By Katie Dahlstrom, KCFBFoundation Spring InternA new DVD, “Deep Roots:

Legacies of 150-Year-Old

Family Farms”, is now availablefor $15 at the Kane CountyFarm Bureau. Deep Roots is astory woven of history, prideand distress. The documentaryis driven by the families livingon sesquicentennial farms inKane, Kendall and Boone coun-ties and their tales of farm life,heritage and love for the land.

Produced from 2003-2008and completed in 2011, thefilm chronicles the richand vibrant historyof the Flanders ofKane County,the Christiansand Kelloggsof KendallCounty, andthe Lees ofBoone Countyin their ownwords. While thefilm documentsrewarding and peacefulfarm life, it also expresses theurgency and necessity to protectthe farms in jeopardy of beingswallowed by development.

“The question for some ofthese long-time family farms is,are they going to be the genera-tion in which it ends,” said

Janice Hill, one of three mem-bers of Bamboo RiverProductions, the film’s creator.

Hill is a planner for the KaneCounty Development Depart-ment and administers the coun-ty’s farmland protection pro-gram. Kane County’s is the onlyfunded program in Illinois,which has protected theFlanders farm, ensuring it will

always be in agriculture.“That’s forever,” said

Hill. “Not much isforever.”

The com-pelling andhonest inter-views demon-strate that theworth of these

farms extendsfar beyond their

monetary values.The film explores the

various issues with whichmodern farmers are confronted;from farms teetering on theedge of control to the Flanders’protected farm status, all thefeatured sesquicentennial farmsinstill pride and raise questionsabout the future of NorthernIllinois’ rich farmland.

Farm documentary DVD available

The Kane County FarmBureau Foundation Board hasannounced that it will awardnearly $21,000 in scholarshipsfor the 2011-12 school year.Seventeen students have beenselected to receive $1,000KCFB Foundation GeneralScholarships and one highschool senior was chosen toreceive the $1,500 President’sScholarship. The Foundationalso administers the $1,000 JohnBuck Memorial Scholarshipaward and the $1,250 Chuck

Swanson Memorial Scholarship.The Kane County Farm

Bureau Foundation was estab-lished in 1986 by the KaneCounty Farm Bureau to carryout charitable work in theadvancement of agricultural lit-eracy and preparing studentsand leaders for careers in theagriculture industry.

As a not-for-profit entity, theKane County Farm BureauFoundation solicits and distrib-utes private funding for agricul-turally related scholarship, educa-tion and leadership training, Ag-

in-the-Classroom programs, AgLiteracy Library development,charitable activities and research.

The Foundation Board com-mends these students for thequality applications that weresubmitted and extends whole-hearted congratulations to theseyoung leaders of tomorrow.Best wishes to these students asthey pursue their academic stud-ies in college and prepare tobecome future leaders inAmerica’s most essential indus-try, Agriculture.

In mid-March, KCFBPresident Joe White of Elburnjoined 20 fellow members of theIllinois Farm Bureau, and sever-al IFB staff members, to travelto Washington, DC,where they met withmembers of Illinois’Congressional delega-tion to discuss issuesimportant to farmers andto ask for their supporton upcoming legislation.

Delegation membersmet with their 16 U.S.Representatives or theirstaff and with U.S.Senators Dick Durbinand Mark Kirk. Items onthe agenda includedrequesting support forH.R. 872, a bill whichwould reaffirm the FederalInsecticide, Fungicide, andRodenticide Act (FIFRA) as thesole federal law regulating pes-ticides, and for H.R. 910, a billthat would revoke theEnvironmental ProtectionAgency’s authority to drive up

energy prices by regulating car-bon dioxide and other green-house gas emissions.

The group also sought sup-port for pending Free Trade

Agreements (FTAs) with SouthKorea, Colombia and Panamaand for transportation infra-structure.

In their meetings, group mem-bers placed particular emphasison the urgency of ratifying theoutstanding FTAs, noting that

continued administration inac-tion – particularly on theColombia agreement – is causingU.S. corn and wheat farmers tolose an ever-increasing share of

the Colombian grainexport market.

The delegation alsospent a morning at theoffices of the UnitedStates Department ofAgriculture. Membersheard from USDA staffmembers on energy poli-cy, transportation, andrisk management. Thetrip also included a meet-ing with USDA DeputySecretary KathleenMerrigan. In advance ofthe congressional andUSDA meetings, the

group attended briefings withAmerican Farm BureauFederation staff.

IFB has sponsored Leadersto Washington for approximate-ly 20 years. Trips are takentwice each year, in March and in September.

★★★★★★★★

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 5Board of Directors, 7:30 pmMay 9-13SPROUTSMay 11Women’s Committee, 9:15 amMay 11-12Defensive Driving – Noon to4pmMay 30Memorial Day – Office Closed

VOL. 76 NO. 5 MAY 2011

Kane County FarmerKane County Farmer

Haas receivesPresident’s Scholarship

The KCFB FoundationPresident’s Scholarship hasbeen awarded to William“Buddy” Haas. This honor isreserved for the high school sen-ior among Foundation scholar-ship applicants possessing themost outstanding combinationof scholastics, activities, goalsand ACT score. Buddy willreceive a $1,500 award for the2011-12 school year.

