The Kane County FarmBureau was recognized for itsachievements during the 100thannual meeting of the IllinoisFarm Bureau held in ChicagoDecember 6-9, 2014.

As part of its AnnualMeeting, Illinois Farm Bureaupresents program and commit-tee awards in recognition of out-standing county Farm Bureauvolunteer efforts throughout theyear. A member of MembershipGroup V, County Farm Bureauswith 5,621 and more members,Kane County received Goldprogram awards in the areas ofHealth & Safety, Local Affairs,Communication & Promotion,Member Relations and PolicyDevelopment and GoldCommittee awards for YoungFarmers and Women’sCommittee efforts. KCFBreceived Silver awards in AgLiteracy, Commodities &Marketing and Legislative/Political Process.

As part of the CountyActivity of Excellence program,KCFB volunteers staffed a dis-play to share details about KaneCounty Farm Bureau’s Million

Meal Challenge. They answeredquestions about KCFB’s effortsto engage members in the fightagainst hunger.

Individual honors went toRon Alms, Senior Agronomistat Elburn Cooperative, whoreceived the 2014 IllinoisCertified Crop Adviser Award.Alyce Konen of Sugar Grove,who could not attend the awardceremony, was recognized asthe Illinois Ag in the ClassroomVolunteer of the Year.

For the eleventh consecutiveyear, the Young Farmers rankedfirst in their membership groupin terms of the overall amountof funds, time spent and foodcollected for the state’s Harvestfor ALL hunger relief effort.They were also recognized for asecond place finish in the YoungLeaders 2014 Agri-Quiz Bowlat State Fair and ChairmanAndy Lenkaitis received theCounty Chair Award.

Convention-goers enjoyedseminars and educationalmicrotalks on topics rangingfrom proper use of thank younotes to why Illinois agriculture

is leading the way in U.S tradereform with Cuba. A group ofKCFB attendees took secondplace in the annual IFB TriviaNight that featured a “VeryGriswold Christmas”theme this year. Thekeynote speaker at theSaturday night sessionwas Captain RichardPhillips who told theharrowing story of hav-ing his merchant marineship boarded bySomalian pirates.Phillips translated theskills and preparationneeded to overcome thatchallenge to the trials we all face.

Delegates represent-ing Kane County at themeeting were KCFBPresident Joe White ofElburn, Vice PresidentWayne Schneider ofWest Dundee, Secretary/Treasurer Mike Kenyonof South Elgin, and BethGehrke of Elgin.Alternates includedCraig Bradley of Elgin,

Donna Lehrer of Big Rock, KarlKettelkamp of Elburn, BethEngel of Hampshire, and NanLong of Sugar Grove. Theywere among the 370 plus voting

members of county FarmBureaus in Illinois who helpedset policy on local, state andnational issues for the state’slargest organization of farmers.

Kane County FarmBureau President JoeWhite (left) accepts arecognition plaque fromIFB Vice Pres. DavidErickson for KCFB’sachievements during2014. The award waspresented during the IFBAnnual Meeting and callsattention to the compre-hensive nature of countyFarm Bureau programs.

Ron Alms, SeniorAgronomist at ElburnCooperative, acceptedthe 2014 IllinoisCertified Crop AdviserAward from IFBPresident Rich Guebert.See story on page 7.

Kane

County Farm Bureau

Since 1912

VOL. 80 NO. 1 JANUARY 2015

DATES TO REMEMBER

JanuaryJanuary 1Office closed for holidayJanuary 5Board of Directors, 7pmJanuary 7-9Illinois Specialty Crops &Agritourism Conference,Springfield, ILJanuary 11-14AFBF Annual Meeting, San Diego, CAJanuary 14Farm Bill Meeting, 10amJanuary 20Volunteer Night at Northern ILFood Bank, 6pmYF/FFA AcquaintanceProgram, 4:30pmJanuary 23 & 24IFB Young Leader Conf.,Bloomington

PorkRoast

The special this month is a 24ounce boneless pork roast cutfrom the tenderest part of thepork loin. It is designed to becooked just like beef to an inter-nal temperature of 145°F, slicedthin and used as an entrée. Theroast is netted together and vac-uum sealed to preserve thelemon-rosemary marinade. Thespecial is offered for $6.40 toFarm Bureau Members, $5.75 toPlus Members, and $7.35 tonon-members.

JANUARYSPECIAL

KCFB volunteers recognized at IFB Annual Meeting

Kenyon elected Forest Preserve District PresidentSource: Kane County ConnectsApplause and standing ova-

tion for three-term Kane CountyForest Preserve District Pres identJohn Hoscheit was long, sus-tained and sincere, asHoscheit stepped downafter 12 years andMichael Kenyon waselected to succeed himin a vote by ForestPreserve District com-missioners.

Kenyon was elect-ed by a ballot of KaneCounty ForestPreserve District com-missioners in a three-way contest over PhilLewis of St. Charlesand Barb Wojnicki of

rural St. Charles.Kenyon, of South Elgin, is a

long-time Kane County FarmBureau member, volunteer andpast-president. He currently

serves as KCFB Secretary-Treasurer. Kenyon, a fourth-generation farmer, talked abouthow proud he is to be one of thefirst farmers to sell parts of his

land for ForestPreserve property,underlined his serviceto the community andpromised to make sureall members of theForest PreserveCommission have avoice.

“Remember, youstill run the organiza-tion,” Kenyon said.“You will tell thechairman what to do.”

Before taking hisseat as chairman,

Kenyon presented Hoscheitwith a plaque featuring animage of the Brunner FamilyForest Preserve, a 741-acreproperty acquired in 2008 thatwas a 20-year goal for the dis-trict and some of the highestquality, unprotected habitat inthe county.

Mike Kenyon (right) of South Elgin presented John Hoscheitwith a plaque in recognition of his service as Kane CountyForest Preserve President. Kenyon was elected to the postin December.

Farm Billmeeting at

KCFBFarmers will learn more

about the new Farm Bill at aninformational meeting onWednesday, January 14, 2015at 10am at Kane County FarmBureau.

Sponsored by the USDA,speakers will include JaneenVogeler, Farm Service AgencyCounty Executive Director,Andy Larson, University ofIllinois Extension Educator,Crop Sciences and JasonJohnson, Insurance Specialistwith 1st Farm Credit Services.

This meeting will help clar-ify and guide you through thedecision-making process forcommodity programs in the2014 Farm Bill. No registra-tion necessary. Refreshmentswill be provided. Call theFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660with questions.

Flo Dangelo (left) and LouiseJohnson of the KCFBWomen’s Committee and AgLiteracy Coordinator SuziMyers (back) entered KCFB inthe Christmas tree contest atKuipers Family Farm in MaplePark. The contest helped raisefunds for a dozen area not-for-profits including KCFBFoundation scholarships.

Decisions, decisions...This year’s Winner’s Choice Tractor Rafflegrand prize winner will have their choice of oneof three antique IH tractors.

See page 6 to get your tickets and the chance towin some great prizes!

December 4The December KCFB Board

meeting covered a broad arrayof topics affecting local farmersand food production. Some ofthose items are highlighted here.

Directors discussed plans forstrategic planning events for theKCFB and KCFB Foundationboards that will allow directorsto continue to shape the futureof both organizations. Meetingstentatively scheduled forFebruary and March will focuson vision and strategic planningdevelopment.

