CCFB News» August 2022

Nutrient Loss Reduction Stewardship Information Exchange participants toured Ostara at the Stickney Reclamation Plant in Cicero. Ostara’s technology enables the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to remove and repurpose phosphorus and nitrogen into a high value fertilizer.

The following policies were approved by the Cook County Farm Bureau® Board of Directors, made it through a preliminary hurdle in July, and will be considered by the full Farm Bureau delegation in December.

The Will – South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District is currently taking orders for the Fall tree and fish sale. Plants, shrubs, and trees are available this spring in various starter sizes. Tree order deadline is Wednesday, September 21. Tree order pickup is on Thursday and Friday, October 6 and 7 and Saturday, October 8 from 11 AM – 3 PM.

The following policies were approved by the Cook County Farm Bureau® Board of Directors during a recent meeting and will be considered by delegates at the upcoming Resolutions Committee meeting.

I was never an outstanding student until I reached graduate school.  I excelled at discussing policy.  American government.  Campaign finance.  And state government.  As an undergrad, calculus was my undoing.  Followed by statistics.  Crop science and I never quite got along.  But I rocked animal science.  Animal behavior.  Technical writing.  Farm management. 

Robotic milking system featured at Dairy Tech Tour -Dairy farmers from around the state received an inside look at an automated milking system during this year’s Dairy Tech Tour organized by the Illinois Milk Producers Association (IMPA) and the University of Illinois Extension.

All members are encouraged to acknowledge signage for safe driving. CCFB voting members were offered SMV decals, funded in part by a Farm Safety Grant provided by Illinois Farm Bureau and COUNTRY Financial. The Illinois Vehicle Code requires that certain vehicle types display the SMV emblem when operated on public roads—day and night. Please help Illinois farm families and the motoring public stay safe.

Farming and rural. Those words used to go hand in hand. And in most areas, they still do, but more and more farmers in every region of the country are finding themselves surrounded by suburban communities as our population grows.

Farmers in urban and suburban counties face unique challenges, but they also have a unique set of opportunities and lessons we can glean from as we work together to strengthen agriculture.

As of July 1, Illinois’ one percent sales and use tax on retail sales of groceries has been suspended now through June 30, 2023.

We had a great turnout for the Party for the Pollinators on July 13. The event featured tables and booths to educate the community and Farm Bureau members about pollinators, as well as celebrate our pollinator garden.

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 a cash prize or Farm Fresh Funds in June, July, and August by capturing the best photo from one of the selected categories. Don’t forget to include yourself in the “selfie”!

On July 13, 2022, on Diane Merrion’s final day of work for the Cook County Farm Bureau, approximately 55 Ag Literacy supporters helped the Director of Ag Literacy retire in style! Board members, Ag Literacy Team members, Ag in the Classroom presenters past and present, education partners, farmers and staff joined together for a celebratory dinner, cake and gifts at the Farm Bureau building following the Party for the Pollinator event (which Diane assisted in its success).

August has always been my favorite month. Not only is it the month of my birthday (August 2), it is the start of my favorite time of year: the school year.

Every summer, we defrost the 30-cubic-foot chest freezer, pulling its contents and removing the frosty ice chunks in preparation for the annual supply of beef from our family farm. We receive up to 200 pounds of steaks, roasts and ground products by August, all harvested, processed and frozen by our local family butcher. Since my ability to chew ground beef, I have dined on “freezer beef,” or local-sourced beef in bulk quantities equivalent to a quarter, half or whole animal raised on the farm.

Recipe printed with permission from member, IL Farm Families, the kitchen.com

Engaged numerous members and community members in conversations about pollinators and their importance to the nation's food supply.

When I was growing up on the farm, market price to me always meant the price per pound we would receive for our hogs when we sold them at the market. That market price always meant a great deal because most of the family income came from the hogs during that period of time. My dad, the Farmer, spent a lot of time shaking his head when he heard Orion Samuelson announce the market price for hogs. Headshaking meant the market price was too low.