CCFB News» Bona Heinsohn, CAE

Food deserts are not limited to urban areas. They are not limited to Cook County. Or to Illinois. Instead, they exist throughout the United States. Nearly 39.5 million people or 12.8% of the U.S. population are living in low-income and low food access areas.

As Chicago voters faced ballots longer than my favorite corgi is tall, Alderman Matt Martin (47th ward) dared to suggest that Chicago transition to an increasingly popular idea: ranked choice voting.

With ranked choice voting, voters rank candidates by preference. First choice. Second choice. Third pick. All the way down the race.

Earlier this year, Farm Bureau leaders from throughout Illinois discussed and approved Farm Bureau’s 2023 State Legislative Priorities. Priorities are based off of Farm Bureau policies. Policies are recommended by members through Farm Bureau’s grassroots policy process.

Article Seven of the Illinois Constitution provides for the creation of local governments. County boards. Municipalities. Townships. Special districts. Units of local government. These units have the authority to exercise limited governmental power. Some can levy taxes. Some have separate governing boards.

Article three, Section three of the Illinois Constitution provides that all elections shall be free and equal. Although this provision has varied slightly in versions of the Constitution, it generally means that qualified voters may freely express their vote and that each person’s vote has the same influence as their neighbor’s.

For many families, August and September bring the return of school. Routines. Schedules. Fall sports. And another month closer to Halloween. For our family, the tail end of summer brings the county fair.

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. 

One hot summer night when my farmer and I had recently started dating he persuaded me to help him spray our Crain Road fields. On the surface it was date night. Farm style. Complete with a tractor. Self-stable food. And a pull behind sprayer. In reality, he wanted someone to climb in and out of the tractor after each pass to count rows and point a flashlight at the row where he needed to turn. As a twitterpated teenager, I was happy to help. Even happier to stay out past curfew.

Since 2010, Cook County Farm Bureau® has operated a Political Action Committee (Cook CFB PAC) designed to support candidates who are supportive of the policies, priorities, and mission of the Farm Bureau while promoting the economic and social well-being of farmers and farm-related interests in Cook County.

I may have been born in the south, but my heart lies with the Chicago Cubs.

As a kid I would listen to Harry Caray. Pat Hughes. Ron Santo. And Chip Caray on WGN Radio. I sang along with the seventh inning stretch. With my glove in tow, I went to my first game on a bus with our local Moose Lodge.

My blue-eyed girl is in civics this semester. Along with half of her seventh-grade class, she’ll learn about American government. Explore Illinois government. And take a peek at local government. I’m ecstatic. She’s unimpressed.

I loved civics. Memorizing the Constitutional amendments. Differentiating between the powers of the Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches. Explaining the concept of checks and balances. The elastic clause. Interstate commerce.

Spring in Springfield is an exciting time. Birds return. Grass and trees awaken from a long winter nap usually punctuated by an ice storm. And legislators, staff, and lobbyists spring (pun intended) into action. In several quick months members of the third branch research. Draft. Introduce. Present at committee. Move to Third Reading. And pass legislation. All in the hopes of improving the State of Illinois in some manner or another.

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.

The tradition of making New Year’s resolutions dates back some 4,000 years ago to the ancient Babylonians. Those same Babylonians were also the first to ring in the New Year (in mid-March as they planted their crops, not freezing their tail feathers off in January).

Since 2010, Cook County Farm Bureau® has operated a Political Action Committee (PAC) designed to support candidates who are supportive of the policies, priorities, and mission of the Farm Bureau while promoting the economic and social well-being of farmers and farm-related interests in Cook County.

For anyone keeping track, the big red dragon and his kid brother have graced another fair, this time in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. In front of a crowd of 4,000, the big red dragon raced around a pen. Rolled back on command. Ran in sweeps. Pinwheeled. Barrel turned. And completed two drills. He still didn’t like the corner between the grandstand and the bucking chute, but he left the funny business at home. He’ll visit his final fair this year, the Central Wisconsin State Fair, before this column goes to print.

For many families, August and September bring the return of school. Routines. Schedules. Fall sports. And another month closer to Halloween. For our family, the tail end of summer brings the county fair.

Seven years ago, we welcomed our big little boy with no official eye color. He entered the world one hot June evening five minutes after the 2014 soybean crop was officially in the ground. 
Unlike with our blue-eyed girl, we skipped reading the books. We had done it before. Our house was still baby proofed, we had never gotten around to removing it after our blue-eyed girl didn’t scale the walls or the chairs. We simply brought up the gear. Washed the supplies. And brought home our big little boy.

Six months. Half a year. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a very short amount of time. In the scheme of do-it-yourself home repairs, it’s a very long time. In six months, we’ve added 10 calves and a calico barn cat; brought home an adorable, large Great Pyrenees puppy; tore out walls, ceilings, and an attic; plastered and lathed. We even learned that one of the supports of an original wall was crumbling. And we started rebuilding.

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.

Earlier this year my younger cousin audaciously suggested that I forgo my beloved audiobooks. For years audiobooks and my corgi were my companions as I trekked the 225 miles journey from northern Illinois to Springfield.

