CCFB News» August 2020

Cook County Farm Bureau has chosen the photo winners for the pet and horse category. Here they are...

Farm Bureau Member farm stands are open and bursting with color and flavor – red ripe tomatoes, green delicious zucchini, and yellow juicy sweet corn! Purchase all your local, farm-grown produce at a member farm stand. To locate a member business near you, visit our Farm Products Locator.

Five things you should know about Cook County Farm Bureau.

Food Prices Rose in June for Sixth-Straight Month (NBC News) – The cost of food rose for the sixth-straight month, rising by 0.6 percent in June, according to data released Tuesday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The larger-than-expected price hike represents a further pain point for millions of American families already living on the edge amid layoffs and lockdowns.

As a grassroots organization, Cook County Farm Bureau’s policy is the direct result of member input. Given members’ concerns about Cook County’s finances, Farm Bureau leaders have developed the following policy regarding Cook County finances.

Each month we are highlighting a Cook County Farm Bureau Member: This month's "Face of CCFB" is... JoAnn & Wally Shults, owner of Deer Creek Farm.

Mention of the word hemp can often conjure up two thoughts. One is the misconception is that hemp is synonymous with marijuana. The other is the World War II era when many wartime needs were produced from hemp.

We named our puppy Maizey, playing on the corn phrase “maize.” The name seemed fitting for a yellow-colored Labrador and a tribute to the crop at the root of our livelihoods. We also thought the name was unique until we learned the farmer two miles south calls his dog the same.

We had the good fortune to spend a week at a cottage we have rented for many years. Somehow this yearly tradition seemed extra special this year for several reasons. First and foremost, we had our family of five together for the first time in a long time. Second, we had picture perfect weather and the lake was very warm. Third, we had new focal points: catching fish, talking, and not the listening to the news.

With the likelihood of the state of Illinois remaining in the phase 4 of Illinois reopen plan through the rest of the calendar year, the 100-Year Anniversary Celebration Committee recently met to evaluate and develop alternate strategies to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the organization.

The impacts of COVID-19 will be felt for months to come. Families are suffering. Businesses are suffering. Farms are suffering. Together with members, Cook County Farm Bureau® and local farmers growing healthy and nutritious food are poised to provide local food pantries assistance during this difficult time in Illinois and the entire United States.

During the early stage of sheltering in place, I subbed in as my blue-eyed girl’s math teacher. A wildly poor substitute. One of her projects was an online escape room. To escape she had to find the partial products of a long multiplication problem. I had to google what partial products were. It was the first and last time she asked for help with math.

The 2020 Cookfresh Recipe Collection is a special “throwback” edition for our 100th year. Recipes selected from decades of submissions to commemorate our Centennial. Recipe booklets are available now.

Last month’s column was about my first paid job as a “weeder” of strawberries at the ripe old age of 14. This month, I decided to go further “into the weeds” on the topic.