for ele-mentary, middle school and

even high school students.“This isn’t tough, folks. Just

think how you reformulate whatyou already do,” Daugherty said.“Some of you saw frustration inthis. This is what your teachersare going through. They’re beingthrown this (new standard) ontop of everything else.”To assist with their teaching

mission, the coordinatorsreceived samples of materials,including new Ag Mags onwheat, pork and seasons, whichfeatures related specialty crops.The coordinators learned a newpollinator Ag Mag should beavailable in May.

Coordinators also receivedcopies of a native flowers andpollinators poster developed andprinted with financial supportfrom GROWMARK Inc. andthe IAA Foundation, IFB’s chari-table arm. Theaccompanyingguide providesnames andinformation forflowers and pol-linators depict-ed on the poster.Both items will

supplement the new pollinatorAg Mag, Daugherty noted.

Along with printed materials,Daugherty encouraged severalcoordinators to share activitiesand lessons developed with coun-ty environmental stewardshipgrants. Grant recipients are toenhance teacher and classroomtraining related to the NutrientLoss Reduction Strategy or ag-related pollinators. Ideas rangedfrom original role-playing gamesto hand pollinating experimentsto summer teacher workshops.From September throughDecember, IAITC awarded stew-ardship grants totaling $21,212 to32 counties, Daugherty said.“Think of how you make it

(agriculture) relate to everythingyou do,” Daugherty said. “Thinkof all the stuff you do and howpowerful it is.”

Top: Agricultural Literacy Coordinators from CountyFarm Bureaus around the state were shown newclassroom resources at meetings in Bloomingtonand DeKalb in February.

Below: AITC ag literacy coordinators AnnaDamos, left, Warren-Henderson AITC coordina-tor; and Beth Groves, Montgomery County ag lit-eracy coordinator, check out a new native flow-ers/pollinators poster and identification guide dis-tributed during a district coordinator meeting inBloomington. The posters, guides and a new pol-linator Ag Mag were developed and printed withfinancial support from GROWMARK Inc. and theIAA Foundation. (Photo by Catrina Rawson)

A recently introduced bill tohelp lower health insurancecosts for small business ownershas the backing of farmers andranchers. Offered by Reps.Kristi Noem (R-S.D.) andKrysten Sinema (D-Ariz.), thelegislation (H.R. 246) wouldrepeal the annual fee on healthinsurance providers enacted aspart of Affordable Care Act.“The bill addresses one of the

major concerns that farmers andranchers have related to health

insurance – cost. The healthinsurance tax (HIT) hasincreased health insurance costsfor farmers, ranchers and othersmall businesses by imposing alevy on the net premiums ofhealth insurance companies,which is passed on to con-sumers. During 2014, $8 billionof excise taxes were levied, and$11 billion were collected in2015 and 2016 each,” AmericanFarm Bureau FederationPresident Zippy Duvall said in a

letter to House members urgingthem to support the bill.While a one-year moratorium

on the tax is in effect for 2017,the HIT, which increases year-over-year, will be back in 2018.“Providing one year of relieffrom the HIT was a welcomeand critical first step, butAmericans need the certainty ofa full repeal,” Duvall said.AFBF is encouraging farmers

and ranchers to ask their repre-sentatives to support H.R. 246.

New bill would help rein inhealth insurance costs

FB news briefs

CONNECT WITH US

See you atTouch-A-Tractor

April 7-9, 2017

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER MARCH 2017

AG LITERACY CORNER

By Suzi Myers

Women’s CornerBy Louise Johnson

Women’s Committee Chair

What a thought to ponder ...Kane County is blessed

with farmers that live by thatthought. Since I’ve worked forthe KCFB, I’ve been able to wit-ness many acts that brought a bitof sun to a dark time in some-one’s life. Helping a farmer out with

their harvest ... there have beentimes when a farmer has plantedall his crops and then a tragedystruck making harvest impossi-ble for him/her to complete.That is the time for neighboringfarmers to swoop in with anarmy of combines to completethe farmer’s harvest for him/her.This is not a little thing. Each ofthese helping farmers has theirown crops to harvest while theweather holds, so their time islimited, yet they give this pre-cious time to someone in need.Being a helping hand to those

in need ... our Young Farmer’sgroup exemplifies this notion.They have a tradition of “pass-ing the hat” at their Christmasdinner. The collected money is

given to a farm family goingthrough a medical or familybased crisis. Thus, they becomethe sun in another’s dark sky. Feeding the hungry ... we

have so many farmers thatdonate either the crops ormoney made from acreage inour Harvest for ALL program.We have supplied over one mil-lion meals through the IllinoisFood Bank with this program. Ifthat is not enough, some farm-ers actually grow and donatefresh produce for the food bank,allowing the people to havefresh sweet corn, lettuce, etc.Milk is donated through the var-ious dairy associations, sincemilk was found to be a missingitem at the food banks. Educating the public about

farming ... I have the most con-tact with farmers in this area. Ihave farmers that I can call tohelp me talk to high schoolgroups about GMO’s, nutrientloss, and other areas where theyare the experts. Some of thefarmers present to my 4th grade

