Five Questions with Greg Stack, CCFB Board Member
Hello! My name is Greg Stack and I'm the newest member of the Cook County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. I am honored to have been asked to serve on the board with 11 other more seasoned members in helping to guide Farm Bureau as an organization for all members at all levels. With that said, on to the five questions.
What memory is stamped into your mind from your involvement with Cook County Farm Bureau?
While I may be a newly elected director, my involvement with Farm Bureau goes back many years. I spent 43 years with the University of Illinois Extension, many of those years as a horticultural educator for the county. During that time I would often represent Extension at board meetings delivering program updates and answering questions (often times very pointed questions). Those interactions with board members were highly cherished as I got to know the directors personally as well as their agricultural operations. Being invited out to their farms was always a treat. From sitting on a straw bale talking about "stuff" to entering a large storage/drying facility for onion sets to being invited for a lunch of pig ear sandwiches were all things that made working with the agricultural community memorable and different from the 9-5 ho hum office job. All of these as well many other moments are all cherished and will remain with me forever.
What is your favorite responsibility with the Cook County Farm Bureau?
I think my most favorite responsibility is having the opportunity to work with one of the many subcommittees within the organization. I am part of the ag literacy team of which I am the chairperson. Working with the ag literacy program director and other team members in developing and delivering programs to school-aged children is both rewarding and fun.
What is the best thing about the CCFB members?
Farm Bureau members are individuals who care about what is going on around them and I think are "real" people. They are not afraid of or shy away from asking the tough questions and then doing their best to address them.
What is the most important reason members should join the Cook County Farm Bureau?
Just about anybody can join any organization just by sending in their check and putting the membership card in their wallet. But the most important reason should be to participate and get involved in some aspect of the organization and its programming. Everyone has a talent that can and should be used to advance an organization. If you join, ask the question, "What can I do to help move the organization forward?" Don't just join to join. Join to become involved, and to share your knowledge, expertise, and enthusiasm. That is the most important reason to join.
What is your favorite food?
Nothing beats a thick cut, bone-in pork chop cooked on the grill to a slight pink center and served with homemade potato salad and a nice craft brewed I.P.A.