CCFB News» April 2021

Grocery Stores' Pandemic Boon Is Over (CNN) – Last year, people were stockpiling food and essentials at stores and ordering a lot more groceries online. That was great news for America's biggest grocery chains, who now say the pandemic-time boom is over.

Cook County Farm Bureau® is in the process of drafting and reviewing a statewide policy supporting, defining, and recognizing urban agriculture. Urban agriculture generally refers to the cultivation, processing, and distribution of agricultural products in urban and suburban settings.

Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Specialty Growers, the University of Illinois Prairie Research Institute, and Feeding Illinois are asking farmers to complete a brief online survey by April 30, 2021. The information will be used to assess the potential for a farm to food bank program.

Spring is upon us and with it comes outdoor cleanup of yards, lawns, and gardens, for the coming growing season. We asked award winning South Suburban Cook Master Gardener Help Desk for tips on getting started…here is what we learned.

In March, CHANGE Illinois, community and civic organizations, and good government advocates announced their support for a Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission. They contend that the Chicago Advisory Redistricting Commission will help create a “people’s map.”

This Community Urban Garden is funded in part by a grant from; Cook County Farm Bureau® Commodities & Product Marketing Team.

Applications are now available for nurse practitioner scholarships through the Illinois Farm Bureau® Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program. There will be 15 scholarships, worth $4,000 each, granted this year.

After the election in November, Governor Pritzker made several statements that he wants to “close business tax loopholes,” but until his mid-February budget address, there were no details.

On an annual basis, the Cook County Farm Bureau® pays special tribute to the COUNTRY Financial Managers and Financial Representatives that earn All American honors as well as those that are named in the top 10 recruiters of membership.

Members of the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved Ordinance 21-1048 at the end of February. The ordinance was supported by the Cook County Farm Bureau®. Farm Bureau sent the following communications in support of the ordinance in advance of the vote: Cook County Farm Bureau® (Cook CFB) respectfully requests support for Ordinance 21-1048, an amendment to the Taxing District Debt Disclosure Ordinance.

Farm Bureau is engaging with legislators on the following issues:
Agricultural tourism limited liability: Senate Bill 458 (Senator Wilcox) limits the liability of agritourism operations. Under the bill, an agritourism operator would not be liable for injury or death of a participant resulting from the inherent risks of agritourism activities if the agritourism operator posts the required warning notice.

Earlier this year my younger cousin audaciously suggested that I forgo my beloved audiobooks. For years audiobooks and my corgi were my companions as I trekked the 225 miles journey from northern Illinois to Springfield.

The mission of the Governmental Affairs Committee is to surface and develop policy and to provide reliable, accurate, and common-sense information to elected officials and their staffs in order to build a dialogue between the organization and policymakers. The Governmental Affairs Committee serves as a voice for all Cook County Farm Bureau® members.

Illinois is the second highest producer of corn among the U.S. states. And it’s the leader in the country in pumpkin growing. And that’s not all. We’re also at the top when it comes to soybeans. Illinois is the largest producer of soybeans and when combined with what the runner-up, Iowa, grows, it accounts for more than a quarter of the total U.S. soybean crop.

Cook County Farm Bureau® and Partners Raise Cash and Food Donations for Local Food Pantries Cook County Farm Bureau® Celebrates its 20th Annual Food Checkout Day.

I still remember the spring when an unnamed farmer attempted to grow a crop of cell phones. While outside the tractor cab in the field, he had dropped then driven over his two-week-old cell phone twice. Once with a planter and soon after with a tillage implement that placed it subsurface like a seed.

We are pleased to announce three outstanding recipients of our School Mini Grant...

The backhoes arrived and out it all came. After years of digging through rocks to plant flowers and bushes, I decided enough was enough. Like all home improvement projects, I always think everything looks easy and can be done by me or my husband (just ask him).

Monday, April 19 – Friday, April 23, 2021
YOU, THE MEMBER, ARE THE MOST VALUABLE ASSET of the Cook County Farm Bureau.

2021…sneak peek recipe from 2021-2022 Recipe Collection available late April.

Through the years, I have been heard saying the following phrase: “‘Free’ is one of my favorite words.” Free lunch. Free beverage. Free tools. Free wood. Free equipment. Freedom. I frequently offer “free” advice, especially to my kids. There is something about the word “Free”.