Buddy is the son of Stephenand Caryn Haas of Elburn. Heattended St. Charles North HighSchool where he was active inmany activities including actingas Student Body President andChairman of Project Dance, afundraiser to help Kane County

students participate in theSpecial Olympics. He has alsobeen active in 4H, serving asVice-President and President ofhis club and as a Kane County4H Ambassador.

Buddy has exhibited cattleand pigs at county fair showssince he was eight years old andcurrently owns and operates hisown cattle herd. He raises pure-bred and shorthorn plus cattleand sells calves from his herd tolocal 4Hers. He plans to use hisexperience with animals in hisprofessional career, and willpursue a degree in Large AnimalVeterinary Business at theUniversity of Illinois. `

KCFB FoundationPresident Joe Whitecongratulates BuddyHaas of Elburn, therecipient of the$1,500 President’sScholarship. Buddywill pursue a degreein Large AnimalVeterinary Medicine.See more futureagriculture industryleaders on page 7.

Farmers meet D.C. legislators

KCFB Foundation scholars announced

KCFB President Joe White, at right, talks with Con-gressman Randy Hultgren (left) along with JamesUfkin on the March IFB Leaders to Washington trip.

Save the date!

Dairy Breakfast & Farm TourSaturday, June 18 • 6-11 a.m.

Dale & Linda Drendel Farm, HampshireSponsored by local dairy farmers and the

Kishwaukee Dairy Herd Improvement Association

See page 7 to order this month’s delicious special–Baby Back Ribs!

After careful consideration, the KCFB Foundation Boardselected the following students to receive scholarships for the2011-12 school year. More scholarship bios will appear in theJune Farmer.

Nolan AndersonBen FabriziusOlivia FabriziusWayne GehrkeCarolyn GehrkeWilliam HaasLeah Horton

Stephanie HortonTimothy JanewayDoris KaralesAlex KleinEric LehrerKayla Meyer

Matthew PaulsenTrent PiersonKarissa PitstickKristin PitstickKate St. JohnCharlene SteiningerSarah Weirich

Following over three hoursof volunteer set-up for theKCFB Foundation’s 6th annualTouch-A-Tractor event, and abrief picnic for volunteers anddirectors assisting, PresidentJoe White called the monthlymeeting of the Board ofDirectors to order at 7:30 p.m.,In attendance were FarmBureau Manager Steve Arnoldand members of the YoungFarmers Committee, includingDale Pitstick, Heather Pierson,Trent Pierson, Steve Schramm,John and Lauren Biddle, DavidMarshall and Clayton Feldott.

The Young Farmers deliv-ered a report on the FebruaryYoung Leader Conference. DalePitstick and Heather Piersontalked about the March YoungLeader Tour to Arizona.

Following discussion onactivities and volunteer oppor-tunities at Touch-A-Tractor, JoeWhite delivered the President’sReport. He announced that PaulRasmussen, President of theDeKalb County Farm Bureauhas announced his candidacyfor IFB District 1 Director.White circulated a list of 20 stu-dents approved for 2011 KCFBFoundation scholarships fromthe 33 applications received,and announced that JimO’Connell was appointed to theKane County Farm BureauFoundation Board.

In other news, White report-ed that KCFB’s annual HarvestLeadership Picnic is scheduledfor Wednesday, September 21 atGoebbert’s Pumpkin Patch inHampshire. White provided fol-low-up to County President’sMeetings and recent FarmBureau policy discussions.

Steve Arnold updated theBoard on activities performedby and planned for Farm Bureauspring intern Katie Dahlstrom.

Sarah Carson, an Ag Educationmajor at University of Illinoishas been selected for the sum-mer internship. Arnold alsoreported the following: KCFBpaid a $1,000 sponsorship forthe Living Well Cancer Centerfor Bridge Walk; improvementshave been completed on theHVAC system in the KCFBboard room; the spring editionof the Cultivator newsletter wasmailed to local legislators andKCFB voting members; Touch-A-Tractor guests will be able tovote for the food pantry theywould like to receive all fooddonations at the event; and therewill be a free gift for anyonesigning up for KCFB member-ship during Touch-A-Tractor.

Alan Volpp presented theTreasurer’s Report including aquarterly investment portfolioand actions taken at the March31 finance committee meeting.

Farmland ProtectionCommission updates weredelivered by Joe White andMike Kenyon. In March, Whiteand Steve Arnold met withJanice Hill, administrator of thatprogram for Kane CountyDevelopment. Arnold reportedthat the Regional PlanningCommission has scheduledpublic outreach meetings inApril and May for land use,transportation and communityhealth planning. The public isable to provide input on longrange planning efforts includingland resource management,energy plans and communityreinvestment. White said thenext IL 47 Corridor StudyWorking Group would be heldon April 14. White shared hisexperiences on the MarchLeaders to Washington trip.Issues discussed with D.C. leg-islators included pesticide mon-itoring, free trade agreements,

trucking regulations and FarmBill funding.

