CCFB News» January 2026

At this year’s Illinois Agricultural Association® Annual Meeting in Chicago, delegates throughout Illinois considered policy resolutions submitted by the Cook County Farm Bureau®.

Policy 79 Labor provided that Farm Bureau supports:

• Clarity in H-2A regulations and administration.
• Streamlining the H-2A application process by using electronic application filing.
• Allowing employers to file a single application for labor needs, even if labor needs are staggered throughout the year.
• Removing the “seasonality” requirement to make all agricultural jobs, including dairy, eligible.
• A quicker, less intensive application process for hiring H2-A workers if the farm has had no changes from the previous year.
• Administration and oversight of the H-2A guest worker program within the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
• More flexibility for agricultural employers in the H-2A visa program.

Despite rising costs and regulations, the H-2A program remains critical to American farming. Rising costs of labor puts American farmers at a disadvantage in the global market. Many specialty crop sectors rely on H-2A workers to sufficiently staff their farms and maintain production, as mechanization is limited in the fruit and vegetable industries. The resolution was approved as amended.

In 2024, Cook CFB submitted Farm Bureau’s first-ever regenerative agriculture policy. During the Resolution Committee meeting, county presidents felt that this topic deserved a deeper discussion than what could occur on the delegate floor. In that vein, a Regenerative Agriculture Working Group was created to discuss the topic and develop policy.

New policy regarding regenerative agriculture supports:

• Regenerative agriculture to improve soil health and function.
• Regenerative agricultural principles that focus on keeping the soil covered, minimizing soil disturbance, keeping living roots as often as possible, maximizing biodiversity and integrating livestock, within local context.
• Qualification for incentives being based on a menu of regenerative agriculture practices rather than a prescriptive list.
• Farm policy supporting voluntary adoption of regenerative practices.
• Education, outreach, and technical assistance around the value and implementation of regenerative practices.

The submittal was approved by Farm Bureau delegates.

Cook CFB also submitted a change to existing policy 17 Disposal of Waste, to support research into and the development of minimum standards for bioplastics, biodegradable, and compostable materials. The lack of federal standards for defining and regulating bioplastics not only encourages greenwashing but also creates significant waste management challenges. The policy was approved as amended.

The final Cook County Farm Bureau policy submittal addressed policy 84 Involvement of Members in Farm Bureau. The policy provides that Farm Bureau supports County Farm Bureaus creating a pathway to engage younger members in county activities, volunteer opportunities, and leadership. The submittal was approved by the delegates.

As a grassroots organization, members propose and develop the policy that guides the organization.