“Be the sun in someone’s dark sky.”–Matshona Dhliwayo

students at Ag Days every year(we are now in the 33rd year ofAg Days. Some of the presen-ters are now of the second gen-eration, their parents havepassed on the baton to them andthey proudly accepted it.) MySummer Ag Classes for teacherscouldn’t happen without thehelp of the farmers who opentheir farms to the teachers ...questions are answered, knowl-edge is shared, and a personalrelationship develops betweenfarmer and teacher. Then there’sTouch-A-Tractor with the newfarm machinery on display forall to see. It is driven to Ag Daysand then to our front lawn eachyear. It’s like Christmas for mewhen I see those machinesbrought to educate the public ...all because of one generousfarmer that cleans his equip-ment and drives it to Ag Daysand Touch-A-Tractor. Ourantique tractors that spur “Iremember when” discussionsand become “pretend driving”vehicles for the children aredonated by farmers who have toload them up and transport themhere, again, not an easy process.

Help for classrooms ... Didyou ever wonder where thepumpkins come from in yourchild’s classroom? Or thewheat, corn, soybeans or silagethat is used to help studentslearn about agriculture? That’s

right, from a farmer whodonates portions of their cropsto facilitate learning. Whatwould I do without these won-derful farmers? Hopefully, Inever have to find out.So, being the sun in some-

one’s dark sky is something I am able to witness frequentlyin my work, thanks to all thefarmers that strive to see wherethey can be of service to others.Thank you, farmers, for all you do.

Book of the monthA combination of riddles,

facts, and recipes ... who couldask for more? “Filled withvibrant illustrations, this is agreat book for introducing edibleplants. The rhyming text is easyfor children to follow, withenough hints to guess the sur-prise vegetable on the next page.Using the recipes in the bookóorasking students to contributetheir own – this book encouragesa conversation about the impor-tance of eating fresh fruits andvegetables.” Rose Judd-Murray,Educational Specialist, NationalGardening Association.Another facet that has not

been mentioned is the food forthought section at the back ofthe book. Here the author givesinformation about each plantthat is in the book, what plantsneed to grow, the differencebetween fruits and vegetables,plant parts and pollinators. Shealso includes some discussionquestions.The book is beautifully illus-

trated by Cris Arbo, a very

detailed artist who has illustrat-ed many other books, each witha nature basis. Her use ofinsects and birds throughout theillustrations makes learning dis-cussions possible. If you are interested in books

concerning gardening andplants; we have many availablefor check out from our agricul-tural library here at the KCFB.Our library began due to arequest years ago by Bob Konenand Dean Dunn. We have anever growing selection of titles.

What’s In the Garden?by Marianne Berkes

“As you slide down thebannister of life,

May the splinters neverpoint the wrong way!”

Did you know that no one inIreland eats corned beef! A

traditional Irish dinner would belamb, for approximately 80% ofpopulation. Atlantic salmonwould be eaten by the otherapproximately 20% of the popu-lation. If not lamb or salmon,the Irish would eat a hearty Irishstew, made with lamb, not beef.They would braise their stew fora few hours. Also peas and car-rots are in season, so they areoften on the table. I have arecipe here for grilled carrotsand peas, which was adaptedfrom a recipe from “FarmFlavor” – a website sponsoredby the Illinois Farm Bureau’sPartners magazine.AgDays are this month. All

fourth grade students in KaneCounty have been invited toparticipate. Kane County’s AgLiteracy Coordinator, SuziMyers, has been very busyorganizing this important event.Look in this edition for informa-tion on how you can participate.Daylight Savings Time

begins at two a.m. on Sunday,

March 12th. Use this date tocheck your smoke-detector bat-teries. Home fire deaths havebeen cut in half since the early1970’s when smoke alarmswere first marketed, in homeswhere the smoke alarms areworking properly.