Kenyon gave the KaneCounty Board report, includingdiscussions on reducing the sizeof that board through redistrict-ing. In the IFB Board report,Kenyon provided details onmembership bylaw discussionsand said there is a District 1“Ya’ll Come” meeting tentative-ly planned for late June inCrystal Lake. Kenyon and Vice-President Wayne Schneiderreported on visits to local leg-islative offices through KCFB’s“Lunches to Legislators” pro-gram in March.

In Ag-in-the-Classroomnews, Beth Engel provided arecap of Ag Days at Mooseheart.The SPROUTS reading programis set for May 9-13 and volun-teers are welcome.

Directors were informed thatpledge cards for the 2011Harvest for ALL hunger reliefeffort are now available at theFB office and atwww.kanecfb.com. A June 17Volunteer Appreciation Outingis planned to a Kane CountyCougars Game to thank volun-teers who participated in mak-ing Farm Bureau’s ag literacy,public policy and communityevents successful. KCFB willuse that event to kick-off a vol-unteer membership drive/com-petition. Volunteers will pair upand report back at the July 7Board meeting for a Steak &beans picnic.

The following thank younotes were circulated: JaniceHill and Mark VanKerkhoff,Kane County Development forinviting Ms. Hill to the IFBGovernmental AffairsLeadership Conference; StateRepresentatives Kay Hatcherand Sara Feigenholtz for theoffice visit during Lunches toLegislators; Aurora MayorThomas Weisner and AuroraInterfaith Food Pantry’sMarilyn Weisner for inclusionin the Food Check OutShopping Spree; DeniseMunaretto, Lake-in-the-Hills

Elementary for Ag in theClassroom materials. Also cir-culated was an announcementfrom Pete Schafer, Presidentand CEO of Northern Illinois

Food Bank regarding an April30 Volunteer Day.

The next regular meeting isscheduled for May 5, 2011 at7:30 pm.

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2011

You receive the Kane CountyFarmer because you are a FarmBureau member. If you are afarm operator or owner, you ben-efit 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 theFarmer.

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLYSteven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorElizabeth Dawson, Membership Secretary

Audre Pack, Training SpecialistRyan Klassy, Information Director

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: Mail form 3579 to2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

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

n DISTRICT 1Aurora, Sugar Grove,Big Rock Twnshp.Gene Feldott8S696 Barnes Rd.Aurora, IL 60506630-892-2197Jeff Bornemann4S985 Dugan Rd.Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-1626Donna Lehrer7S027 Jericho Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511630-556-3476n DISTRICT 2Kaneville, Blackberry,Gen./Bat. Twnshp.Bill Collins1125 Lewis Rd.Geneva, IL 60134630-232-2043Karl Kettelkamp0S860 Rowe Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-365-2713

Joe WhitePresident47W727 Main St. Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-557-2517n DISTRICT 3Virgil, Campton,St. Charles Twnshp.Frank Carlson104 Sumac CourtSt. Charles, IL 60174630-513-9980Chris Collins1143 AndersonElburn, IL 60119630-934-4642Al Lenkaitis, Jr.6N352 Fair Oaks Dr.St. Charles, IL 60174630-561-9514n DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.Alan VolppSecretary/Treasurer9N728 Peplow Rd.Hampshire, IL 60140847-683-3681

Mike Kenyon1250 E. Main St.South Elgin, IL 60177847-741-1818Robert Gehrke12N860 Route 20Elgin, IL 60123847-697-2538n DISTRICT 5Hampshire, Rutland,Dundee Twnshp.Beth Engel15N638 Walker RoadHampshire, IL 60140847-683-3482Gerald Gaitsch10613 Brittany Ave.Huntley, IL 60142847-669-2003Wayne SchneiderVice President721 Lindsay LaneWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-3350

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEOCTOBER 2010 THRU SEPTEMBER 2011

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG SEPT

J. BORNEMANN X X X X X XF. CARLSON X X X X X X XB. COLLINS X X X X X X XC. COLLINS X X X X X X XB. ENGEL X X X X X X XG. FELDOTT X X X X X X XG. GAITSCH X X X X X XR. GEHRKE X X X X XM. KENYON X X X X XK. KETTLEKAMP* X X XD. LEHRER X X X X XA. LENKAITIS JR. X X X X XW. SCHNEIDER X X X X X X XA. VOLPP X X X X X X XJ. WHITE X X X X X X X*appointed March 2011

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!

April KCFB board meeting review

In March, KCFB hosted its 26th Annual Ag Days at Mooseheart.Teaching hundreds of fourth graders about agriculture would not bepossible without the support of dozens of volunteers. For helpingmake the event a success, the Kane County Farm Bureau extends oursincere THANKS to:

Ag Days Thanks!

