CCFB News» May 2021

Capital gains taxes are based on the change in the value of an asset, such as farmland, livestock or timber, when that asset is sold. Currently, the top capital gains tax rate is 20%. To reduce the capital gains tax, farmers and ranchers use stepped-up basis, which provides a reset for the basis during intergenerational transfers.

Cook County’s Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee remains committed to revising the county’s ethics ordinance, specifically, sections related to fiduciary duty. The changes provide that officials, Board or commission appointees, and employees shall disclose any conflicts of interests to the appropriate party and recuse oneself from voting or participating in a decision involving the conflict of interest.

Join us as we kick off the Cook County Farm Bureau Summer Selfie Contest! We are holding this contest to obtain usable and appropriate photos that accurately portray today’s agriculture in Cook County. Win one of three cash prizes in three different categories in June, July, and August.

The Cook County Farm Bureau® and the University of Illinois Extension continue to partner on a project that benefits local Farm Bureau members and the general public.  Since Monday, April 12th, the Master Gardeners have been available to answer questions from members and the general public related to gardening and horticulture. This program will run through mid-November of 2021.

A third of the food and drink individuals consume depends on pollination. As a keystone group, the survival of many other plant and animal species depend on pollinators for their survival. Pollinators include bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, birds, and bats.

Consider a member business for all your planting and landscaping needs this spring!

The Cook County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, in celebration and recognition of the outstanding volunteers and supporting members, approved a donation of $800 to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The board contributed $10 per volunteer for the 80 active members that served the organization during the past year.

Great excitement and suspense surrounded the Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation Drawdown for Ag Education that was held the evening of March 23, 2021. The event was shown live using Zoom video conference technology. A drawdown is a reverse raffle in which the last ball remaining is the grand prize winner.

May is National Beef Month. The occasion marked the first time my husband’s family had dined out together in at least 16 months, and we celebrated the moment of normalcy with beef. The ten of us sat in a semi-private space at a favorite steakhouse, more than six feet from anyone but our waiter. My filet was fantastic, cuttable by butter knife and made even better surrounded by family.

Join Cook County Farm Bureau in supporting agriculture and small businesses. Featured local businesses Flowers, Vegetables, Landscape, Farm Stands and much more.

Farm Bureau staff and leadership continues efforts in the arena of clean energy. Efforts center around minimizing any negative impacts to agriculture, to promote the use of renewable fuels as a solution for reduction emissions from the transportation sector while ensuring that private property rights of landowners are protected, and that Agricultural Impact Mitigation Agreements are utilized.

April marked an important moment for Illinois. No, not April Fool’s Day. Or spring showers. Not even Hug a Newsperson Day. And unfortunately, not my personal favorite, Jeep 4x4 Day. Instead of my favorite, glossy black Jeep Grand Cherokee, April brings us our local government elections.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture® announced resource grants honoring the work of long-time AFBF staff member and former foundation executive director, Christy Lilja.

The Ag Literacy team is excited to welcome our Summer 2021 Intern, Emily Lopata.

We all have the special someone who is always creating, educating, and opening our eyes to new ways of experiencing the joy of nature.  I have that someone who I equate to the Dr. Doolittle of birds and the Martha Stewart of crafting all things nature. 

American shoppers rang up record purchases of beef, pork, poultry and lamb during the pandemic and considered it part of a healthy diet, according to a new national analysis from the Meat Institute and the food industry association FMI.

Recipe printed with permission from members, Gibby's Gourmet Mushroom LLC, Chicago Ridge.

Farmers are invited to submit nominations for the 2022 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year contest, supported by Purina. This is the fourth year of the contest, which celebrates farm dogs and the many ways they support farmers and ranchers in producing nutritious food for families and their pets across America.

In the early 1900s, the development and the adoption of the tractor began to influence United States farmers and their production practices. Now, over a century later, we know the tractor effectively revolutionized farming, becoming an essential tool to help manage a volume of farm labor needs. And, in the process, the tractor also became an iconic part of the identity of the farm and the individual farmers that use them.