I’m not exactly a joiner. Over the years, I’ve played sports. Joined clubs. Participated in leadership groups. But that’s about the extent of it. I’m not going to go out of my way to meet people. It’s the only child thing. This spring I’m trying something new for me: an online book club. Over three meetings, participants will explore Hungry by Eve Turow-Paul. Hungry explores today’s global food and lifestyle culture.

Our household didn’t see the clock strike midnight. Didn’t toast 2021. And didn’t open all our doors and windows to usher out 2020. We ate our chili, did chores, and tucked into bed long before 2021 technically kicked off.

Fifteen years ago, my farmer and I purchased our first house. With our big dog in tow we stepped into a basic, beige ranch on a quarter acre in town. Time passed. We added a corgi. Hardwood. Fence. A blue-eyed girl. Granite. Backsplashes. A big-little boy with no official eye color. Upgraded bathrooms. A lot of gray. Patio. Partially finished basement. And in-floor heat.

Election day came and went in the Heinsohn household. Years ago, we gave up cable television, so my blue-eyed girl and I listened as results crawled in. Crawled. In. It was the first election since college that I didn’t sit glued to the results. And election night is basically my Superbowl complete with snacks, cheering, and the occasional booing. All that’s missing is the commercials!

Fresh out of college I donned my designer heels and J. Crew suits and walked the sacred halls of the Illinois capitol. My tenure at the capitol started shortly after the 2000 remap. Like many of my colleagues, I wanted nothing more than to be in Springfield during a remap year. I wanted to review population data. Demographics. Population shifts. I wanted to help create districts that were not gerrymandered or designed for political gamesmanship. However, I left the Statehouse for the Farm Bureau before the 2010 census and subsequent remap. Ten years later, the 2020 remap is nearly upon us.

Since 2010, Cook County Farm Bureau® has operated a Political Action Committee (PAC) designed to support candidates who are supportive of the policies, priorities, and mission of the Farm Bureau while promoting the economic and social well-being of farmers and farm-related interests in Cook County.

I want a belt buckle. A big ole dinner plate of a belt buckle. With engraving. Bling. The whole kit and caboodle. My farmer laughs his butt off at that statement. He knows me. He knows it will collect dust in a drawer. He knows that I would bark at the kids if they get their grimy little fingerprints on it.

During the early stage of sheltering in place, I subbed in as my blue-eyed girl’s math teacher. A wildly poor substitute. One of her projects was an online escape room. To escape she had to find the partial products of a long multiplication problem. I had to google what partial products were. It was the first and last time she asked for help with math.

Eleven years ago, on one hot Father’s Day, our blue-eyed girl quietly entered the world. Anyone who has met her will tell you that 11 years ago was literally the last time she did anything quietly. In the last year, our blue-eyed girl has grown tremendously. As a young lady. As an agriculturalist. As a student. And as an equine enthusiast.

Six years ago, our big, little boy entered the world moments after his father finished planting soybeans. With his scrunchy face and no official eye color he managed to turn our entire family upside down.

Three years ago, my blue-eyed girl who quietly entered the world one hot Father’s Day joined 4H.

There’s a Facebook meme roaming around social media that says, “Some women want a man who can hold their purse, I want a man who can hold my 1,200-pound fire breathing dragon and lead it down the alley”. If you’re not around horses, specifically around barrel racers, this meme might not make sense.

Since 2010, Cook County Farm Bureau® has operated a Political Action Committee (PAC) designed to support candidates who are supportive of the policies, priorities and mission of the Farm Bureau while promoting the economic and social well-being of farmers and farm-related interests in Cook County.

Earlier this year my farmer and I packed up our blue-eyed girl and our big, little boy and hit the road for our first family road trip. I had imagined car games and seeing random license plates. We did see some pretty distant licenses plates but there were no car games and no singing.

Dear Congressman,

It’s me, Bona Heinsohn. I think you’ve might have forgotten about me amid politics, political posturing, and campaign fundraising.

In January we rang in the New Year. With a fizzle and a pop 2019 came roaring in. Candidly, I don’t even remember how our house celebrated or if we did. January gave way to the Polar Vortex and we happily ushered in February.

Last fall I wrote about my blue-eyed girl who quietly entered the world one hot Father’s Day kicking it around a barrel pattern. Despite her inability (and lack of desire) to ride a bike she’s learned to lope and more importantly to stay in the saddle.

During a blisteringly hot summer night in the middle of evening milking, a spark from an old electrical box jumped from the electrical box to the stanchion barn. Before you could say “Holstein”, our milking barn was in flames. Fortunately, the individuals working recognized the magnitude of the hazard and evacuated the cattle and themselves before anyone was injured.

In our family, late summer/early fall is simply one of the best times of the year.  Most years, the corn and soybeans have canopied, and we’ve parked the cultivator.  This fall seems to be the exception since the weed zapper is still electrocuting weeds.