Luke AllenMitch ArnoldChuck BauerHelen BauerKen BeeverJohn BiddleAndrea BornemanChase BornemannDoris BraddockLinda BradleyJillian BraunElizabeth BretscherBill BrownKirk BunkeStephanie BurakDarin ButlerJoseph ColemanBob ConroPaul DiehlMary DiehlLinda DrendelBeth EngelGerard FabriziusPeg Feltes DodalPatrick FidlerJoe FidlerJenny FlintBeth GehrkeKay GoldensteinJoe GorenzMike Gorenz

Lorie GrahamElmer GramleyCheryl HackbarthElizabeth Hagen-

MoellerPat HarrerNancy HeisnerJanet HodelEric HorneLorayne HrysaCandice JacobsLouise JohnsonKen JohnsonJeff KeiferMike Kenyonluen KhawDan KleinAlex KleinJudy KleinRandy KleinCassie KoukolBrad KriegelJonathan KuesterBev KuipersLinda LanceDonna LehrerAl Lenkaitis Jr.Barbara LeonardLinda LoodlAlice MacCallum

Nancy MeyerKen MeyerHarvey MillerKelsey MusichSusan NolaMary OcleseuseleferTom PavelkoMicheal PepperCarrie PollardSandy PortincasoBonnie ProkopGerry ReganJim ReynoldsDeanna RobyTom RyterskeAnna SanfordWayne SchneiderDan SkerstonCathy SodomaRay SodomaLizzie ThompsonRuth ThompsonWhitney ThompsonCarolyn ThompsonKenneth TowlesBill WolcottDon YoungCentral (Burlington)

FFAKaneland FFAHinckley-Big Rock FFA

Find out more ...www.kanecfb.com

Grand Prize – Choice of:Restored 1950 Farmall Cubantique tractor,or a John Deerezero-turn mower, or $2,500cash:

Frank Engel, Hampshire

2nd prize - $1,000 in groceries:Jim Gutzmer, Prospect

Heights

3rd prize - $500 in fuel:Mike Wurtz, St. Charles

MAY 2011 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

Kane County Farm Bureau memberA family name serving the Fox Valley & surrounding area for over 50 years

Young Farmers participate in Ag Industry TourYoung Leaders from across

the state traveled to Arizona lastmonth to take part in the IllinoisFarm Bureau’s Young LeaderAg Industry Tour. The purposeof this annual agriculturaladventure is to provide IllinoisFarm Bureau Young Leaderswith exposure to marketingtechniques that improve farmprofitability, to highlight inno-vative ideas, show how farminputs are produced and howfarm products move in thehands of consumers.

Young Farmers ChairmanDale Pitstick of Maple Park andHeather Pierson of Elburn tookpart in this year’s trip. The fol-lowing is Heather’s day-by-dayrecap.

Young Leader Tour 2011Day One: Phoenix to Yuma

We started our trip with arose farm that grows barerootroses. During the summer, theseroses can get to be 6 feet tall andthere are approximately 17,000roses per acre. They start with asix-inch stem of rose and plantit in the ground to take off on itsown. Once it starts to bud out agrafting process of a certainvariety occurs and then anythingthat buds or blooms above thatgraft will be that certain variety.In the field where we were, wegot to see both one-year and

two-year roses.Hickman Egg Farm was our

next stop, which consisted of aprocessing plant for eggs. Wegot to see everything from pack-aging, cleaning, cracking theeggs, hard-boiled egg process,

to the chickens laying the eggs.It was very interesting to see theprocess for such a delicate prod-uct. During the cleaning andhard-boiled egg process an eggcan never be submerged underwater! You would think that achicken farm may be dirty or

smell not so great, but it isextremely clean with all wastegoing to a mulch pile.

Butterfield Dairy, a familyowned operation, was the laststop to a great first day! ForArizona, this was considered asmaller farm with 5,000 head ofcattle. They had a self-automat-ed milking system that fit 80head at a time. There was a hos-pital area for the cattle thatneeded to be tended to alongwith a nursery. To clean some ofthe pens out they had a gravity

controlled flushing system thatconsisted of turning on a waterpump that flushed the pen clean.Day 2: Yuma to Tucson

The morning of day 2 wetraveled into California (Yumaborders California/Arizona stateline) for the morning to see theproduction of cilantro and let-tuce at Top Flavor Farm. Insectsare not a large concern forArizona since it is so dry, butaphids are of concern every nowand then. For cilantro and lettuceproduction, workers are skilledin cutting, trimming, bundling,and packaging the cilantro asbest and efficient as possible.