Grilled Carrots and Peas16 oz. baby carrots1 c. peas, frozen, thawed (or usefresh peas)2 T. olive oil1/2 tsp. salt1/4 tsp. pepper1 tsp. fresh dill, chopped1 T. fresh parsley, choppedPreheat oven to 425°. Toss

carrots with oil, salt, and pep-per. Spread carrots in an evenlayer on 9”x13” baking sheet.Roast for 20 to 30 minutes oruntil browned on outside andtender inside. You may want toturn them over once or more toget even color. While waitingfor the carrots to finish, stir peasin the bowl with the leftover oiland S&P. Then stir peas into theroasted carrots and roast for anadditional 4 minutes. (If usingfresh peas, you may have toroast them a little longer.)Remove from oven and tosswith dill and parsley and maybea drizzle of olive oil. Serve hot.

See you at Touch-A-TractorApril 7-9, 2017

If you can contribute to our Touch-A-Tractor “Wish List,” we’d love to hear from you.

See page 8 for a list of items we are seeking

Agriculture, or farming, is thescience of cultivating soil, pro-ducing crops and raising live-stock. It is the nation’s largestindustry, employing approxi-mately 23 million people in over250 career areas. Less than 1%

of the nation’s population claimsfarming as their occupation.Some examples of careers thatare considered agricultural are:

Agribusiness Managementfocuses on the managerial func-tions performed by organizationsthroughout the food system.

Agricultural and NaturalResources Communicationsfocuses on careers in journalism,public relations, and advertis-ing/marketing.

Building ConstructionManagement focuses on landdevelopment and structuralbuildings.

Agriscience provides a foun-

dation for careers in agriculturaland natural resources industries.

Resource Development andManagement focuses on policyanalysis, planning, evaluation,budgeting, and program man-agement.

Parks, Recreation andTourism Resources focuses onplanning and managing pro-grams, areas, and facilities thatare designed to meet people’sleisure needs and enhance quali-ty of life.

Packaging focuses on foodpackaging, health care and phar-maceutical packaging, andindustrial packaging.

What isagriculture?

MARCH 2017 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Compiled by Suzi Myers

Z B U O R R I P W J I Q A O W L W N E A

C X V U R A F U R G F B B U E M N X F I

C X U C L B V P F E N Q B A R A D R R P

S R E E R A C P F I E P D N U R W G O Z

H O R T I C U L T U R E O G T K A N I C

F S D F D R J I O W D I N I L E G I X K

W O U O E F L X I T T I N C U T R G Y T

S E R B O L R L G A M S X R C I I A L A

L K I E I F D O L R U V V X I N B K G E

M F A N S L B U A L R E T S R G U C T H

R O O F I T P F I Q S B N R G J S A D W

Y I C F C O R N E D T O N I A R I P X U

S L E X P R M Y V U H O Y G W X N I N H

R E G N E V A C S S I O A B I S E C Z D

X Y D G J L F I J T L I F E E Y S K R P

R E X T X Q H R A K Q D W Z S A S R D N

J D P Y V U W E M E D I C I N E N T R P

N Q A C S F R V E I L N L X T R V I W H

G L P A Q C A A R F X V E A N A Q R P U

P K B Q E O G H S B R O Q M G S D N Q B

K T B R V K K P G L L Z P F B X U Z I I

Name _______________________________________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________________________

City______________________________________________ State ______ Zip_____________________

Telephone (______)___________________ Email ___________________________________ Age _____Return to: Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St Charles, IL 60174 by March 15, 2017

to be entered in our drawing for a agriculture-themed prize.

Agriculture

Women’s History MonthNational Nutrition MonthAmerican Red Cross MonthFire Prevention Month

Music in Our Schools Month National Craft Month

National Frozen Food Month

NATIONAL PIG DAY – March 1Read Across America Day

(Dr. Seuss Birthday) – March 2Employee Appreciation Day –

March 4Pi Day – March 14

Incredible Kid Day – March 15Saint Patrick’s Day – March 17National Ag Day – March 21

March holidays:

CongratulationsCarol Gunn of Elgin! Hername was chosen from theentries received for correctlycompleting last month’s WordSearch Puzzle. For her partici-pation, she receives a fun bagof chili goodies! Thank youCarol, for reading the KaneCounty Farmer and continueto watch each month for moregreat opportunities from theKane County Farm Bureau.

AGRIBUSINESSAGRICULTURECAREERSCORNFARMING

FIBERFOODFORESTRYFUEL

HORTICULTUREILLINOISINSULINLIFEMARKETING

MEDICINEPACKAGINGPOPULATIONRECREATION

SCAVENGERSOYBEANSWINEWHEATWILDLIFE

Did you know?• The Average age of Illinoisfarmer is 56

• Each Illinois farmer feeds 156people

• In Illinois, 30.8 million acresof land is used for agriculturalpurposes.