In commodity and marketingnews, dairy farmer Beth Engelshared info about a concentratedanimal feeding operations(CAFO) informational webinaron Dec. 11. Joe White and NanLong reported on a webinarabout the nuances of the 2014Farm Bill. Details were provid-ed on Farm Bill informational

meetings at DeKalb CountyFarm Bureau in December andon January 30 at 8am.

The Government Affairs &Public Policy chairman sharedplans for the committee’s annualFood Check-Out Shopping Spreeset for February at the BataviaJewel. Lunches to Legislatorswill be a two day event this year.Volunteers will meet up with leg-islators in February in their locallegislative offices for a sandwichand conversation about issues ofimportance to farmers. Dates andlocal legislator competitors forthe shopping spree will be deter-mined by the legislative commit-tee at an upcoming meeting.

In his president’s report, JoeWhite announced that MarilynWeisbrock made a $200 dona-tion to the KCFB Foundationscholarship fund in memory ofher late nephew Kenny Head.White said 444 tickets were sold

in the Foundation’s “31 Days ofChristmas” raffle with prizes tobe awarded the entire month ofDecember. Mike Kenyon wasthe top ticket seller for thatscholarship fundraiser.Volunteers will now turn theirattention to the sale of ticketsfor the Winner’s Choice TractorRaffle to be drawn in April.

In local issues, Mike Kenyonreported on the Kane County AgCommittee activities, includingwork on a Food Hub FeasibilityStudy. Four proposals have beengathered from companies whomay execute the study and inter-views will be conducted Dec. 9-19 with staff from the County ofKane, Northern Illinois FoodBank, and Kane County FarmBureau. Manager Steve Arnoldreported on a Dec. 2 informa-tional meeting at DeKalbCounty Farm Bureau forlandowners affected by Com

Ed’s Grand Prairie Gatewaytransmission line project.

Plans were finalized fordirector attendance at the IFBAnnual Meeting in Decemberand the American Farm BureauFederation annual meeting inSan Diego in January. Bothevents will allow KCFB toshowcase its County Activity ofExcellence award winningMillion Meal Challenge hungerrelief program.

Directors received a reporton a recent district meeting toreview proposed policy resolu-tions in preparation for the IFBannual meeting. Directorspledged $1,000 from KCFB insupport of

the St. Louis Science CenterAgriculture Exhibit, which willprovide visitors an interactivesetting and a unique look atfarming.

Correspondence circulatedincluded: John Church, TheConservation Foundation – invi-tation to join the Big RockCreek Voluntary LandConservation Planning Project’s“Stakeholders PlanningCommittee”; Northern IllinoisFood Bank, thanks for Harvestfor ALL contribution fromStewart’s Fields; Elburn FoodPantry, thanks for Harvest forALL contributions from ElburnCo-op & Micheal Wurtz.

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER JANUARY 2015

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLYSteven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorGwen Gaglione, Membership Secretary

Audre Pack, Training SpecialistRyan Klassy, Information Director

Elizabeth Polovin, Administrative and Program Assistant

OFFICE: Randall Rd. between Routes 64 & 38Address: 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles

PHONE: 630-584-8660info@kanecfb.com www.kanecfb.com

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-5:00 Monday though Friday

(USPS No. 289700)POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kane County Farmer

2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

Periodical Postage • Paid to St. Charles, IL 60174Year Subscription: $2.00

■ DISTRICT 1Aurora, Sugar Grove,Big Rock Twnshp.

Nan Long11461 E. County Line Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511815-693-7214

Donna Lehrer7S027 Jericho Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511630-556-3476

Steve Schramm7328 Perry Rd.DeKalb, IL 60115630-557-2410

■ DISTRICT 2Kaneville, Blackberry,Gen./Bat. Twnshp.

Bill Collins1125 Lewis Rd.Geneva, IL 60134630-484-6852

Karl Kettelkamp0S860 Rowe Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-365-2713

Joe WhitePresident47W727 Main St. Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-557-2517

■ DISTRICT 3Virgil, Campton,St. Charles Twnshp.

Frank Carlson104 Sumac CourtSt. Charles, IL 60174630-513-9980

Chris Collins1143 AndersonElburn, IL 60119630-934-4642

■ DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.

Beth Gehrke12N860 US Hwy. 20Elgin, IL 60124847-697-2538

Mike KenyonSecretary/Treasurer1250 E. Main St.South Elgin, IL 60177847-741-1818

Craig Bradley37W791 Orchard LaneElgin, IL 60124847-888-2380

■ DISTRICT 5Hampshire, Rutland,Dundee Twnshp.

Beth Engel15N638 Walker RoadHampshire, IL 60140847-683-3482

Gerald Gaitsch10613 Brittany Ave.Huntley, IL 60142847-669-2003

Wayne SchneiderVice President721 Lindsay LaneWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-0488

You receive the Kane CountyFarmer because you are a FarmBureau member. If you are afarm operator or owner, youbenefit from a local, state andnational organization committedto agriculture and your way of life.

If you do not have direct tiesto farming, your membershiphelps promote local farms andfarming, encourage wise use ofour limited natural resources andpreserve farmland and our agri-cultural heritage while allowingyou to enjoy COUNTRY insur-ance and the many other benefitsof one of Illinois’ premier mem-bership organizations.

We appreciate your member-ship and continued support andwe welcome your comments onthe content of the Farmer. Weencourage you to make recom-mendations about farm, home,food, natural resource, renewableenergy or agricultural heritageand history related topics forinclusion in future issues of the

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEOCTOBER 2014 THRU SEPTEMBER 2015

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG. SEP.C. BRADLEY X X X F. CARLSON X X X B. COLLINS X X C. COLLINS X X X B. ENGEL X X G. GAITSCH X B. GEHRKE X X X M. KENYON X X X K. KETTLEKAMP X X X D. LEHRER X X N. LONG X X X W. SCHNEIDER X X X S. SCHRAMM J. WHITE X X X

Beef store is now open! Sat. 9-4 or by appointment

100% hormone free beef.Selling individual cuts. Buy as little or as much as you want.

Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park

815.895.4691 • 1-877-FOR-FDBASample Packs make great gifts!

Board Meeting review

Farmers uneasy about economy

Providing Quality Dental Care for the Entire Family

Kane CountyFarm BureauPresident JoeWhite andwife Bonnie(right) pre-sented a$1,000 checkto BertV e s c o l a n i ,president of the St. Louis Science Center, at IFB Annual Meeting inChicago in December. County Farm Bureaus in Illinois have raised$30,000 for a new agricultural exhibit at the science center with IllinoisFarm Bureau matching contributions made through May 1, 2015 up to $100,000.

Considering current com-modity prices and farm inputcosts, nearly 60 percent of dele-gates and attendees surveyed atthe 2014 Illinois Farm BureauAnnual Meeting feel less opti-mistic about the farm economyin the coming year. The answerwas in response to a survey of502 delegates, alternates andother Farm Bureau membersattending the meeting Dec. 6-9in Chicago.

“This year, on the tails of arecord-breaking crop, commod-ity prices also have dipped,which means farmers are moreuneasy going into the year,” saidIFB President Richard Guebert,Jr. “It’s going to be much moreimportant to have a marketingplan in place to sell crops, buyinputs and plan purchases forthe coming year.”

In fact, nearly 70 percent offarmers responding to the sur-vey indicated they plan toreduce inputs and/or expensesin 2015. When asked how, theresponses were as follows:Seventy percent said they planto delay equipment purchases;42 percent said they plan todelay or cut back on chemicaland fertilizer purchases; 27 per-cent said they plan to negotiatelower cash rent rates; 22 percentplan to buy less expensive seedand 14 percent said they wouldchoose a lower level of crop

insurance coverage. Theresponse totals are greater than100 percent as respondents wereable to choose multipleanswers.