Bard Date Company showedus date trees, which were not inseason at the time. A date treecan grow a foot per year andafter five years they become pro-ductive. Some of the oldest datetrees around are about 85 feettall. Trees that we got to seewere between 5 feet and 45 feettall. At the packing plant theysort for grade, cool to a certaintemperature, and package forcompanies like Costco. An inter-esting fact about dates is that ittakes 10-degree temperatures toget a date to freeze because oftheir high sugar content. So ifyou ever get a date and it lookslike it is covered in white, it ismost likely just sugar crystals!

To finish up a day of longtraveling we visited an ostrichfarm where we got to take a tourof the farm, learn about ostrichesand feed them. Ostriches can beutilized for their high qualityfeathers, their skin and meat.Their skin has distinctive circlesfrom the feathers on most of thebody, but is smooth underneaththe wings. While a female ostrichis producing an egg she has thecapability of fixing a damaged or

cracked egg by adding anotherlayer over the egg. Day 3: Tucson Area

The pecan farm we got to seewas also not in season, but we gotto see how they trim the trees.They trim every fourth row, androtate from year to year.

King Anvil Ranch is an oper-ating ranch that is 35 miles fromthe Mexico border. There weheard about issues with immi-gration and border patrol.

The University of Arizonawas the last stop where we gotto hear about an interesting proj-ect they are working on with amoth that can cause severe dam-age to the cotton crop.Day 4: Tucson back to Phoenix

We visited Schnepf Farm,which is an agritourism businessclose to Phoenix, AZ. There youcan pick your own peachesalong with a train ride aroundthe farm, a hayride out to theorchards to see the peach treesbloom this time of year, a bak-ery, and lots of activities for thekids to keep active. They havetwo festivals which attract mostof their customers, one in Mayand the other in September/October. During their May festi-val, they can get as many as15,000 people a day if not more,and during the fall festival, theycan get up to 300,000 customersa month.

At Queen Creek Olive Millyou can sit down outside andenjoy a nice meal and learnabout the production of olives.When they are harvesting olives,you can go and listen to theprocess of producing olive oiland at the end of the presentationyou can even get a taste of thatfresh Extra Virgin Olive Oil that

Dale Pitstick and Heather Piersonstand inside an automatedcarousel milking system capableof handling 80 cows at one time.The 5,000 head Butterfield Dairy inArizona was one of the stops onthe 2011 IFB Young Leaders AgIndustry Tour in March.

Winner’s ChoiceTractor Raffle winners

On April 10 at Touch-A-Tractor the winners were drawnin the KCFB FoundationWinner’s Choice Tractor Raffle.Congratulations to the followingwinners and thank you to every-one who sold and purchasedtickets. Proceeds from the raffle

helped the Foundation award 20scholarships totaling nearly$21,000 to local students pursu-ing degrees in agriculture-related fields.

Kaneland FFA member ChaseBornemann stirs the over 1,500entries in the Winner’s ChoiceTractor Raffle before drawing thewinning tickets.

Buffet andBuffet at

VolunteerAppreciationNight June 17

On June 17, the KaneCounty Farm Bureau will hostan invitation only night offood, fun and fireworks atElfstrom Stadium. Invited vol-unteers will watch the KaneCounty Cougars take on theClinton Lumber Kings andenjoy a buffet of ballparkfavorites – including hot dogs,hamburgers, bratwurst andrefreshments. This year’sevent is planned for “JimmyBuffet Night” at the ballpark,including a pregame parrot-head parade, limbo contest,Jimmy Buffet music contestand post-game fireworks.

Members who committedvolunteer hours to FarmBureau programs and activi-ties in the past year willreceive official invites, whichwill gain them entry to enjoythe game from the LeinieLodge in right field. There’sstill a chance to be a part of theFarm Bureau’s starting lineup!Put your name on the invitelist for this night at the ball-park by reading to a classroomthrough our SPROUTS pro-gram May 9-13. You’ll be edu-cating kids about agriculture –and signing yourself up forsome good summer fun in theprocess. Questions? Call theFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660.

(continued on page 7)

May is always a busy timewith school coming to the

end for the year and so manyprograms. We had a great AgDays, complete with sunshineso all our outdoor stations couldbe viewed by all the students. Atthe end of the program, we werevisited by a group of educatorsfrom China here to learn aboutAmerican agriculture.

Our next program was Toucha Tractor. Once again, we wereblessed with wonderfully warmand sunny weather for Saturdayand Sunday, so our crowds werelarge, to say the least. I alwayslike to see the children play in

the corn, ride the tractors, touchthe baby chicks and learn aboutagriculture in Kane County.

We chose the winners for ourannual bookmark contest in lateApril. I will be visiting the class-rooms of the winners to awardtheir certificates and have a funtime with the entire class learn-ing about Illinois agriculture.

SPROUTS (Spring ProgramOf Reading Outreach To UrbanTeachers and Students) will takeplace in early May. Volunteersand I will be visiting some KaneCounty third grade classroomsto read The Heartland, discussarea farming, and leave behind

an agricultural based book forthe classroom library.