• As of 2015, the number offarms in Illinois was 73,600

• Illinois ranks 7th nationally foragricultural sales in the UnitedStates

• The average depth of top soilin Illinois is 12.6”.

• Illinois has some of the richestand most productive soil inthe world.

• “Drummer” soil series hasbeen designated the official

state soil.• Illinois has approximately1,500 different soil types.

• Illinois is a leading producerof soybeans, corn and swine

• Illinois also produces severalspecialty crops, such as buck-wheat, horseradish, ostriches,fish and Christmas trees

• Illinois grows more pumpkinsthan any other state.

• The average size of an Illinoisfarm, including hobby farms,is 358 acres.

• Marketing of Illinois’ agricul-tural commodities generatesmore than $19 billion annually

• More than 2,000 miles ofinterstate highway and 34,500

miles of other state highwaymake trucking of goods fastand efficient

• Chicago is home to the largestrail gateway in the nation, con-necting the eastern and west-ern United States.

• Illinois’ 1,118 miles of naviga-ble waterways, including theIllinois and Mississippi rivers,make barge traffic an excellentoption for shipment of grain tothe Gulf of Mexico

• Illinois ranks third nationallyin the export of agriculturalcommodities

• There are only 75,087 farmoperators, down from164,000 in 1959

What isagriculture?For decades, agriculture has been associated with production of

essential food crops. At present, agriculture above and beyondfarming includes forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation, poultry, bee keep-ing, mushroom cultivation, etc. Today, processing, marketing anddistribution of crops and livestock products are all acknowledgedas part of current agriculture. Thus, agriculture could be referredto as the production, processing, promotion and distribution agri-cultural products. Agriculture plays a critical role in the entire lifeof a given economy. Agriculture is the backbone of the economicsystem of a given country. In addition to providing food and rawmaterial, agriculture also provides employment opportunities tovery large percentage of population.

We rely on farmers daily forour food, but did you know thereare lots of other everyday itemsthat come from the farm?

Can you count the ways agri-culture touches your life? Whenyou wake up in the morning,you’re lying on cotton sheets. Youswing your feet onto a wood floor,a rug made from the wool of asheep, or flooring made from lin-seed or soybean oil. The soap youuse in the shower contains tallow(a byproduct of the beef industry),or cottonseed oil or lanolin (a kindof oil from the wool of sheep). Thetowel you dry off with and the

jeans and T-shirt you put on aremade from cotton. You’ve alreadyused dozens of agricultural prod-ucts, and you haven’t even startedeating. You get on your bike andride on tires reinforced with cot-ton fibers, or you take a schoolbus that is fueled with Soybeanbiodiesel. When you get to theclassroom, you open a book heldtogether with glue made from thehide and hair of a cow or a pig andprinted with printer’s ink madefrom soybeans. At recess you gooutside and play baseball with awooden bat and a glove madefrom the hide of a cow. Your base-

ball is made from wool yarnwound around a cork or rubbercore and covered with the hide ofa cow. Well there you have it agricul-

ture feeds us, clothes us, shel-ters us, helps us get around,helps us play and keeps us cleanand well-groomed. It cares for uswhen we are sick or injured, too.Insulin for diabetics is madefrom a chemical produced by thepancreas in swine and beef ani-mals, and pig skin is used in skingrafts for burn victims. Milk pro-teins help make Band-Aids stick.

Agriculture in your child’s day

from Cindyshopper.comINGREDIENTS1–11/2 lb stew meat cut into bitesize pieces

24 oz thawed frozen mixedVegetables

4 cup diced red potatoes1 large onion, diced15 oz diced tomatoes – do notdrain

15 oz great northern beansdrained

32 oz beef broth1 1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp minced garlic2 bay leaves1 tbsp vegetable oilDIRECTIONSSeason cubed beef with sea-

soned salt and pepper.In a large skillet, heat oil over

medium heat and brown thebeef.Transfer beef to slow cooker.Add remaining ingredients,

stir and cover.Cook on low for 8-10 hours or

high for 4-5 hours.Test doneness by checking

potato to see if it is soft and beefto make sure it is not tough.Remove bay leaves and serve.

Jokes:What new crop

did the farmer plant?(Beets me!)

What kind of pigsknow karate?(Pork chops!)

What did the pony say whenit had a sore throat?(I’m a little hoarse!)

