CCFB News» February 2026

As Cook County Farm Bureau leaders approved their County Legislative Priorities for 2026, the Illinois Farm Bureau Board of Directors also approved state legislative priorities. These priorities establish targeted issues that Farm Bureau will dedicate staff time and resources to in the coming years. Priorities include:

Family Farm Preservation Act, or more simply, the estate tax. Farm Bureau is seeking to secure passage of the Family Farm Preservation Act. Farm Bureau       believes that Illinois legislators have the shared goal of keeping family farms together and preventing corporate farm consolidation solely due to the state’s estate tax policy. Updating the Illinois Estate Tax is critical to this goal.

Illinois family farm estates are unique in that the vast majority of the estate value is not in liquid assets. The bulk of the value comes from land value and machinery, which means that to pay the Illinois Estate Tax, beneficiaries typically must sell off parts of the family farm or take on long-term debt. Family farmers continue to struggle with how to keep their farms in their families.

Wetlands, Farm Bureau will work to prevent overburdensome regulations and ensure that any regulation of farmland provides clarity and certainty for farmers and landowners and works consistently with existing federal protections.

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in Sacket v. United States E.P.A. that the Clean Water Act only applies to wetlands that are “indistinguishable” from “waters of the United States” by having a contiguous surface connection. The Clean Water Act was never intended to regulate “isolated” wetlands or low-lying areas that may, occasionally, accumulate water during periods of heavy rain. Farm Bureau supported Sacket and the appropriate restriction on the U.S.E.P.A.’s excessive regulatory framework that created confusion and uncertainty for landowners.

Illinois property owners have myriad experiences with inconsistent wetland delineation determinations and application of wetlands regulations. These delineation determinations have jeopardized their farm operations and any federal programs in which they are participating.

Food Labeling, Farm Bureau will advocate for the proper labeling of animal food products, such that products labeled as “meat” or products that are derived from animals. Two years ago, Cook County Farm Bureau’s policy submittal on food labeling addressed non-meat products being labeled as “meat.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the first commercial sales of “cultivated” meat in 2023, allowing companies to produce protein by multiplying animal cells in controlled, vat-based environments. As both cell-cultured products and a growing range of plant-based alternatives enter the marketplace, Farm Bureau maintains that consumers must be able to easily distinguish between conventionally raised livestock products and alternative proteins.

Clear labeling protects the integrity of Illinois agriculture, supports fair competition, and maintains consumer confidence in the food system. When plant-based or cell-cultured products are allowed to use terms traditionally associated with animal agriculture, it contributes to marketplace confusion and creates unfair competition for livestock and dairy producers who operate under rigorous safety and animal care standards.

Other priorities include:

• Support for future markets for biofuels. Biofuels have the ability to decarbonize the transportation sector while supporting agriculture.
• Updates to the Illinois Farmland Assessment Law to ensure the formula is being implemented in an accurate manner consistent with current economic conditions. Cook County is exempt from the law, and farmland instead can be eligible for a special property tax incentive.
• Maintain farmers’ ability to apply restricted-use pesticides, while working to prevent any further burdensome regulations.
• Maintain the Department of Agriculture and Illinois Natural Resource Conservation Service funding arrangement for the permanency of 40 conservation planners supporting the (Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy) NLRS and Conservation Reserve Program.
• Continue efforts to reduce nutrient losses to Illinois waters by relying on voluntary, incentive-based NLRS and conservation programs and partnerships.
• Advocate for balancing the protection of private property rights with the appropriate development of projects impacting farmland, especially as demand for renewable energy, broadband installation, and carbon capture projects increases.
• Maintain a balanced process for siting livestock farms through the Livestock Management Facilities Act (LMFA) that protects both the environment and farmers’ ability to raise livestock.
• Work to maintain adequate state funding for key Illinois Department of Agriculture programs like meat/poultry/egg inspectors, environmental programs, warehouse oversight, and the veterinarian program.

Legislative priorities are the direct result of the grassroots policy process. Members interested in any of the priorities above or other pertinent agricultural issues are encouraged to become involved in the policy development process by contacting Bona Heinsohn at [email protected].