Dairy breakfast comes inearly June, a highlight for manyfamilies. I hope to see a lot ofyou at the Drendel Farm on the18th of June. Not only is itexciting for the children to visita working dairy farm, but thepancake breakfast is yummy.

Also in June is our KaneCounty Agricultural Tour forTeachers. It is always a week offun hands on learning for theteachers. There’s still time tosign up if you are an interestedteacher. Either contact me, or go onto the ROE website to register.

On a personal level, I want tothank all of you who supportedme during my recent kneereplacement. All your thoughts,prayers, and good deeds weregreatly appreciated. May you allhave a wonderful spring.

The United States Cookbookis a delicious mixture of funfood trivia, fascinating tidbitsabout each state’s history andtraditions, and yummy recipesyou can cook yourself.

For example, it says of Illinois:60% of the world’s supply ofhorseradish comes from Illinois.The processed food companiesSwift Premium, Oscar Mayer,Louis Rich and Kraft were startedin Illinois. The recipe for Illinoisis a deep dish pizza.

AG LITERACY CORNERBy Suzi Myers

Book of the Month

The United States Cookbook by Joan D’Amico and

Karen Eich Drummond

The United States Cookbookis just one of the many booksavailable at the Kane CountyFarm Bureau Ag LiteracyLibrary for checkout by FarmBureau members.

The Ag Literacy Library wasestablished based on a requestof long time Farm Bureau mem-bers Bob Konen and Dean Dunnthat Farm Bureau provide booksabout agriculture for locallibraries. The organizationinstead chose to begin buildingan in house collection of booksabout agriculture, floriculture,horticulture and related topics,for all ages, at the Farm Bureau

office in St. Charles.Whether your passion is gar-

dening or landscaping, childrenbooks or novels, for researchpurposes or just good literature,if it’s farm or food related, weare building a collection ofbooks to meet your needs. Andas a member, you can checkthem out for free.

The Farm Bureau alsoaccepts donation of new or gen-tly used books and periodicalsabout agriculture. To check outour growing collection, or makea donation, stop by the FarmBureau office on Randall Roadin St. Charles.

Lending library for members

Calling all teachers!2011 Summer Ag Institute June 13-16

KCFB’s annual Summer AgInstitute and Kane County agri-cultural tour for teachers isscheduled for June 13-16. Theweeklong course focusing onagriculture offers three graduatecredit hours in cooperation withAurora University, or Con-tinuing Professional Develop-ment Units. The tour helps preK-12 grade teachers integrateinstruction about the food and

fiber industry into their presentcurriculum.

The course includes fieldtrips to farms and other produc-tion enterprises, agribusinessessuch as food processors,research facilities, retailers, andhorticultural operations. TheKane County Farm Bureauorganizes the Summer Institutein partnership with the KaneCounty Regional Office of

Education, Aurora University,and local agriculturalists. Call630-584-8660 for more infor-mation or register at www.kaneroe.org.

Summer Ag Institutegives teachers achance to tour localfarms and agri–businesses anddevelop new agricul-tural lessons for easy integration into theircurriculum.

Read to a third gradeclass through the

SPROUTS readingprogram, May 9-13.

Call Kane CountyFarm Bureau at630-584-8660

for details.

Now showing at anelementary school

near you:

Defensive Driving class There’s still time to sign up

for the 55 Alive Mature DrivingProgram set for Wednesday andThursday, May 11 and 12 at theKane County Farm Bureau. Theeight-hour class runs from noonto 4:00 p.m. each day. Both ses-sions must be completed. $12per person for AARP membersand $14 for non-members(payable the first day) to coverthe cost of materials. Call 630-584-8660 to register. Attendees

must be licensed drivers andpre-registration is required.

HCE newsThe Henpeck Unit of Kane

County Home Community andEducation will meet at 1:00 pmTuesday, May 17, at the home ofDorothy Gurke in Elgin. TheLesson for Living HANGINGBASKETS will be presented byBetty Nissen. Call Peggy Grossat 847-683-3826 for directionsand details.

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2011

MAY 2011 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ___________________________________ Telephone (_____) _____________________

Email ______________________________________________________________________________

Please complete and return to the Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 by May 15, 2011 for your chance to win a 5-pound box of our delicious May special, baby back ribs.

Q D T B X B N Y C N C V J C P

W E I X P B V O F R I E N D S

L K U C O Q S U T O E H B H S

A O R H T Y A P H G O E A U H

O M F I A B L X A T N M L S R

C S C C T L Z I D T B I Y O I

R K O K O Z L O M U U A X A M

A A B E C P G I R A D L W E P

H N S N H S H G R I F F A P L

C J R X I S E Q L G S O U W I

C O U G P R A O T E K S I R B

C H A V S G H L T R E L I S H

S E C U A S H A A G I S O D A

S E V I T A L E R D S B Y L J

S D Q A S P Q P S W S T S X B

Barbecue

Compiled by Beth Dawson and Suzi Myers

BBQBRISKETCHARCOALCHICKENCORNFAMILYFRIENDSFRUITGRILLHAMBURGERSHOLIDAYSHOTDOGSLEXINGTONPLATESPOTATO CHIPSRELATIVESRELISHRIBSSALADSSAUCESSHRIMPSMOKEDSODASPATULA

Congratulations!Virginia Toy of Sugar Grove. Virginia’s name was chosen from

the entries received for correctly completing last month’s WordSearch Puzzle. For her participation, she receives a garlic keeperand press. Thank you Virginia, for reading the Kane CountyFarmer, and continue to watch each month for more great oppor-tunities from the Kane County Farm Bureau.