Yet, when asked if they werein the market to purchase farmground in 2015, 33 percent saidyes.

Unsurprisingly, with a newfarm bill on the books, nearly 60percent of farmers said theyhave yet to decide which com-modity program or crop insur-ance program to purchase forthe coming crop year. Nearly 30percent of farmers said theyplan to purchase AgricultureRisk Coverage (ARC) based onlocal county numbers, while 7percent planned to purchaseARC individual coverage. Only4 percent plan to purchase PriceLoss Coverage.

“The 2014 farm bill includesa variety of significant changes,including the removal of directpayments and new crop insur-ance programs includingAgriculture Risk Coverage andPrice Loss Coverage,” Guebertsaid. “We’re working with ourcounty Farm Bureaus to ensureour members have all the infor-mation they need to make themost informed decision as dead-lines approach.”

IFB members were askedwhether they are satisfied thatfood companies consider the

impact on farmers and thefarmer’s role in producing foodand ingredients when compa-nies make marketing and ingre-dient decisions. Fifty-two per-cent of respondents said theyweren’t at all satisfied, while 49percent said they were eithersatisfied or somewhat satisfied.The question was asked in lightof recent moves by a number ofmajor food processors andrestaurant chains to omit certainfood ingredients or change theway ingredients or foods orsourced.

Finally, members were askedtheir opinion on the usefulnessof unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs) to agriculture andwhether they plan to purchase aUAV for use on their farm.Nearly 70 percent said theybelieve UAVs are somewhatuseful, while 24 percent saidUAVs are very useful and 7 per-cent said they are not useful atall. However, only 5 percent ofmembers are already usingUAVs, while 18 percent saidthey plan to purchase a UAVand 77 percent said they do notplan to purchase a UAV for useon their farm.

Farmers throughout Illinoisare invited to attend a Meet theBuyers event to meet local andregional food buyers Feb. 3,2015, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30p.m., at the Orland Park CivicCenter in Orland Park.

“This will be our nineteenthMeet the Buyers event and weexpect it to be one of ourlargest,” said Cynthia Haskins,manager of business develop-ment of compliance, IllinoisFarm Bureau. “Farmers willhear from several buyers andmeet with the buyers one-on-

one so they can begin buildingworking relationships.”

Meet the Buyers events arean opportunity for farmers tohear directly from buyers aboutwhat it takes to do business withtheir organization. Buyers rep-resenting retail grocery storesand chains, foodservice distrib-utors, wholesalers and othersare invited to participate.

The following organizationsare partnering to support theone-day event: Illinois FarmBureau, Cook County FarmBureau, Illinois SpecialtyGrowers Association, IllinoisDepartment of Agriculture, andseveral surrounding FarmBureau and University ofIllinois Extension offices.

“This event will include buy-ers who are looking for localfresh fruits and vegetables,meats, artisan cheeses, dairy,value-added products andmore,” said Bob Rohrer, manag-er, Cook County Farm Bureau.

Farmers are encouraged tobring business cards and anyhandouts they have about theirfarming operation to share withbuyers.

The event is free to farmers.Those wishing to attend shouldRSVP to the Cook County FarmBureau at 708-354-3276 by Jan.27, 2015.

JANUARY 2015 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

Young Farmers updateby Wayne Gehrke, SecretaryThe KCFB Young Farmers

met in November to make plansfor the upcoming year and electofficers. Old business includeda wrap-up of activities at the2014 Kane County Fair as wellas the results of various con-tests. Andy Lenkaitis andWayne Gehrke won secondplace in the Agri-Quiz bowl atthe state fair and Andy Lenkaitisadvanced to the state discussionmeet after participating in thedistrict meet. Heather Piersonand Dale Pitstick commented onthe Ag Industry Tour to NorthCarolina this past summer.

KCFB Information DirectorRyan Klassy discussed the KCFBFoundation’s “31 Days ofChristmas Raffle” and gave anupdate on the Harvest for All pro-gram. Wayne Gehrke and TrentPierson volunteered to lead col-lection of Harvest for ALL fieldsigns for winter storage. Thecommittee discussed the group’sparticipation in the upcomingIFB Annual meeting. The YoungFarmer’s dinner was scheduledfor the evening of Dec. 6.

Discussion was had regard-ing the idea of switching to aregular meeting schedule for theYoung Farmers and attendeesbrainstormed a few ideasregarding speakers/guests orinformational topics for futuremeetings. Ideas for Young

Farmer events outside of themeetings included volunteeringat Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Officer Elections were heldwith both Andy Lenkaitis andWayne Gehrke, elected to thepositions of Chairman andSecretary respectively.

Future Events were sched-uled including:

Dec. 29: Holiday Party atSorrento’s, Maple Park

Jan. 20: Northern IllinoisFood Bank Volunteer Night/FFA Acquaintance

March 13: EuchreTournament at Kane CountyFarm Bureau

The Young LeaderConference will be held January23-24 in Bloomington.Committee members TrentPierson and Kristen DeSutterhave registered for the IFBYoung Leader’s Ag IndustryTour to Louisiana, March 3-8.Tour stops include the GreaterBaton Rouge Port, Louis DryfusCommodities, AssociatedGrocers, Angola StatePenitentiary as well as sugar,blue crab, and alligator farms.

Young Farmers meetings areopen to KCFB members age 18-35 and new faces are alwayswelcome. Check Kane CountyFarm Bureau’s Facebook pagefor upcoming meeting dates andsocial outings or call 630-584-8660.

FB VOLUNTEER NIGHTLooking to get involved

in community service oragriculture related events?KCFB members are invitedto join Kane County YoungFarmers at NorthernIllinois Food Bank onJan.20 at 6pm to repackfood for redistribution tolocal food pantries. FFAmembers from area highschools are invited too.They’ll help in the fightagainst hunger, make somenew friends and learn aboutthe good things the YoungFarmers Committee isdoing in Kane County.

“Helping to keep America Picked up for 45 years”

Rauner tells delegates hewants a farmer at IDOA

Gov.-elect Bruce Raunermade an appearance during aGeneral Session at the IFBAnnual Meeting in Chicago inDecmber. He told IFB delegateshe wants a farmer to be at the

helm of the Illinois Departmentof Agriculture.

Rauner thanked Illinoisfarmers for being “the backboneof Illinois’ economy” and fortheir hard work providing food

and fiber to consumers.In a news conference

with Chicago reporters andag media, Rauner said he’slooking at ways to stream-line Illinois government.Rauner did not commenton rumors in Springfieldthat he may try to mergeagriculture, conservationand EPA into a “super-agency.”

Lunches to LegislatorsWould you like to have lunch

with an Illinois StateRepresentative or Senator? KaneCounty Farm Bureau’s Lunchesto Legislators (L2L) programgives you a chance to do justthat! We need volunteers for thisannual visit that allows FarmBureau members to get betteracquainted with legislators.

This year’s program will be atwo-day event, allowing moreflexibility for volunteers to finda time to participate. FarmBureau volunteers will arrangevisits to district offices of KaneCounty’s six state senators andnine state representatives andthe offices of our U.S. Senatorsin Chicago. Equipped with

boxed lunches, Farm Bureaupolicy books and farm and foodfacts literature, they’ll expresstheir appreciation for the legis-lators’ hard work.

