CCFB News» December 2017

Have a non-farmer friend, relative, doctor, lawyer, dietitian, kid’s teachers or other influencers in the Chicagoland area that could be enlightened and entertained about today’s agriculture? Illinois Farm Bureau, Cook County Farm Bureau, Will County Farm Bureau, Illinois Farm Families, Illinois Science Council and the Chicago chapter of the Institute of Food Technologists will host a public screening of "Food Evolution" on Tuesday, January 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mar Theatre, 121 S. Main Street in Wilmington.

The Cook County Farm Bureau® recognized Master Club Members and Volunteers at a small ceremony on Wednesday December 13th.

Farm Bureau will host a policy discussion on Thursday, March 1 at 7 p.m.  To participate in the discussion, farmer members will receive an automated call just prior to the discussion asking them if they’d like to participate.  Once on the call, members will be able to hear the discussion, ask questions, and discuss topics of interest to them.  Members will be able to participate using their phones and will not need to travel.

Kristen Yunker, Coordinator of the Toys for Teens collection efforts for the Cook County Farm Bureau® Young Leaders group, said today “we have all been blessed in our lives and we appreciate the opportunity to give back to those in need during this holiday season.”

I am no Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino.  No shotgun. No tough, crusty old bigot guy attitude. Clint and I don’t have a lot in common, but there are a few similarities. I can be a bit crusty and I can spit. I don’t really know nor hang out with my neighbors. Oh, and our characters have similar views on private property rights.

This past October, voters experienced something truly incredible- the power of their collective voices. After a rare tie-breaking vote by Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle last year, Cook County joined a growing chorus of jurisdictions implementing taxes and fees to control individuals’ activities, consumption, hobbies, and perhaps most importantly, to raise funds.  However, this October, the county became the largest jurisdiction to overturn a penny-an-ounce sweetened beverage tax.

What toys do you get a child this holiday? It’s hard not to get caught up in the non-stop advertisements for toys and gifts.  Television ads started the day after Halloween, newspaper pullouts blind us with toy ideas, December issues of magazines list the “Best Toys of the Year”, and then there’s the vast increase of catalogs found in our mailboxes every week.