NationalBarbecue MonthAsparagus MonthEgg MonthHamburger MonthSalad MonthStrawberry Month

Shrimp Day 10Brisket Day 28BBQ Day 31

United States• An outdoor party with friends,

family and food• American barbecue has its

origins in the 1800s, whenpoor farmers would capturesemi-feral pigs when foodwas scarce.

• The meat is generally unmari-nated before being put on thegrill, where it’s brushed withwhatever kind of sauce isavailable or popular. Morethan anywhere else, Americanbarbecue makes use of specif-ic kinds of wood to impart fla-vor in the meat: in Texas,mesquite brush is common,but hickory and oak are morereadily available elsewhere.

Korea• Korean barbecue usually

looks more like a meal at arestaurant than a summerblock party.

• The meat comes raw, andpatrons sit at a special table,cooking their meal on a char-coal or gas grill in the middle.

Cuts of beef, pork, and chick-en are the norm, most mari-nated in a garlic-soy saucemixture.

South Africa• South Africans call their bar-

becue braai, from theAfrikaans word for roastedmeat (braaivleis).

• Like most barbecues it’s verymuch a social event, and therole of braaier (head chef) is acoveted position.

• Sausages, kebabs and steakare all standard fare. A tradi-tional Bantu porridge calledpap, similar to grits or polen-ta, is a popular side dish.

Philippines• No celebration is complete

without a whole pig roastedover hot coals.

• The pig is brushed with itsown fat, keeping the meatmoist and the skin crunchy.Whole chickens and cattle areoccasionally used as well.

Australia• No real Australian has ever

said “put another shrimp onthe barbie”. The whole thingcame from an Americanadvertising campaign withPaul Hogan (of “CrocodileDundee” fame) – Australiansactually say “prawn” insteadof “shrimp.”

• Australia is a country thatloves its barbecue. It’s so pop-ular that many public spacesactually have coin-operatedgrills, and with so many greatbeaches to have cook-outs onit’s no surprise the traditionhas taken hold.

• The “sausage sizzle,” howev-er, is what makes Australianbarbecue special. Sausagesare grilled, put on white breadwith onions and tomatosauce, and sold for a dollar ortwo.

The NationalBarbecue Associationdesignates each Mayto celebrate and pro-mote all things BBQ.The idea is to pro-mote the flavor, funand family ties ofgood barbecue intheir own unique andstylish ways.

National

MHOHNHTHH

Barbecue vs. grillingDid you know that most back-

yard “barbecues” are really notbarbecues at all?

Grilling is fast cooking overhigh heat, while barbecuinginvolves a slower cookingmethod over a lower heat.

Grilling is done over a gasflame or hot coals. Tender cutsof meat are best for this cookingmethod. The quick cooking andthe high heat seal in the juices,creating a juicy piece of meat,but leave the meat on too long,and it will dry out, as with anydry cooking method. Vegetablesand fruits can also be grilled, asthey don’t need a long cookingtime. Peaches and pineapple areparticularly good for grilling, the

natural sugars in the fruitcaramelize over the high heat.When you grill food, you need to

pay attention to it so it doesn’tget overcooked. You need to stayby the grill the whole time.

Barbecuing is done over char-

coal or wood, although gas canbe used. The meats usually usedin barbecuing are tougher cuts ofmeat, such as the beef brisket, orpork ribs. These meats benefitfrom the long, slow cookingprocess, becoming so tenderthat they will just fall off thebone. Since the cooking processis slower, and the heat is not ashigh as grilling, barbecue saucecan be brushed onto the meatthroughout the cooking process,forming a delicious glaze on theoutside of the meat. Apple juiceis sometimes sprayed onto themeat to keep it moist and flavor-ful. Damp wood chips added tothe fire add a delicious smokyflavor to the meat.

BBQ’ing around the worldBarbecue facts• Lexington, NC is known as the

Barbecue Capital of the World• Barbecues have been a White

House tradition since ThomasJefferson

• The original barbecue sauce,dating back hundreds ofyears, is vinegar and pepper

• 81% of U.S. households owna grill

• Top three grilling days: 4th ofJuly, Memorial Day, Labor Day

• Northeasterners are thebiggest barbecuers

• Most grilled food items arehamburgers, steaks, chicken,and hot dogs

• An annual barbecue is held formembers of Congress. OnSeptember 12, 2001, the bar-

becue was cancelled and theWhite House kitchen used the700 pounds of beef tenderlointo feed the hundreds of rescueworkers who had traveled toWashington after the 9/11attacks.