L2L is a part of Food Check-Out Week, celebrated each yearin February. It is devoted tohelping teach Americans how tostretch their grocery dollarswith healthy, nutritious food.Because U.S. farmers are themost productive and efficientfood producers in the world,food is a real bargain in the U.S.when compared to the rest ofthe world. To volunteer to assistwith this program, contact SteveArnold at the Kane CountyFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660.

‘Meet the Buyers’ event for Farmers

Kane County Farm Bureauhonors the person or personswho sign the most members intoour organization. This month,the honor goes to JonathanGonzalez, who signed six newmembers. Jonathan has been anagent with COUNTRYFinancial since March 2010.Jonathan services clients fromthe office located at 1750Grandstand Place in Elgin andcan be reached at (847) 742-0001. As a token of our appreci-ation, Jonathan will receive twotickets to the CharlestowneMovie Theater. Thank you foryour continued support of theKane County Farm Bureau andcongratulations on your success!

Recruiter ofthe Month

Jonathan Gonzalez

Happy New Year!

When I looked up themeaning of January, I

found it had been named by theRomans in honor of Janus theruler of new beginnings, gatesand doors, the first hour of theday, the first day of the month,and the first month of the year.He was pictured as a two-head-ed man situated so that one headlooked forward into the NewYear while the other took a ret-rospective view. Janus alsopresided over the temple ofpeace, where the doors wereopened only during wartime. Itwas a place of safety, wherenew beginnings and new resolu-tions could be forged, just as theNew Year is a time for newobjectives and renewed commit-ments to long-term goals.

So we begin the New Year

with the month of January, atime of quiet introspection,looking both forward and backupon our lives. It is a time whenall the hustle of the holidays ispast and we have time to sit andthink. It is a time of being homebound, as days are short, cold,and usually full of snow, ice andwind.

We need this time to gatherour thoughts, clean closets,basements, and other “stashstuff places” in our homes. Wealso need the time to maybe doa puzzle, write a poem, playboard games with family andfriends...things that we haveproblems finding the time to dowhen the weather is nice and weare outside as much as possible.

Sometimes this month ofJanuary is a bit depressing ...

grey skies with snow coveredground. ... it seems to be neverending. However, as VitaSackville-West so aptly put it:“The shortest day has passed,and whatever nastiness ofweather we may look forward toin January and February, at leastwe notice that the days are get-ting longer. Minute by minutethey lengthen out. It takes someweeks before we become awareof the change. It is impercepti-ble even as the growth of achild, as you watch it day byday, until the moment comeswhen with a start of delightedsurprise we realize that we canstay out of doors in a twilightlasting for another quarter of aprecious hour.”

May you find solace in thelengthening days as you tend to“inside projects” and fun withfriends and family... I’ll leaveyou with a quote from theAmerican journalist, HalBorland, “There are two season-al diversions that can ease thebite of any winter. One is theJanuary thaw. The other is theseed catalogues.”

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER JANUARY 2015

Volunteer at Ag DaysThis March, Kane County

Farm Bureau and dozens of AgLiteracy volunteers will organ-ize the 31st annual Ag Days atMooseheart. Please considerbeing a part of this great tradi-tion by volunteering your timeon any of the days listed below.

For three decades, hundredsof Kane County 4th grade stu-dents have been gathering atMooseheart Fieldhouse inMarch to learn about agriculturefrom farmers and representa-tives from local agribusinesses.This year’s event will take

place, March 17-19 and theFarm Bureau would like yourassistance with this Ag in theClassroom event.

Students rotate through aseries of more than a dozen pre-sentations on agricultural top-ics. This is one of the FarmBureau’s longest running andmost popular programs.Students will learn about crops,livestock, natural resources,farm machinery and more.

Call 630-584-8660 to sign upfor specific dates and times whenvolunteers are most needed.

Your help is needed during the following times chaperoning groups of students & teachers or

providing 4-minute agricultural lessons.Tuesday March 17 9 am-noonWednesday March 18 9 am-noonThursday March 19 9 am-noon

Touch-A-Tractor in AprilKane County Farm Bureau’s

10th Annual Touch-A-Tractorevent brings a little bit of thefarm to the city April 10-12 atKane County Farm Bureau,Randall Road at Oak Street, inSt. Charles. Hoursfor this free eventare Friday noon –4pm and Saturdayand Sunday from10am to 4pm.

This event is funand educational forpeople of all agesand makes a greatfamily outing. Kidscan participate inhands-on activities,ride pedal tractors,shell corn, see farmanimals, sit in theseat of a real tractoror combine, andenter for a FREEchance to win their

very own pedal tractor.At the conclusion of the

events on Sunday, April 12 thewinning tickets will be drawn inthe KCFB Foundation Winner’sChoice Tractor Raffle.

AG LITERACY CORNERBy Suzi Myers

Book of the month“How is bread made? Where

is it from? To make bread fromscratch, start in a backyardpatch! Some watch a baker turna homegrown crop of wheat intoa homemade loaf to eat. Thisbook tell the story, in all itsglory, of the sowing, growing,reaping, threshing, milling,missing, kneading, shaping, ris-ing, baking, and breaking ofwhole grain bread. It’s a soil-filling, dough-stretching, belly-filling, spirit-catching celebra-tion of the staff of life. You’llnever look at a slice of bread thesame way again.”

Every facet of the journeyfrom growing a wheat seed toeating a loaf of bread is coveredin this book. The photos arewonderful. There is little ver-biage, but it doesn’t seem neces-sary with the vivid photos.There is a great two page infor-

mational section at the end ofthe book, if you are interested inlearning more.

Thanks to a request yearsago by Bob Konen and DeanDunn that Kane County FarmBureau start a library of agricul-turally themed books for public

use, we have an ever growingselection of titles. We also havethe video of Bread Comes toLife which could be borrowed.

Bread Comes to Life: A Gardenof Wheat and a Loaf to Eat

by George Levenson

Special thanksT he Kane County Farm Bureau would like to thank

Jay Schrock and the staff at Heinz Brothers Greenhousein St. Charles for the use of their greenhouse and assistancewith the KCFB annual citrus sale distribution in December. We appreciate your generosity in helping to provide this serv-ice to Kane County Farm Bureau members.

JANUARY 2015 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone ___________________________ Email ________________________________ Age ______Please complete and return to the Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 by January 15, 2015 to be entered in our drawing for a prize of assorted wheat products.

W S C W W G G D H A R V E S T C C

A N U O H W H O E V S C I I Z R G

R I I E O E K L J H H K R I U A A

T M V G B K A I Y P C Y H G M C R

S A A F D I I T J R L I Z O X K I

X T R U O L F E H L T C R A N E O

J I L E H S U B S A A S I N L R L

L V Y X T L J R N R Y Y A A E C N

G Z V V D O U I B E P T E P J D E

T A E H W E L O H W B R I W O U T

B T L O F O H E P K E N T W X R U

R A X N M Y Y L E C F G I N V U L

C B B E D P E R P J B R E A D M G

A D S R A G N Y Y E A S T D R N O

K H A S A E C S V E Z X H X F G U

E T T B L N U G J H S K C R G W Q

E A J G Y S U N U E L P V N J K D

Congratulations!Congratulations 8-year-old Rebekah Castle of Compton!Rebekah’s name was chosen from the entries received for correctlycompleting last month’s “New Year’s” word search. For her partic-ipation, Rebekah receives a delicious holiday ham compliments ofKane County Farm Bureau. Thank you Rebekah for reading theKane County Farmer and continue to watch each month for achance to win a prize!

