CCFB News» June 2019

Farm Bureau’s newest board member, Todd Price, combines his passion for teaching, history, and agriculture in northern Cook County. For many years, Price served as Director of Wagner Farm in Glenview, Illinois. For 18 years, Price directed the operations of the Farm, including overseeing the dairy operation and vegetable production. Inherent to Price’s role at Wagner Farm was ensuring that the urban public can see and participate in a working farm. Price now serves at Glenview Park District Superintendent.

As a third-generation family farmer, Dan Biernacki’s commitment to farming and the greenhouse business started at the age of four when he would wash out plant pots for his mom and dad. He returned to the greenhouse full-time after finishing college.

Farmers are taking steps to support monarchs and other pollinators including: Planting pollinator habitat, including milkweed and other flowers that bloom from May through October along roadsides, infield corners and around your homestead.

The capital construction plan for road construction projects took yet another interesting turn this past May.  Senator Martin Sandoval, Chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee, introduced a new amendment that includes a Motor Fuel Tax and other fee increases.

Some facts on Soybean, From the Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom 2018-19 Calendar for Teachers.

Cook County Farm Bureau® is donating $500 to local food pantries this month!

The only thing you have to do is VOTE for your favorite food pantry! The food pantry that receives the most votes will receive a $350 donation and the food pantry that receives the second most votes will receive a $150 donation.

As a fourth-generation family farmer Gerry Kopping has always wanted to farm. He grew up pulling weeds and riding on tractors with his grandfather. As a young man, he raised corn, hay and livestock.


While he was studying to teach agriculture to high school students, Kopping worked at Ludwig’s Feed Store in Lemont. While at work he talked with customers who owned horses and were concerned about urban sprawl and the effect it was having on farms and horse boarding facilities. Shortly after those conversations, Kopping approached his parents about transitioning space in their barn to horse stalls. What started with five horses and forty acres of crop land is now a hundred horses and five hundred acres of crop land.

New research by the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the University of Maryland found clues to the honeybee pest considered the greatest driver of global honeybee colony losses. Microscopic images show the Varroa mite feeds on the honeybee’s fat body tissue, an organ similar to the human liver, rather than a bee’s blood or hemolymph.

Each month we are highlighting a Cook County Farm Bureau Ag Lit Committee Member: This month's "Face of CCFB" is... Terry Landschoot

A cornerstone to Governor J.B. Pritzker’s budget plan is the implementation of the progressive income tax.  The Pritzker tax is expected to generate an additional $3.57 billion from individual taxpayers and $350 million from a higher corporate tax annually for the state.

Recipe reprinted with permission from members, Rick & Cathy Johnson, LaGrange, from our 2019 Cookfresh Recipe Collection Brochure, available online at www.cookcfb.org/discover-local/recipes.

In May an agreement was reached to end tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from Canada and Mexico. Just prior to the announcement, Cook County Farm Bureau® sent the following letter supporting the USMCA trade agreement and U.S. closest neighbors, Canada and Mexico.

Our Agriculture in the Classroom Program just wrapped up its 32nd year of visiting classrooms in Cook County.  The vision that began with Mrs. Gail Petersdorf (who worked many years as the Ag in the Classroom Coordinator) continues today with some of the same schools and teachers, but a whole new set of students who are excited to learn.

Visit Cook County Farm Bureau® member Farm, Greenhouse & Garden Centers for all your planting needs! 

The Master Gardeners are back in the Farm Bureau office to answer questions from members and the general public related to gardening and horticulture.

Ten years ago, my blue-eyed girl quietly entered the world one hot Father’s Day.  It was literally the last time she was quiet.

When’s the next time we’re going to see our cousins?”

That question takes the No. 2 spot behind, “What are we doing tomorrow?” from the mouth of our 11-year-old son. Primarily, he wants to know when “something fun” makes the itinerary, and cousins always fit that description.

After a 30-year hiatus, I returned to Germany and Austria with my husband to celebrate our 30th anniversary.  We had visited this region on our honeymoon and felt it would be the perfect way to kick-off the next 30 years.

At the time of the creation of the Cook County Farm Bureau (1920), many farms were diverse, being made up of different types of livestock including cows, sheep, pigs and horses, as well as a variety of crops including corn, soybeans, hay, wheat, oats and vegetables. To keep the livestock in the pasture or out of the crop fields, there were a variety of fencing options used by farmers including woven wire and barbed wire.