CCFB News» December 2019

Dietician and Cook County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Team Member, Kim Kirchherr, recently visited Westchester Middle School.

Cook County Farm Bureau® members sent the following letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).

Flood debasements are an opportunity to reduce the assessed value of cropland to reflect loss in input costs and crop yields on an acre-by-acre basis. This is a long-standing statutory requirement that county assessors are responsible for applying to qualifying farmland.

The success of the American agriculture industry is directly linked to our ability to engage in free, fair and enforceable trade with partners from around the globe. To continue supporting Illinois agriculture, our farmers need trade agreements that align with the reality of modern agriculture and the 21st century economy.

The Annual meeting of the Cook County Farm Bureau took place on Wednesday evening to address the business of the organization including receiving an audited financial report, election of directors (Jim Bloomstrand, Jim Gutzmer, Janet McCabe, Mike Rauch, Mark Yunker, and Ruth Zeldenrust were reelected), approval of acts and deeds of the board for the past year, and approval of delegates to the IAA annual meeting.

Study: Younger Americans More Likely To Embrace Food Trends (FarmWeekNow) Americans younger than 40 are more likely to embrace new food trends compared to those 40 years or older, according to a Michigan State University study. The Michigan State University Food Literacy and Engagement poll surveyed more than 2,100 Americans on emerging food technology and options, including GMOs, plant-based protein and meal kits, according to Progressive Grocer.

For Illinois soybean growers, a growing market that offers premium prices awaits in Oakland, California. Hodo Foods currently processes 3,000 bushels of soybeans weekly.

At the November meeting of the Cook County Farm Bureau, the Board of Directors elected its leadership team for the next year. Ms. Janet McCabe, Orland Park, was re-elected by the Board to serve as the organization’s President, a position she has held for the past year.McCabe and her husband Joe, farm in the southern Cook County area and northern Will County raising corn, soybeans, wheat and marketing hay/straw. She has served on the Cook County Farm Bureau Board since 2011 and has been a part of the organization’s Team structure since it was created in 2005.

Just as farmers book next year’s seed, now marks the time to evaluate health coverage options that best meet medical needs and budgets in 2020. The enrollment period for individual health insurance plans runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15 for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2020.

Benefiting 'Together We Cope' The CCFB Young Leaders Group will be collecting new and gently used winter coats for those in need this winter. All sizes accepted (newborn - 5x). A local 501C (3) charity focused on preventing homelessness and serving local residents through a food pantry.

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

Soybean Help Turkey Star During Holiday Season (FarmWeek)- Soybeans are an important part of turkeys’ diets and the favorite holiday bird consumes 15% of all soybean meal crushed from Illinois soybeans, according to the Illinois Soybean Association. In addition, odds are that soybean meal, oil and play-based ingredients will be in many foods featured on dinner tables.

In October, Cook County President, Toni Preckwinkle, announced her $6.2 billion county budget. Her proposal does not include any new taxes or fees. The deficit was the smallest Preckwinkle has faced since assuming the reins of the county; however, she warns that next year’s budget may not be as rosy given rising costs associated with the Health and Hospital System. Preckwinkle’s proposal increases spending to the tune of $260 million primarily for new positions in the State’s Attorney, Clerk of the Circuit Court, and Chief Judge’s Office.

In October, Farm Bureau sent voting members with email addresses on file a SNAP Viewpoint Survey to garner their thoughts on a proposed property tax increase for the Cook County Forest Preserves. By a two-to-one margin, members overwhelmingly opposed the proposal.

In January we rang in the New Year. With a fizzle and a pop 2019 came roaring in. Candidly, I don’t even remember how our house celebrated or if we did. January gave way to the Polar Vortex and we happily ushered in February.

Upon return from a quick November weekend to visit family in Utah, I checked on my houseplants and to my surprise our Christmas Cactus was bursting with pink buds. This crazy weather has confused the cactus as much as me. I was rather excited to see the cactus blooming as we had missed the beauty of the desert flowers out west.

Often referred to as evergreens, Christmas trees include different species of firs, spruces, and pines, all of which stay green year-round. These trees are grown and harvested in 45 different states. *Adopted from Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom’s ‘Seasons’ Ag Mag.

Recipe reprinted with permission from member Yvonne Massie of Mount Prospect, from our 2019 Cookfresh Recipe Collection Brochure, available online at www.cookcfb.org/discover-local/recipes.

Six Christmas trees help set the holiday mood in our home.

My husband keeps a different tally, pointing out that our indoor forest calculates to a few dozen evergreens when you count the 12-inch trees atop the kitchen cupboards and the backdrop to our nativity display. Don’t forget the tabletop trees that surround my Christmas barns, nor the set of trees cut from aged barn wood displayed on our bathroom counter. In the kitchen, we decorate a pencil tree with old family cookie cutters, a personal favorite.

My mom taught me that eating everything on your plate was the polite thing to do. I am quite polite. She also knows I will eat nearly anything. For that, I’m self-taught.