CCFB News» January 2020

Through a grassroots process, Farm Bureau members submitted the following resolutions to delegates at the 2018 Illinois Agricultural Association® annual meeting.

Government Assisted Nutrition Programs

We support: An exemption from Criterion A and B for retailers to the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailer rules to allow seasonal and on-farm businesses to accept SNAP benefits.

To be SNAP-authorized, a store generally must meet one of two eligibility standards: Criterion A (staple food stock) or Criterion B (staple food sales).  Staple foods are the basic food items that make up a significant portion of an individual’s diet and are usually prepared at home and consumed as a major component of a meal.  Staple food categories include vegetables or fruits; meat, poultry, or fish; dairy products; and breads or cereals.

This resolution speaks directly towards Criterion B (staple food sales).  To be eligible under Criterion B, stores must have more than 50% of their total gross retail sales from items in one or more of the four staple food categories (i.e. butcher shops, bakeries, fruit and vegetables specialty stores).

By removing the cap smaller businesses are eligible to accept SNAP benefits.

Health Care

We support: 17. Patient access to critical access hospitals (CAH) in rural and underserved areas.

The “critical access hospital” (CAH) designation is designed to reduce the financial vulnerability of rural hospitals and improve access to healthcare by keeping essential services in rural communities.  There are 57 CAHs in Illinois.  To accomplish this goal, CAHs receive certain benefits, such as cost-based reimbursement for Medicare services.  Hospitals must meet the following conditions to obtain CAH designation: 25 or fewer acute care inpatient beds; located more than 35 miles from another hospital (exceptions may apply); maintain an annual average length of stay of 96 hours or less for acute care patients; and 24/7 emergency care services.

Equine Agriculture

We oppose:

1. Closing existing equestrian trails on federal, state, and property other than property where irreversible damage could occur.
2. Efforts to terminate, ban, effectively ban, or create an undue financial hardship relating to the use of horses in commerce, service, agriculture, husbandry, transportation, ranching, entertainment, education, or exhibition.

There’s been numerous attempts by governments to limit the use of horses, including attempts locally in the City of Chicago.

The  Cook County Farm Bureau was well represented at the Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting held in Chicago in December. From right to left, Janet McCabe, Todd Price, Roger Freeman, and Mike Rauch served as delegates on delegate floor during the debate to create the 2020 Illinois Farm Bureau policy book on agricultural issues and concerns. Cook County Farm Bureau led improvements in the policy book on the topics of government assisted nutrition programs, healthcare and equine agriculture. The Board of Directors donated a cordless drill/impact wrench for the silent auction to raise funds for ag literacy. Board members and spouses attended and participated in various functions and meetings throughout the event.