Let’s set the record straight.  Great statement.  Great thought. So, let’s set the record straight. I like shoes.  A lot of them.  I prefer boots and I have a rockin’ pair of Ariat that I save for special occasions.  They’ll return when the weather is cooler. During the summer I wear mainly running shoes.  I do chase pre-teen girls around the softball diamond after all. 

As a young legislative staffer in Springfield, the end of session meant late nights and even later night celebrations.  The run up to the end of session isn’t for everyone you either love the pressure or you hate it-there’s no in-between.  My six years were during the infamous Blagojevich Administration. 

Ten years ago, my blue-eyed girl quietly entered the world one hot Father’s Day.  It was literally the last time she was quiet.

For years, my mom refused to tell her friends that I was a “lobbyist” for the Farm Bureau.  When asked, she’d say that I was helping farmers or that I simply worked for the Farm Bureau.

The history of Washington, D.C. is tied to its role as the capital of the United States.  Like many issues, it was created and designated through compromise and consensus.

The seating of the 101st General Assembly combined with the turnover on the Cook County Board, Cook County Farm Bureau® has 27 new legislators to share the importance of Cook County agriculture and to build relationships with.  Many of the new legislators represent highly urban areas and have a limited knowledge of agriculture.  Our role as advocates calls on us to communicate with legislators about agriculture and Farm Bureau’s priority issues.

Every year I’m given the chance to coordinate an opportunity for diverse leaders to learn more and explore their local government.  Through discussions with the County Administrator, County Chairman, agency directors, and special districts leaders, we have discovered how county government functions and how special districts operate separately and in conjunction with county government.  Leaders focused the conversations on partnerships, innovation, and opportunities for community development.

My farmer and I went to college in Illinois.  We considered a Wisconsin school, but at the time out-of-state tuition was out of the question.  A decade later (yes, that hurt) my favorite cousin became a “Miner” at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville.  The longer she spent in Wisconsin the more we paid attention to Wisconsin schools until we were rooting for “Big” Frank Kaminsky and the Badgers during March Madness.

In November, Cook County’s voter turnout hit an eye-popping 28 percent, or the sixth highest recorded turnout in the last 12 years.  With those votes comes a wave of new faces.  In January, JB Pritzker, Juliana Stratton, and Kwame Raoul will join incumbents Jesse White, Susana Mendoza, and Michael Frerichs at the helm of Illinois’ government.  Together they’re charged with leading Illinois out of impending fiscal doom and into prosperity.

Since 2010, Cook County Farm Bureau® has operated a Political Action Committee (PAC) designed to support candidates who are supportive of the policies, priorities and mission of the Farm Bureau while promoting the economic and social well-being of farmers and farm-related interests in Cook County.

I want to visit a farm but haven’t been able to. What would I see? Answered by Bona Heinsohn

As a young teen, I donned my Troxel helmet, grabbed my English saddle, and mounted a rotten, chubby pony.  That beast is why I will never own a pony.  Plutchie taught me the basics: grooming,  tacking up, walk, trot, canter, and novice jumping.

Cook and Mercer County Farm Bureaus delivered sweetcorn for families at the Catholic Charities Food Pantry, Self-Help Closet, and Schaumburg Barn in conjunction with Senator Laura Murphy and Representative Michelle Mussman. Senator Murphy is “adopted” by Mercer CFB through Farm Bureau’s Adopt-a-Legislator® program.

Great things happen when people and organizations work together.

IDOT’s Harvest Season Emergency Permit allows travel only on state routes. It does not cover travel on Interstates or local routes. Separate permits may be available on local roads at the option of that local jurisdiction. HSE permits are not available for Interstate highway travel.

Kelo v. New London is the landmark eminent domain case. After the Supreme Court’s ruling, more than 20 states significantly changed their eminent domain laws to make eminent domain more difficult. The Supreme Court’s case was ultimately over New London authorizing the use of eminent domain on a little pink house that overlooked the Thames River in 1997.

Farm Bureau actively engaged with Cook County Commissioner Peter Silvestri, Chairman of the Committee on Building and Zoning and the Building and Zoning Department to minimize the impact of zoning changes on Cook County agriculture.

The amendment provides: reasonable minimum lot sizes for individuals interested in keeping livestock or horses.

Many years ago, I packed my heels, suits, and hopes and dreams and traveled to the lovely mecca of Springfield, Illinois.

A month ago, when I started thinking about this column, my plan was to write about what our cows eat. Like us, they eat balanced meals complete with a supplement that ensures that they meet their nutritional needs.

My first car was a sweet little faded 1989 red Ford Escort hatchback. The ‘BUNNI 9’ (yes, that was its license plate) was complete with a stick shift and a left turn signal that only worked if you pressed on the hazard button at the same time. That little car went some great places during its short tenure with me. We went to Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and to the top of my farmer’s corn silage pile.

Cook County Farm Bureau® is a grassroots organization, which means that our policies, resolutions, and decisions begin with our members.

March’s victories could signal significant concerns this fall for commissioners in contested races who supported the beverage tax repeal.

A thoughtful (and funny) story.