Did you hear the joke about the broken egg?(Yes, it cracked me up!)

Slow cooker vegetable beef soup

St. Charles Agency, Bob Effner,Agency ManagerTODD WILCOX has been

named the Financial Represen -tative of the Month for January2017 in the St. Charles/ElginAgency, as announced byAgency Manager, Robert J.Effner, Sr., CLF®, LUTCF. Toddhas provided tangible plans foraddressing the immediate andlong term insurance and finan-cial security needs of his clientsthrough COUNTRY Financial’sdiverse products and services:Auto, Farm, Home, Life/Disability/Health/Annuities/Long Term Care, RetirementPlanning, Business andInvestments. Let Todd’s expert-ise help you! His contact infor-mation is: 2N710 Randall Rd.,St. Charles, 60174; phone 630-762-1326; email todd.wilcox@coun t r y f i n a n c i a l . c om .Congratulations, Todd!

Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency ManagerBrian Guenther, Financial

Representative with the AuroraAgency, is our FinancialRepresentative of the Month forJanuary 2017. Brian began hiscareer with COUNTRYFinancial in January of 2002and services clients out of his

office located at 1920 WilsonStreet, Batavia, 60510, (630)406-6017Brian’s professionalism and

vast knowledge of auto, home,life, commercial and financialproducts make him a great per-son to do business with.Congratulations, Brian!

Growing up, children arealways asked what they

want to be when they grow up. Iremember in my elementaryschool days everyone wanted tobe things like police officers,fire fighters, princesses, anddoctors. I don’t quite rememberwhat my “go to” answer for thatquestion was, but I do remem-ber the moment I fell in lovewith agriculture. Well ... maybenot all agriculture, as that con-cept might have been a little toomuch for my four year old selfto comprehend, but that’s besidethe point.

I was four years old and at alocal summer carnival with mygrandparents. It was a sunnyafternoon in mid-June and I wasextra excited, as my two sisterswere away at summer camp andthe attention of both grandparentswas on me. I played games, atemy fill of carnival food, and wenton ride after ride with my grand-pa while my grandma watchedfrom the sidelines. We had only afew more attractions to see beforeheading out when I saw it. It wasat the very back of the carnival,under a red and white striped tent.With wide eyes my grandpawalked me right over to the tent,handed over the appropriateamount of tickets, and walked meover to the attendant who stoodbeside a flashy black and whitepainted pony. I climbed high up in that sad-

dle, and I was hooked. From

that day on, all I could talkabout was ponies and horsesand how one day I would ownthe prettiest one of all. Naturally, my childhood

obsession led to me wantingown anything and everythingremotely related to horses:books, posters, clothes, stuffedanimals, Breyer ponies ... what-ever I could get my hands on.Eventually, I was even able towear my parents down enoughand take riding lessons. I was soexcited for my first lesson Ialmost slammed my finger inthe car door on my way into thebarn, but that’s a story foranother time. When I was going into mid-

dle school I moved to the westside of Elgin, which meant Iwould be going to BurlingtonCentral High School. It wasthere I discovered, thanks toFFA, that there is so much moreto agriculture than just horses.After taking an “introduction toagricultural science” class inhigh school I was introduced tothis huge industry of farms,food, and so much more. Fromthat moment on, I took everypossible opportunity to learnmore about this wonderfulindustry called agriculture, tak-ing every single agricultureclass offered at BurlingtonCentral High School beforegraduating.

The choice to further my edu-cation in the field of agriculture

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER MARCH 2017

“Helping to keep America Picked up for 45 years”

Zimmerman Recycling, Inc.

301 Industrial Drive, DeKalb

(815) 756.8600

FOR SALE

Ariens Snow Blower, electricstart, 5HP, 24” cut, 4 sp forward/2sp back. Self-propelled. $300OBO. Call: 630 997 4306

1953 Model 60 JD tractor, Model52 plow, trailer. $3,600 for all 3items. Please call 630 557 2711

SERVICES

Jim Verhaeghe & Sons, Inc. –Tree removal, tree trimming, &stump grinding. Backhoe work &Tile Lines. Fully insured – FreeEstimates – Jim Verhaeghe Sr.Call: 847 334 5730

WANTED

Will pick up for free unwanted orold snowmobiles, call Jon –Bobcat work & weed mowing;deliveries of dirt, stone, sand &mulch. Call Jon at 630-254-9446

Want to buy vintage & used toolsCall Chris – Also, we docleanouts. Call: 630 550 7182

CLASSIFIED AD RATESClassified advertising rates: 20cents per word/$20 minimum (60words or less). DISCOUNTS formembers: Associate members,20%; Voting members, 30%; PLUSmembers, 40%. Advance paymentrequested. Ads due by the 15th ofevery month for the next issue. Noadvertising (classified or display)for financial or insurance serviceswill be accepted. Call 630-584-8660.

