CCFB News» September 2018

Dozens of goats invaded a residential area on the western side of Boise, Idaho on August 3. The goats proceeded to move from yard to yard eating rosebushes, ivy and grass. It was reported that neighbors spilled out of their home to observe and most were amused, but not all. The goats came from a business called “We Rent Goats” which uses the goats to remove noxious weeds from fields, acreage, pastors, open spaces, ditches, ravines and embankments.

Cook and Mercer County Farm Bureaus delivered sweetcorn for families at the Catholic Charities Food Pantry, Self-Help Closet, and Schaumburg Barn in conjunction with Senator Laura Murphy and Representative Michelle Mussman. Senator Murphy is “adopted” by Mercer CFB through Farm Bureau’s Adopt-a-Legislator® program.

Have you ever seen one of the hybrid signs next to a corn or soybean field? The “Agrigold” sign in the picture almost makes it look like Agrigold owns the field. Agrigold is an 80-year old company that concentrates on seed research, which begs the question of why a company owns a corn or soybean field in Illinois.

Great things happen when people and organizations work together.

Nine regional Illinois food banks (including the Greater Chicago Food Depository and the Northern Illinois Food Bank) received more than 4,000 pounds of ground pork – a Christmas in July donation as part of the Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign.

Each month we are highlighting a Cook County Farm Bureau Board Member: This month's "Face of CCFB" is...Pat Horcher

The Will-South Cook Soil & Water Conservation District is currently taking orders for the fall tree and fish sale.

IDOT’s Harvest Season Emergency Permit allows travel only on state routes. It does not cover travel on Interstates or local routes. Separate permits may be available on local roads at the option of that local jurisdiction. HSE permits are not available for Interstate highway travel.

The trend of fewer farm acres on the market continues in the Eastern Corn Belt states, according to the latest Farmers National Company report. Prices for good quality tillable acres remain steady in most areas, including Illinois.

Recipe reprinted with permission from member Gina McDonald from our 2018 Cookfresh Recipe Collection Brochure.

You can submit your recipes for the 2018 Cookfresh Recipe Brochure by mailing to the Farm Bureau or to [email protected].

Kelo v. New London is the landmark eminent domain case. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, more than 20 states significantly changed their eminent domain laws to make eminent domain more difficult. The Supreme Court’s case was ultimately over New London authorizing the use of eminent domain on a little pink house that overlooked the Thames River in 1997.

The Cook County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom is looking to add a contract Presenter to our AITC Program which has been serving classrooms in our county for over 30 years.

Farm Bureau actively engaged with Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri, Chairman of the Committee on Building and Zoning and the Building and Zoning Department to minimize the impact of zoning changes on Cook County agriculture.

The amendment provides: reasonable minimum lot sizes for individuals interested in keeping livestock or horses.

Farmer Dale delighted passengers with rides in his 1919 Ford Model T on that pleasant summer evening at the fairgrounds. The ride from yesteryear stirred thoughts about how the automobile dramatically changed life. Those thoughts continued under a nearby tent, where tractors from every decade of the last century sat on display. The earliest models replaced horses in a dramatic shift for farm life and food production.

Do you know if your family would have the financial resources to maintain their standard of living if something happened to you? According to the Life Insurance Marketing and Research Association, approximately 56 percent of Americans lack individual life insurance coverage and 30 percent have no life insurance protection whatsoever.

Hard to believe, but September has arrived and school either has or is about to begin again.

Many years ago, I packed my heels, suits, and hopes and dreams and traveled to the lovely mecca of Springfield, Illinois.

In July, I wrote a column titled "Man versus Nature" which contained a quick overview of the long, losing battles that I continually seem to have with varmints, invasive plants and weather. Unfortunately, the time is right for part 2.