BAGELBRANBREADBUSHELCAKECARBOHYDRATECEREALCOOKIESCRACKERDURUMENRICHEDFLOURGLUTENGRAINHARVESTKERNELPASTAPASTRYSEMOLINASTRAWVITAMINSWHEATWHOLE WHEATYEAST

Wheat word search

Did you know?vWheat is a member of thegrass family that produces adry, one-seeded fruit com-monly called a kernel.

vMore than 17,000 years ago,humans gathered the seeds ofplants and ate them. Afterrubbing off the husks, earlypeople simply chewed the ker-nels raw, parched or sim-mered.

vWheat originated in the “cra-dle of civilization” in the Tigris

and Euphrates river valley,near what is now Iraq.

vWheat was first planted in theUnited States in 1777 as ahobby crop.

v In the United States, one acreof wheat yields an average ofaround 43 bushels of wheat.

v About half of the wheat grownin the United States is useddomestically.

v In 2013 Illinois producedapproximately 56.28 million

bushels of wheat.v One bushel of wheat containsapproximately one millionindividual kernels.

v One bushel of wheat weighsapproximately 60 pounds.

v One bushel of wheat yieldsapproximately 42 pounds ofwhite flour OR 60 pounds ofwhole-wheat flour.

v The stem of the wheat plant isstraw.

Wheat weavingThe origin of weaving straw

into harvest symbols began inprimitive times in the Europeancountries. It was believed thatthe “Spirit of theHarvest” lived in thegrain and would moveahead of the reapersas they worked, even-tually coming to restin the last grain to becut. They gathered thelast grain, wove it intoone of the variety oftraditional forms andhung it in their home. It wascarefully preserved until the nextspring when the grain from thewoven piece was taken to thefield and planted. This releasedthe spirit back into the field toensure yet another bountiful har-vest.1. Soak wheat on the stalk

(from craft stores or local farm-ers) in a tub of water for an houror so.2. Holding three seed heads

together, braid the stems of the

wheat stalks.3. Curve the ends around to

make an oval loop, a circlewreath, or even bend it a bit to

make a heart shape.4. Tie with brightly

colored ribbon.As the stalks dry,

they’ll hold theirshape. Add to yourdecorations – or giveas gifts!

Soft pretzels made in a bagIngredients:4 C. flour 1 1/2 C. water (130°F)1 Tbsp. rapid rise yeast 1 egg, beaten1 Tbsp. sugar Vegetable oil or spray

1 tsp. salt Coarse salt (optional)Instructions:1. In a gallon zippered plastic

bag, combine 2 cups flour,yeast, sugar, salt and water. 2. Seal bag and knead with

fingers to blend ingredients. 3. Add remaining flour,

knead until dough doesn’t stickto the bag. 4. Turn dough out onto light-

ly floured surface. Knead 15-20times until smooth and elastic. 5. Spray with cooking spray;

cover with plastic wrap; let rest10 minutes.

6. Punch down and cut withpizza cutter or sharp knife into12 pieces. 7. Roll or twist each piece

into pretzel or other desiredshapes. 8. Lay pretzels on a lightly

oiled baking sheet. 9. Brush or spoon beaten

egg on top. Sprinkle with coarsesalt, if desired. 10. Let rest until doubled in

size. Bake at 425° F for 12-15minutes or until golden brown.Yield: 12 pretzels

Six types of wheatThere are six different types of wheat, each used for different pur-poses. Forty-two states grow wheat; in Illinois, we grow only theSoft Red Winter Wheat. The chart below shows the use of the dif-ferent types of wheat.Type of wheat Used in which food productsHard Red Spring Yeast breads, hard rolls, bagelsHard Red Winter Yeast breads, hard rollsDurum PastaSoft White Cake, Cookies, pastries, pancakesSoft Red Winter (Grown in Illinois) Crackers, cookies, cakesHard White Yeast breads, Asian-style noodles

Bread and pasta factsBread Factsv Bread is the world’s mostwidely eaten food.

v A bushel of wheat yields 42one-and-a-half pound com-mercial loaves of white breadOR about 90 one-poundloaves of whole wheat bread.

v There is approximately 16ounces of flour in a one-and-a-half pound loaf of bread.

v The first bagel rolled into theworld in 1683 when a bakerfrom Vienna Austria wasthankful to the King of Polandfor saving Austria fromTurkish invaders. The baker

reshaped the local bread sothat it resembled the King’sstirrup. The new bread wascalled “beugel,” derived fromthe German word stirrup,“bugel.”

v The traditional bagel is theonly bread product that isboiled before it is baked.

v Never refrigerate bagels orany bread product. Breadproducts go stale up to 6times faster in the refrigerator.Leave these products at roomtemperature or freeze them.

Pasta Factsv Per capita consumption of

pasta in the United States was22 pounds in 1996 and in2005 was at 19.52 pounds.

v A bushel of wheat makesabout 42 pounds of pasta or210 servings of spaghetti.

v If you eat pasta three times aweek, it would take 70 weeksto eat all the pasta made fromone bushel of durum.

v Semolina is coarsely grounddurum with a texture some-what like sugar. It is the bestproduct for pasta.

v There are more than 600pasta shapes produced world-wide.

1 New Year’s Day15 Martin Luther King, Jr. DayJanuary is National...Hot Tea Month • Oatmeal Month • Slow Cooking Month • Soup Month

Knock! Knock!Who’s there?Cereal!Cereal who?Cereal pleasure to meet you!

Q: What did the bag of flour sayto the loaf of bread?A: “I saw you yeasterday”

Q: What kind of bagel can fly?A: A plain bagel.

Q: Why did the cookie go to thedoctor?A: Because he felt crummy.

Q: What did the baker give hiswife for their anniversary?A: Flour.

Knock, knock.Who’s there?Aida.Aida who?Aida sandwich for lunch today.

A bushelof Jokes

A little humor gives you flour power!

fDays to celebratein January

Kane County Farm BureauFoundation 2015 scholarshipapplications are available on ourwebsite at www.kanecfb.com.Several scholarships are avail-able to members or dependentsof members pursuing highereducation in an agriculturalrelated field. You’ll also findscholarship requirements and abrochure to help in identifyingcareers and areas of study. Lastyear, the Foundation awardedover $30,000 in scholarshipsand internships to area students.The application deadline isFebruary 15, 2015.IAA Foundation scholarship

applications for the 2015-16school year can be found atwww.iaafoundation.org. Thesescholarships provide assistance to

Illinois Farm Bureau members,spouses, or their children whomajor in agriculture, agribusi-ness, or an ag-related course ofstudy. The website provides acomplete listing of eligibilityrequirements and general schol-arship guidelines. For questions,call the IAA Foundation office at309-557-2230, or emailsmoore@ilfb.org. Applicationsand all supporting documentsmust be mailed to the IAAFoundation and postmarked byFebruary 1, 2015.Kane County Corn

Growers scholarship applica-tions are due Feb. 15, 2015. Theobjective of KCCG scholarshipsis to assist students pursuinghigher education and agricul-ture-related jobs and careers.