CLASSIFIED ADS

What’s new in the COUNTRY agencies?

It all started with a pony ride

By Kristi Van Oost

was a no-brainer, and while I did-n’t know exactly what I wantedto do, I knew exactly what indus-try I wanted to be in. TheAgricultural science program atTruman State University onlymade me fall deeper in love withthe industry as a whole, andhelped me find how I best fit intothe diverse world of agriculture. Now I am a proud college

graduate with a degree in agri-cultural science, and societymight consider me “all grownup.” That may be true, and

“growing up” allowed me topursue the interests I was sopassionate about as a child. I amstill a horse lover and I recentlyadopted a pretty black geldingof my very own to fulfill thatchildhood dream. It is funny tothink about how a childhoodobsession with fast running ani-mals turned into a passion forall things farms and food, but Iwouldn’t want it any other way. One of my favorite days of

the year is coming up ...National Ag Day. This is a day

to celebrate the abundance pro-vided by agriculture. It is onMarch 21st, 2017 and thisyear’s theme is “Agriculture:Food for Life”. This year, I willget to celebrate at Ag Days atMooseheart, where 4th gradersget to experience a little bit ofthe agriculture industry firsthand. Personally, I cannot thinkof a better place to be. Whoknows, maybe I will end upbeing the reason another youngkid discovers the wonderfulworld of agriculture.

Each month we honor theperson who signs the mostmembers into our organization.This month, the honor goes toFelipe Rocha! Felipe has been aCOUNTRY Financial Rep -resen tative since August of2011. His office is located at541 N. Lake Street, Aurora. As atoken of our appreciation,Felipe receives two tickets toCharlestowne Movie Theater.Thank you for your continued

support of the Kane CountyFarm Bureau and congratula-tions on your success!

Recruiter of the Month

Felipe Rocha

CONNECT WITH US

The Kane County Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee along with the Central and Kaneland FFAChapters volunteered at the Northern Illinois Food Bank on January 28. The group of 29 repackaged 975lbs. of Cocoa Puffs, providing 812 meals to be deliv-ered through the Food Bank’s 13 county service area,which feeds 71,000 people weekly. KCFB thanks theKaneland FFA Chapter and the Burlington CentralFFA Chapter for assistance in this most importantwork, feeding our hungry neighbors, something KaneCounty farmers are engaged in every day!

Photos, clockwise from top right:

Burlington-Central students (l-r) Lexi Head, KrysieSwanson, Elena Chapa and Jake Thompson helped totake the cereal from pallet sized, 400 pound bulk bagsand weigh and repackage into more appropriate family size bags beforesending plastic totes down the conveyor to a bag sealing area.

FAA members from Kaneland HS (l-r) Maria Rios and Joseph Turk placenutrition labels on the cereal pack-ages before placing them in boxesand on pallets for shipment to oneof the scores of local food pantriesthat utilize the services of theNorthern Illinois Food Bank.

A Kaneland student and FFA advi-sor Brooke Heinsohn work two ofthe four stations used to place a double seal on each bag of cerealbefore sending it on to a labelingstation.

Kane County Young FarmersDavid Marshall of Sugar Grove,Sarah Lenkaitis of St. Charles,Wayne Gehrke and Catherine

Gorenz, both of Maple Park,hope to be part of a group of 40Illinois Farm Bureau YoungLeaders to tour agriculture oper-ations in Ontario, Canada as partof the IFB Young Leaders annu-al Ag Tour. Both committeemembers have applied to be partof the program are looking for-ward to taking a deeper lookinto Canadian agriculture,including specialty crops, live-stock, manufacturing, researchfacilities and Niagara Falls. Dates for the tour are July

9-14. If accepted, the KaneCounty farmers will share theirexperiences with other membersof the Young FarmersCommittee and the Board ofDirectors.The Young Leader Ag Tour is

one of many activities coordi-nated by the IFB State YoungLeaders Committee. Otheractivities include annual awardsand recognition programs, con-ferences, a discussion meet,quiz bowl, hunger relief activi-ties, and Collegiate FarmBureau events all designed topromote education, build skills,and develop future leaders forthe county and state associa-tions. To learn more aboutYoung Farmer events, contactthe Kane County Farm Bureauat info@kanecfb.com.

