CCFB News» February 2022

In celebration of the healthy and nutritious food grown and raised by local farmers, Cook County Farm Bureau® members and partners are supporting local families and food pantries.

The year 2022 marks the 22nd anniversary of Food Checkout Day and Cook County Farm Bureau’s largest effort to date to support local families in need. Rather than support a single charity or even a handful, Cook CFB will match member donations to any Cook County food pantry.

Addressing climate change, upgrading infrastructure, revising the definition of the “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), and expanding the use of biofuels are all top priorities for the leader of the Midwest headquarters of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Cook County Farm Bureau® leaders are actively researching and developing a policy proposal to address food access. Nearly 39.5 million people in the United States are living in low-income and low food access areas, more commonly known as ‘food deserts.’

Over 4,000 Farm Bureau members from across the country gathered in Atlanta, Georgia January 7 through January 12 for the 103rd Annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF).

Each year, we take a look at the National Restaurant Association’s 2022 Culinary Forecast: “What’s Hot” listing. The National Restaurant Association partners with professional chefs from the American Culinary Federation to invite their members to rank food items and culinary concepts. According to the forecast, the National Restaurant Association indicates that attention to health is back at centerstage.

The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture presented its 15th “Book of the Year” award to author Kiki Thorpe for “How to Grow a Monster.” The award was presented at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 103rd Convention.

Grocery Stores Still Have Empty Shelves Amid Supply Chain Disruptions, Omicron and Winter Storms – Shortages at grocery stores across the country have grown more acute in recent weeks as omicron continues to spread and winter storms have piled on to the supply chain struggles and labor shortages. (USA Today) 

Each month we are highlighting a Cook County Farm Bureau Member: This month's "Face of CCFB" is... Annie & Dennis Holtz, Owners of Wrought Iron Farm.

Nuts are my ‘go to’ snack most days. When I need a boost, have brain fade, or need something to hold me over, nothing tastes better to me. While I would just say I eat nuts, I’m not actually sure what I eat are truly nuts. I have learned over the years that there is a lot more to most foods than we normally give much thought to.

As we evaluate our policy relative to the large number of local units of government in Illinois, consider the questions, “How much is too much?” and “What are the benefits and drawbacks of so much government?” Township government is a general-purpose unit that is often in the spotlight when these types of questions are raised. As we consider our own policy, using township government as an example, take a look at some of the pros and cons of layering units of government and services.

In November 2021, the U.S. EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers released their proposed rule formally repealing the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and replacing it with an updated version of the U.S. EPA’s 1986 Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) regulation. 

Voting delegates at American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF)'s 2022 Annual Meeting adopted more than a dozen new policies including a policy on urban agriculture, submitted by the Cook County Farm Bureau.

For many of us, Chicago has always consisted of 50 wards and 50 aldermen. I also only remember three mayors: Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel, and Lori Lightfoot. Recently, I had a little driving to do so I was also catching up on my podcast listening. A little Unsolved Mysteries. A little Daily Punch. And a little CloutCast, a Chicago centered podcast by the Chicago Daily Line. During an episode of the latter, Bill Cameron, a longtime City Hall reporter for WLS, discussed the current Chicago map process and how it stacks up to prior map making.

Throughout November and December, CCFB members and the Young Leaders Team collected and donated nonperishable foods, toiletries, and related items as well as cash donations as a part of the service project to benefit area troops. The Young Leaders collected, organized, and shopped for the wish list to add to the donations. Chairman Thomas Poole and member Jonathon Poole from the Young Leaders Team met on January 17 to present the supplies and materials for care package boxes to support the United Service Organization (USO). Following the presentation, the materials were loaded into the USO truck for area service men and women.

​​​​​​​In celebration of the healthy and nutritious food grown and raised by local farmers, Cook County Farm Bureau® members and partners are supporting local families and food pantries.

The year 2022 marks the 22nd anniversary of Food Checkout Day and Cook County Farm Bureau’s largest effort to date to support local families in need. Rather than support a single charity or even a handful, Cook CFB will match member donations to any Cook County food pantry.

The effects of the pandemic are far-reaching, affecting every individual in some way and in many cases hugely overhauling what their lives were like before March of 2020. One big change brought about by the pandemic has been the increased need for food assistance. According to Feeding America, food pantries served 55 percent more in 2020 than in the past and in the early days of the pandemic 4 in 10 people visiting food pantries were there for the first time.

The Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation has opened the 24th Annual “Farm and Food” Agricultural Scholarship Program. The Foundation is offering college students the opportunity to start or continue their higher education with a scholarship. Last year, the Foundation provided seven scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $4,000 each.

Recipe printed with permission from member, Jane Muelink

On the six-hour drive home, we jotted down action items to improve the family farm. The list added to the workload that had accumulated while away from the farm office for the better part of three days. But nothing seemed unattainable. We had just left a farm conference packed with a lineup of brilliant speakers and creative thinkers, the type who can re-ignite the motivation that the pandemic and its policies had temporarily siphoned from us.

Over the past five months, I have been writing about the Pillars of Agricultural Literacy – Understanding the intersection between agriculture and society. This month, I am writing about the final pillar!