Scholarships are available forboth high school seniors andcollege students. Applicantsmust be dependents of a currentKane County Corn Growersmember. Application will beavailable at www.kanecountycorngrowers.com.Kane County Fair scholar-

ships – Scholarships in theamount of $3000.00 are avail-able to high school seniors whowill graduate in this school year.You must also be a current mem-ber of 4-H and have exhibited atthe Kane County Fair in at leastone of the last two years.Applications will be reviewedand judged by the Fair selectioncommittee. Scholarships award-ed to students pursuing highereducation in any field. The dead-

line for applications is April 1,2015. Scholarship winner(s) willannounced April 30. Call 630584 6926 with any questions.Memorial scholarship haspresidential ties

In the fall of 2014 the KaneCounty Farm Bureau Foun dationannoun ced a new scholarship,The Mary L. Heckel-BlickleMemorial Scholarship. Thescholarship provides a $1,000college scholarship annually to astudent who resides in Kane orMacon County Illinois.

Mary’s son, Jim Blickle ofGeneva, said that while research-ing his family’s history he dis-covered that his mom was a dis-tant cousin of Abraham Lincoln.

Illinois, The Heart of a

Nation, a book by Hon. EdwardDunne provides the earlyAmerican history of manyIllinois natives. The book con-tains an entry about Mary’sfather Roy Abner Heckel, whowas a dairy farmer in MaconCounty, Ill. The book explainsthat he was a fifth cousin to ournation’s 16th President throughhis grandmother Elizabeth(Hanks) Heckel.

Jim Blickle said it was anexciting discovery and one thatthe family is proud to own. Bornin 1915, Mary’s parents farmedin Long Creek Township inMacon County. Her grandfatheracquired the land through the1812 land grant program. Jimand his wife Charlotte set up thememorial scholarship in Mary’s

name to help the family’sagricultural legacy live on.

Visit kanecfb.com todownload an applicationand view all availableKCFB FoundationScholarships. Applicationdeadline is February 15,

2015. Recipients will be namedin April. Call 630-584-8660with questions.

St Charles Agency, Bob Effner,Agency Manager

BOB CRAMER has beennamed the Financial Represen -tative of the Month forNovember 2014 in the St.Charles/Elgin Agency, as

announced by Agency Manager,Robert J. Effner, Sr., CLF®,LUTCF. Bob Cramer has provid-ed tangible plans for addressingthe immediate and long terminsurance and financial securityneeds of his clients through

COUNTRY Financial’s diverseproducts and services: Auto,Farm, Home, Life/Disab -ility/Health/Annuities/LongTerm Care, Retirement Planning,Business and Investments. LetBob’s expertise help you!Contact Bob at his office, 2172Blackberry Dr., Unit 100,Geneva, 60134 or at 630-262-1059 or bob.cramer@countryfinancial.com or at www.coun-tryfinancial.com/bob.cramer.Congratulations, Bob! Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency Manager

Nathan Powell, FinancialRep resentative with the AuroraAgency, is our FinancialRepresentative of the Month forNovember, 2014. Nate began hiscareer with COUNTRY Financialin January of 2002 and servicesclients out of his office locatedat:450 W. Galena Blvd.Aurora,60506; (630) 801-0946.

Nate’s professionalism andknowledge of auto, home, life, commercial and financialproducts make him a great to person to do business with.Congratulations, Nate!

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER JANUARY 2015

SERVICES

Jim Verhaeghe & Sons, Inc. –Tree removal, tree trimming, &stump grinding. Backhoe work &Tile Lines. Fully insured – FreeEstimates – Jim Verhaeghe Sr.Call: 847 334 5730

Farm site demolition & clean up.New horse barns with under-ground utilities and earthwork.Drainage tiles, pasture mowing,spraying, new seeding, interseeding & fence installation. Wefollow SIU Plant & Soil SciencePractices. 10% discount for FarmBureau members, 5% if you men-tion this ad! Berning EarthworkInc., Tom Berning 630-330-9970;BerningEarthWorks@comcast.net; Galusha Farms, SteveBerning, 630-878-6350, steve@GalushaFarm.com. Call: 630-330-9970

WANTED

Will pick up for free unwanted orold snowmobiles. Also buyingolder Polaris snowmobiles 1977& 1978 TXL & 1979 TX’s CallJon. Call: 630-254-9446

Want to buy vintage & used toolsCall Chris, 630 550 7182

CLASSIFIED AD RATESClassified advertising rates: 20cents per word/$10 minimum (50word max). DISCOUNTS for mem-bers: Associate members, 20%;Voting members, 30%; PLUSmembers, 40%. Advance paymentrequested. Ads due by the 15th ofevery month for the next issue. Noadvertising (classified or display)for financial or insurance serviceswill be accepted. Call 630-584-8660.

CLASSIFIED ADS

What’s new in the COUNTRY agencies?

Help raise Foundation scholarshipfunds with Tractor Raffle

The Kane County Farm Bureau FoundationWinner’s Choice Raffle gives the grand prizewinner a choice of three nicely restored IHantique tractors: a 1953 Farmall Super C,1961 IH 240 Utility, or a 1947 Farmall SuperA (with belly mower) or a John Deere ridinglawn mower or $2,500 cash. The farm,food and fuel theme is roundedout with second prize of $500 ingroceries, third prize of $500 infuel, and fourth prize of $250 inKane County Farm Bureau Bucks.The drawing is April 12 at Touch-A-Tractor.

This Winner’s Choice Tractor Raffle is the Foundation’s pri-mary fundraising endeavor. Last year’s raffle helped theFoundation provide college scholarships to 27 students andfunded internships to help future Ag industry leaders getpractical experience.

Tickets are $10 each or 3 for $25. All proceeds benefit col-lege scholarship and Kane County Farm Bureau Ag literacyprograms. Call 630-584-8660 or complete the form belowto request tickets.

KCFB Foundation Winner’s Choice Tractor Raffle

Please send me ______ tickets ($10 each or 3 for $25)

Name ________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City, State, Zip _________________________________________

Email ________________________________________________

Phone (_______) _______________________________________

Return with check made payable to Kane County Farm BureauFoundation, 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174 or charge my:

■ Visa ■ MC #______ ______ ______ ______ Exp ___ / ___

Signature ______________________________Date ___ / ___ / ___

The Winner’s Choice Tractor Raffle offers achance to win one of these great prizes!

Grand prize: Winner’s choice of a 1953 Farmall SuperC, 1961 IH 240 Utility, or a 1947 FarmallSuper A or a John Deere riding lawnmower or $2,500 cash.

Second prize: $500 groceriesThird prize: $500 fuelFourth Prize: $250 Farm Bureau Bucks

College scholarship corner

Mary L. Heckel-Blickle

A well-known face joinedthose seen at the IFB AnnualMeeting in Chicago. KCFB del-egates and volunteers werejoined by Ron Alms, SeniorAgronomist at Elburn Coop,who was awarded the IllinoisCertified Crop Advisor Award.The honor is bestowed on anindividual who has performedsuperior service for their farmerclients in nutrient management,soil and water management,integrated pest management andcrop production.

“It was a great honor and I

really enjoyed my first visit tothe IFB Annual Meeting,” saidAlms.

His wife Lynn and daughtersKaren and Laura were in theaudience as IFB President RichGuebert presented the award ata ceremony in the grand ball-room at the Palmer House onDec. 6. Kane County FarmBureau nominated Alms for theaward which comes just a yearbefore he will retire from theCoop, where he has advisedarea farmers on crop productionpractices for 42 years.

“It all went too fast to behonest with you,” Alms said. “Itreally has been a good ride.”

Alms studied agriculturaleconomics at the University ofIllinois and was hired straightout of college by former Coopmanager Jim Gillett.