MARCH 2017 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

Young Farmer euchreYoung Farmers EuchreTournamentMembers for 18-35 with an

interest in agriculture, expand-ing their social network andmeeting with local farmers arewelcome to attend the March 24Young Farmers EuchreTournament. The event will beheld at the Kane County FarmBureau beginning with a briefcommittee meeting at 6:30 fol-lowed by euchre, pizza andsnacks with Young Farmersfrom Kane, Kendall and sur-rounding county Farm Bureaus.Bring a friend or we’ll pair youup with another player.Farm Bill “work session’ onMarch 15Kane County farmers can

help develop Illinois Farm

Bureau’s 2018 farm bill priori-ties during a work session sched-uled for March 15. AdamNielsen, Illinois Farm Bureau’sdirector of national issues andpolicy development, will con-duct a series of sessions through-out Illinois beginning thismonth, with one scheduled for10 am on Wednesday, March 15at the Kane County FarmBureau.Attendees will be provided

lunch and asked to discusswhat’s working/what needsimproving in the 2018 farm bill.Considerable time will be spentdiscussing the commodity titleand crop insurance programs.Pre-registration is required. Toregister, contact KCFB at 630-584-8660.

Through Harvest for ALL, KCFBmembers have contributed theequivalent of nearly 1.75 millionmeals to local food pantries.

The KCFB FOUNDATION offers its sincere appreciation to thefollowing for their contributions in response to our DecemberAgriculture in the Classroom fundraising appeal. These donationswill allow the Foundation to provide funding to improve classroomeducation about food and farming. Names shown are pledgesreceived from January 20through Februrary 20.

Mike Wurtz

Thanks to our donors...

Donor BeneficiaryCraig & Angela Bradley Northern Illinois Food BankKCFB Young Farmers Northern Illinois Food Bank

Our FOUNDATION is dedicated to providing agriculture basededucation for the next generation, and to meeting the challenge ofproviding food for a hungry planet. We look forward to continuingsupport for scholarships, along with local classrooms and teachers,leadership training, and community youth education throughgrants to local FFA Chapters and 4-H.

KCFB Young Farmersto attend industry tourto Ontario, Canada

Wednesday, March 22

most important communityservice efforts undertaken byFarm Bureau members.Although the U.S. economy isstronger overall compared toseveral years ago, manyAmericans still need help secur-ing adequate food for their fam-

ilies.Illinois Farm Bureau raised

the most money for hungerrelief, $978,000.Illinois FarmBureau also tal-

lied the most volunteer hours,3,292. The California FarmBureau took top honors fordonating the most food in 2016,15.1 million pounds. Both stateorganizations received a $750grant to donate to a local foodbank of their choice or foranother Harvest for All project.The awards were presented

during AFBF’s FUSION

Conference in Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, earlier thismonth. Since Harvest for Allwas launched, Farm Bureau

families have gathered morethan 223 million pounds offood, logged more than 121,000volunteer hours and raised $7million in donations.

Locally, Kane County farmersand the Kane County FarmBureau have contributed theequivalent of more than 1.75 mil-lion meals to local food pantriessince 2009. The Young FarmersCommittee of the KCFB hasbeen recognized as the top con-tributor to Harvest for All fromamong Illinois County FarmBureaus of similar size, everyyear since 2003. 100% of themonetary donations to theNorthern Illinois Food Bankthrough the KCFB Harvest forALL program are used to pur-chase milk, one of the most need-ed and least frequently donateditems, through the Milk 2 MyPlate program.

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER MARCH 2017

“Wish list” items wanted for Touch-A-Tractor1. Plastic culverts for kids to crawl or walk through will makefun additions to our children’s activities center. 2. We are in search of 30 gallon plastic drums that can beused to create a lawn mower powered train for children to ridein at the event. 3. Hay/Straw bales, we are seeking several large bales to addto our touch-a-tractor children’s activities area to be used forclimbing and recreational purposes. 150 small squares areneeded too!4. Donations of old pots & pans, woodenspoons and the like will be used to makea “percussion string” on a tree in the FarmBureau lawn. This sound machine is madeby handing pots, pans, and other noisemakers from the lower branches of a tree. 5. Farm related youth clothing, boots andhats and other farmed themed items to helpwith a new addition to the event which allowschildren to dress up like farmers for a photo-op. (A sip & paint party will be held at the KCFB on March 31 at 5:30 to paint farm scene backdrops)

KCFB is seeking donationsof youth sized farm clothing/costumes (plus boots and hats),old kitchen utensils and cookingsupplies, and various otheritems commonly found or usedon farms. This list includes suchitems as plastic culverts suitable

for crawling through, cleanplastic 30 gallon drums for ariding mower “train,” and evenlarge round or square hay orstraw bales. If you are interested in pro-

viding a donation, or know of abusiness or individual that might

be interested in doing so, pleasecontact the KCFB office at (630)584-8660 or feel free to stop byour office with your item(s).Your donations will help

make our 12th Annual Touch-A-Tractor asuccess.