“I had a chance to do exactlywhat I studied to do,” Alms said.He added that there have been alot of people in the county thathave helped him along the way,and for that he is grateful. “It’senjoyable and easy when youhave great people around you,from fellow employees to thecustomers.” he said.

Many of the same peopleAlms studied with inChampaign were there as he wasrecognized for the award at theIllinois Certified Crop AdvisorConference in Springfield. Hewas selected from one of thelargest classes of nominees ever.Alms said it was humbling tohave his peers recognize hiswork. Many of them are peoplehe has seen at professional con-ferences for over four decades.

Elburn Cooperative started in1921 when local farmers pooledtheir resources to improve theirability to acquire necessary prod-ucts and expand markets. Theoriginal grain facility was con-structed in Elburn where it servedmembers’ needs until the 1970s.Changes in agriculture meantbigger yields and increased stor-age requirements, and the mod-ern Meredith Road grain complexwas completed in 1978.

Alms spends time at both ofthese locations, and his clienteleconsists of approximately 150

Ireached up and offered ahigh-five to a blond-hairedboy perched on his dad’s shoul-ders. He swung hard meetingmy hand with a slap and wouldhave come right off his perch ifnot for the strong grip of the guyin the plaid shirt below.

We stood in the back of thegrand ballroom of the PalmerHouse hotel at the Illinois FarmBureau Annual Meeting inDecember watching FarmBureau members from aroundthe state accept awards for theirwork in support of the agricul-ture industry.

I had noticed the pairbecause the man had looked upand pointed as a woman onstage accepted the Ag in theClassroom teacher of the yearaward. “There’s grandma. Yousee her?” They both beamedwith pride as they described thelong history grandma had ofteaching her students aboutfarming.

Around holiday time mymind tends to focus on family.As we decorate the tree, readbooks, watch holiday TVshows, think about the past yearand the new year to come, Ithink about family traditions.Some are carried on and somewe create as we go. And lately

I’ve learned more about myfamily’s farming heritage thatbrings the challenges of passingthe farm on to the next genera-tion to light.

My grandparents farmednear Red Oak, Ill. near Freeportfor years before my grandpadecided to move the clan north.They ended up in southernWisconsin on the farm where Ieventually built a lot of memo-ries. Recently I learned thatgrandpa actually owned thatfarm until 1960 when he had tosell the land to a neighbor –hard times I guess.

On my dad’s side, my greataunt still lives on a part of theoriginal family farmstead wheremy great grandpa milked cowsand made cheese. We hope wecan keep at least part of thatland, where we still hunt andenjoy hayrides and walks.

The backdrop for the awardwinners at annual meeting wasthe IFB logo with the words“Farm, Family, Food”. Morethan just a tagline, it embodieseverything the delegates, atten-dees, exhibitors, and FarmBureau staff are working towardat home in their own counties.The goal is to keep farminggoing strong so that blond-hairedboy can not only learn about

farming from his grandma, buttake over the family farm andmake a good living if he chooses.

We passed a few farm fields onthe way home from Chicago thathad bull dozers and earthmovers

parked in them. Whose farmsthose were I don’t know, but it’salways a little discouraging to seethe best earth on the planet beingstripped for a strip mall.

Fortunately I built up a lot

of encouragement from my tripto annual meeting from inspir-ing stories from leaders, legisla-tors, farmers, and educators ...and that high-five from a four-year-old.

JANUARY 2015 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

FARMS & FAMILYBy Ryan Klassy, Information Director

Harvest for ALL update

Names shown are pledges made as of November 15, 2014 and notpreviously recognized. Pledges made after that date will be updatedin subsequent issues of the Kane County Farmer. Names with anasterisk (*) are commitments already fulfilled.

Renewed commitmentsDonor Beneficiary*James & Beverly Gillett Elburn Food Pantry*Coon Creek Sod Farm Burlington Hampshire Food Pantry*Suzi Myers Northern Illinois Food Bank*Ken & Nancy Meyer All People’s Interfaith Food Pantry, Elgin

KCFB offers its sincere appreciationto the following for their pledges of crop proceeds, cash, farm

products or labor. Need a New Year’s resolution worth keeping?Make a pledge to help your neighbors who struggle to put threesquare meals on the table every day. Visit www.kanecfb.com todownload a Harvest for ALL participation form. Have questions?Call 630-584-8660.

Lenkaitis competes in state discussion meet finals

KCFB Young FarmersChairman Andy Lenkaitis of St.Charles competed in the finalsof the Illinois Farm BureauState Discussion Meet inChicago on Dec. 6.

After making the initial fieldof 22 state competitors was nar-rowed, Lenkaitis faced offagainst three of his peersin the contest which testsone’s ability to manage asmall group discussion.This was Andy’s firstappearance in the finals.Last year he made it as faras the “Sweet 16”.

Sean Arians ofWoodford County wasnamed the Young Leader dis-cussion meet winner at theannual meeting of the IllinoisFarm Bureau (IFB) in Chicago,Dec. 6-9.

In addition to receiving a tro-phy, Arians will receive twomonths or 100 hours use of aMassey-Ferguson tractor, com-pliments of AGCO, and $2,500cash from the Illinois FarmBureau. Arians also will receiveexpense-paid trips to the 2015American Farm BureauFederation Annual Meeting,2015 GROWMARK Annual

Meeting, courtesy of GROW-MARK, Inc., the 2015 AmericanFarm Bureau Federation YoungFarmer and Rancher Conferenceand the 2015 Illinois State YoungLeader Conference.

Discussion Meet formatallows contestants to give anopening statement and then

exchange facts and insights on apre-determined topic. Judgesaward points based on how wellparticipants work with oneanother, how well they expressthemselves, and on their knowl-edge of the topic.

Topics for 2014 discussionmeet included a discussion onthe condition of government-managed public lands, whetherfarmers and ranchers should beheld liable for possible food ill-nesses when the food item ofconcern can be traced back totheir farms, farm bill crop insur-

ance provisions, how youngfarmers can work to encouragemembership growth and mem-ber engagement, and food inse-curity and the safety and envi-ronmental impact of modernagricultural technologies.

IFB promotes and sponsorsthe discussion meet with thegoals of developing young peo-ples’ leadership and communi-cation skills on behalf of agri-culture and of working togetherand reaching consensus on howto deal with current issues inagriculture.

Andy Lenkaitis of St.Charles competed inthe final four andreceived honorablemention in the IFBState Discussion Meet.

Alms receives IllinoisCertified Crop Adviser award

(continued on page 8)

Source: U of I ExtensionKane County 4-H member

Emily Studt of Elgin joined top 4-H members from across thenation for the 93rd National 4-HCongress, Nov. 28 through Dec. 2in Atlanta, GA. Studt, 17, willattend the prestigious event exact-ly 60 years after her grandfatherGene Schick earned the honor.

Studt earned the respectedright to attend National Congress

by excelling in 4-H project work,as well as leadership, communityservice and citizenship, through-out her entire 4-H career. Illinoiswill be represented at National 4-H Congress by 26 state 4-Haward winners, including Studt,who earned her place in Plantsand Soils, with work in horticul-ture and floriculture.

Studt currently serves as vicepresident of the Kane County

4-H Ambassadors and presidentof her 4-H Club. When Studtfound out she was chosen forNational Congress, she calledher grandpa immediately to tellhim the big news.

“He’s always been there forus,” she said of Schick. “Dressreviews, the day of our projectjudging, checking in aboutAmbassadors, and the (KaneCounty) Fair is a huge thing. Weare there together every day.He’s been a great example.”