Touch-A-Tractor ‘wish list’

Kane County Farm Bureau members receive 10% discount on all service work.

Are you a fan of social gatherings that let you express yourcreative side? Bring your favorite wine to share as we preparefor Touch-A-Tractor in April. Join other KCFB members onFriday, March 31st for a “paint & sip” party. We will be paintingfarm scenes(fields, barns,countryside) onpainter’s dropcloths to use asphoto back-drops at theTouch-A-Tractorfarm-city event.

No artisticexperience isn e c e s s a r y .Members andnon-membersalike are wel-come to join inthe fun. FarmBureau will pro-vide soft drinksand pizza will come from the Costco next door to fuel the cre-ative juices (or absorb the wine, as the case may be).

Painting starts at 5:30. Please RSVP priorto the event by calling (630) 584-8660

or by emailing Info@kanecfb.com

Get your chance to win oneof 6 great prizes in the KCFBFoundation’s Winner’s ChoiceRaffle. All proceeds from thisannual fundraiser benefit col-lege scholarships and Agricul -tural Literacy programs. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for

$25 and are available at KaneCounty Farm Bureau (2N710Randall Road, St. Charles),from the Farm Bureau directorslisted on page 2, with VISA orMasterCard at 630-584-8660, orby sending payment with theticket request form below.In 2016, over $20,000 in

scholarships & internships wereawarded by the Foundation.Your contributions through theannual raffle and other eventsthroughout the year play a hugerole in helping students attaintheir degrees, reach their goals,and assist in securing a brightfuture for farms and food.

The grand prize winner inthe annual raffle to be drawn atour Touch-A-Tractor event onSunday, April 9, 2017 canchoose between a 1953 FarmallSuper C, a CX350 John DeereLawn Mower, or they can take$2,500 cash. There’s a greatlineup of food, fuel and FarmBureau prizes that include sec-ond prize of $500 in groceries,third prize $500 in fuel, andfourth prize is $250 in KaneCounty Farm Bureau Bucks. Winner’s Choice ticket stubs

also serve as FREE familyadmission to KCFB’s annualTouch-A-Tractor Farm to cityevent.For more information and

rules on this year’s raffle, schol-arship programs or other KCFBFoundation programs and serv-ices, visit www.kanecfb.com orcontact Steve Arnold at 630-584-8660.

KCFB Foundation Winner’s Choice Tractor RafflePlease send me _____ tickets ($10 each or 3 for $25)

Name ________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City, State, Zip _________________________________________

Email ________________________________________________

Phone________________________________________________Return with check made payable to Kane County Farm Bureau

Foundation, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 or charge my

___ Visa ___ MC #_______ _______ _______ _______

Exp _____/_____

Signature ___________________________ Date ____/____/____

Help raise scholarshipfunds, get FREE Touch-A-Tractor admissionswith Tractor Raffle

Applications are now avail-able for nurse practitionerscholarships through the IllinoisFarm Bureau® Rural NursePractitioner ScholarshipProgram. There will be fivescholarships, worth $4,000each, granted this year.The scholarship program,

now in its 25th year, helpsencourage and develop the poolof rural health practitioners tohelp meet primary health careneeds in rural Illinois. Studentswho receive scholarships agreeto practice for two years in anapproved rural area in Illinois.To be eligible for the scholar-

ship, students must be Illinoisresidents and be a Registered

Nurse accepted or enrolled in anaccredited Nurse PractitionerProgram. Funding is providedby the Rural Illinois MedicalStudent Assistance Program.Applications are available at

county Farm Bureaus® through-out the state, on the RuralIllinois Medical StudentAssistance Program website atRIMSAP.com, or by writingPeggy Romba, ProgramManager, Illinois Farm Bureau,PO Box 2901, Bloomington, IL61702-2901. Applications aredue May 1.For additional information,

contact Peggy Romba at 309-557-2350, or via e-mail atpromba@ilfb.org.

Nursing scholarshipapplication available

Hungry benefit(continued from page 2)