Schick is a voting member ofthe Kane County Farm Bureauhas served on the Kane CountyFair Board for 54 years. He said4-H has been a part of their fam-ily for three generations. He isproud of his granddaughter’sachievements and leadershipskills, and is excited that she willparticipate in 4-H NationalCongress.

In Schick’s day, 4-HNational Congress, also knownas Club Congress, took place inChicago. He recalls meetingmany new people and attendingsponsored banquets, education-al workshops and motivationallectures. He even found himselfdancing on Dick Clark’s“American Bandstand.”

All of this year’s Congressdelegates will participate in spe-cial cultural programs during theInternational Dinner and a nightof programming at the AtlantaHistory Center.

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER JANUARY 2015

Kane County Farm Bureau members receive 10% discount on all service work.

The Kane County FarmBureau and Kane/DuPage Soiland Water Conservation Districtare cooperating again to offer awater testing program inFebruary 2015. A high qualitywater supply is vital for fami-lies, and this program helps pro-vide peace of mind and identi-fies potential problem areas forhomeowners of Kane County.

The program works simplyas follows:Step 1. Monday, February 9–Friday, February 20, 2015

Pick up water test kits fromthe Kane County Farm Bureau,8:30am-5 pm or fromKane/DuPage Soil and WaterConservation District, 8am -4:30pm, M-F. Payment due foreach test kit upon pickup.Step 2. Sunday, February 22,2015

Collect the water sample.Step 3. Monday, February 23,2015

Return water sample to FarmBureau or Kane/DuPage Soil &Water Conservation District.

Costs vary depending onwhich tests you have performedon your water. Three kits areavailable:A. Basic Package (Nitrate

Package) – $45.00Tests for nitrate, nitrite,

ammonia, chloride, sulfate, sol-uble phosphorus, silica and spe-cific conductivity.B. Pesticide Screen –

$80.00Indicates the presence of tri-

azine herbicides, Lasso, Dual orHarness.C. Metals – $95.00Tests for 23 different metals.More detailed sampling

instructions will be included ineach kit and additional informa-tion on how each test can helpyou is provided at the FarmBureau or Kane/DuPage Soiland Water Conser vation’sDistrict offices. Testing will beperformed by HeidelburgCollege Water QualityLaboratory in Tiffin, Ohio, acertified lab that has beennationally recognized for itswork in testing rivers and lakes,and results are mailed directlyto your home. We are able toprovide these deeply discountedtesting fees because we are pro-viding the laboratory a bulknumber to be tested.

Call Kane County FarmBureau at 630-584-8660 withany questions.

Private well testingprogram offered in Feb.

Nelson awarded Illinois Farm Bureau’s highest honorFormer Illinois Farm Bureau

(IFB) President Philip Nelsonhas been named the recipient ofthe 2014 IFB Charles B.Shuman Distin guished ServiceAward. The award, the highestgiven by IFB, was presentedduring IFB’s annual meeting inChicago Dec. 6-9.

Nelson was nominated byKCFB for the DistinguishedService Award in recognition of

his life-long support of agricul-ture both here in Illinois andacross the country.

Nelson served as vice presi-dent of the American SoybeanAssociation from 1993-1994,chairman of the American FarmBureau Federation (AFBF)Swine Advisory Commit teefrom 1997-2000, and was elect-ed to the AFBF board of direc-tors in 2004 and served with

distinction until 2014. He alsoserved as the chair of the AFBFTrade Advisory Committeefrom 2009-2011.

From 2003 to 2013, Nelsonserved as the 14th president ofthe IFB. Prior to his election aspresident, he served as vicepresident from 1999 to 2003. Afourth generation farmer,Nelson runs a diversified grainand livestock farm near Seneca,

with the help of his wife,Carmen, and their three chil-dren, Kendall, Rachel and Kyle.

The IFB’s DistinguishedService Award honors the mem-ory and service of CharlesShuman, a revered MoultrieCounty farm leader who servedas president of both IFB and ofthe American Farm BureauFederation. Philip Nelson

Elgin teen follows in grandfather’s 4-H footsteps

farms and up to 50,000 acres,with expertise ranging fromgrains and oilseeds top specialtycrops , hay, and pasture manage-ment. In his long career he hasserved in various capacitiesincluding assistant manager ofthe Coop’s overall operations andas their leading adviser on live-stock and feed recommendations.

Alms said he has seen theface of agriculture change great-ly over the years. Advancementsin the application of post emer-gent products mean that thereare really no down times in theindustry. “In the 1970’s and eventhrough the 80’s there werebreaks, but now there’s alwayssomething going on,” Alms said.

Alms has made communityservice a priority as well, assist-ing in 4H, Elburn Lions Club,

Kane County Corn Growers andFarm Bureau activities through-out his career. His preference forworking in the backgroundmakes the spotlight shined onhim by the Certified CropAdviser Award all the moredeserved.

Ron has always been active incommunity service,” said one ofAlms’ farmer clients and pastKCFB President Eldon Gould ofMaple Park, in a letter in supportof the award nomination. “Thiscould not be more evident that hisdeveloping the beef classes at theKane County Fair and workingclosely with the livestock showand auction at Elburn Days.”

Gould added that Alms hasbeen willing to represent ElburnCooperative when the companywas being recognized for anaward, but he made sure theCoop was in the spotlight – nothimself.

Ron Alms(continued from page 7)

Kane resolution urges action on taxes

Kane County Farm Bureaudelegates to the IFB AnnualMeeting in December submitteda Sense of the Delegate Bodyresolution to urge Congress totake action on, and make perma-nent, tax policies that affect areafarmers. The resolution wasapproved on December 8 with-out a dissenting vote by the del-egate body made up of FarmBureau leaders from throughoutthe state. On December 16, theSenate voted 76-16 to passHR5571 tax extenders legisla-tion for 2015 as approved by theHouse of Representatives andsent it on to the President. Itincluded renewal of section 179of the tax code. Farm Bureauwill continue its work in thenext Congress to make theseprovisions permanent.

The KCFB resolution read asfollows:

WHEREAS, the Section 179small business expensing optionat $500,000 level is a valuablepart of the federal tax code thatprovides farmers and othersmall businesses an incentive toinvest in their operations; and,

WHEREAS, Section 179allows farmers to manage theirpurchases, cash flow, andincome in an industry subject tounpredictable fluctuations; and,

WHEREAS, Section 179 andmany other tax provisionsexpired at the end of 2013,including Farm Bureau-support-

ed 50 percent bonus deprecia-tion, deductions for charitabledonations of food and conserva-tion easements, and importantproduction tax credits for biofu-els and renewable energy; and,

WHEREAS, each of these taxprovisions is critically impor-tant to agriculture and other seg-ments of the U.S. economy asevidenced by the hundreds oforganizations, representing mil-lions of people, that have urgedCongress over the past year toseamlessly extend or make per-manent the expired tax provi-sions; and,

WHEREAS, failure to extendthese provisions represents a taxincrease, and repeated failure toextend them permanentlyinjects instability and uncertain-ty into the economy and weak-ens confidence in the job mar-ket; and;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE ITRESOLVED, that the Delegatesof the Illinois Farm Bureau, rep-resenting 407,388 members,call on Congress and thePresident to swiftly reinstateSection 179 at $500,000 leveland other essential business pro-visions for this year;

AND LET IT BE FURTHERRESOLVED, that the nextCongress act quickly on perma-nent tax law that provides cer-tainty for farmers and smallbusinesses and enables econom-ic expansion.