• Most commonly preferredside dishes on the grill arecorn, potatoes, and other veggies

• Most common barbecue uten-sils are long handled tongs,forks, long handled spatulas,and grill cleaning brushes

• Competition barbecuing isone of the hottest hobbies inthe country with hundreds ofcook-offs held throughout all50 states

Southwest: • Dominated by barbecued beef. • Rubs are commonly found in

Southwest BBQEastern: • Main BBQ meat is pork, which

is usually sliced or choppedup

• Sauce is usually thin, vinegaryand peppery

Appalachian region: • Pork is the main meat and is

usually shredded with sauce

poured over it• Sweeter sauce made with

molasses, tomatoes and pep-pers is used

• Cornbread and/or coleslaw isserved with the BBQ

Midwest region: • Pork and beef are used for

barbecues• Sauces are mild sweeter

tomato based sauces • Baked beans, coleslaw, or

fries are served with BBQ• Beef and pork ribs are very

popular in this region

BBQ regions of America

May is ...

Risks, weather occupythoughts in the tractor cab

The dollars and risksinvolved in farming makes oneOhio grain farmer feel like anuntrained pilot in a jet airplane,according to the recentDTN/The Progressive FarmerAgriculture Confidence Index.The index, an indicator of agri-culture’s economic pulse, showsfarmers are optimistic about thepresent and cautious about thefuture, particularly about whatthe next year will bring.

While risk managementbecame part of a farmer’s jobdescription years ago, the needfor this skill never has beengreater. The financial risksinvolved in farming today are

higher than ever, two farmerstold me recently in separatephone interviews. All I hadasked was what concerns wouldbe on their minds in the tractorcab this spring. The answeredthe same: financial risk fol-lowed by the ever-concerningweather.

In terms of financial risk, thedollars are higher on both theexpense and revenue sides ofthe spreadsheet. The value forcorn and soybeans, the state andnation’s top crops, have soared,historically speaking. Andinputs follow suit: Farmland isexpensive to buy. Land rental,seed, fertilizer, feed, insuranceand fuel to run the tractors arehigh, too. Meanwhile, thevolatility of corn and soybeanprices teamed with the uncer-tainty of this year’s crop successcan be enough to make youshake your head at your ownthoughts. “Today, prices movemore in one month than in 30 years of farming,” a farmerexpressed to DTN/TheProgressive Farmer.

And that’s specifically where

marketing plans, or strategiesfor when to sell commodities,has become one element of riskmanagement. I know a club offarmers who meet twice amonth outside of planting andharvest seasons to discuss mar-keting. Their table talk is morethan charts and weather predic-tions. They also discuss globalissues that impact their profitsin small-town Illinois, such asthe soybean harvest inArgentina or the earthquake inJapan, the largest importer ofU.S. corn.

A farmer once told me hehad the “easy” job in the familybusiness as a primary providerof manual labor. I identified thesarcasm, knowing his “easyjob” included some 16-hourdays and greasy maintenancework under the planter. Inessence, it’s less stressful forhim to stick to the manual laborand let the family partners man-age the books. This puts in perspective how much morestressful and challenging thefinancial management side offarming has become.

After the long cold winter Ihope you are enjoying the

“succession of blooms” thisSpring! I was in Boston in lateMarch. They are a week or soahead of our growing season, sowhat I saw blooming there beganblooming in St. Charles after Ireturned. Washington D.C. iseven further ahead and it wasalready cherry blossom time.

Did you know that the skinof a green moray eel is actuallybrownish? The Shedd Aquariumsays that there is a coating ofyellow mucus on the body sothe eel appears green! I thoughtthis was an interesting fact. Inmany cultures, eel is a nutritiouspart of the diet. Also, anyonewho likes sushi may have alsoeaten smoked fresh-water eels,called unagi, or salt-water eels,called anago. Eels can be raisedon fish farms, but should beraised in a closed system, ratherthan in open pens, so the waste

can be treated.Airplane travel has become

very tedious and it is a bigsource of infection, according tomy doctor. I was told that thefirst thing you should do whenyou get in your seat, before youbuckle your seatbelt, is to shutoff the air. If someone 10 seatsahead of you has any illness,their germs will be blowingright into your face, if you leavethe vent open. This is becausemost of the cabin air is re-circu-lated, with very little outside airmixed into it.

There will be a Summer AgInstitute and Teacher Tour againthis year. This is an enjoyableway for teachers to earn 3 cred-it hours in a partnershipbetween the Kane County FarmBureau and Aurora University.Suzi Myers has more informa-tion about this course elsewherein the paper.

Rhubarb should be available

now. Here is a delicious recipefrom our 2005 brochure. Lookfor our 2011 recipe brochurewhen your favorite fruit andvegetable stand opens.Cream Cheese Rhubarb Pie

1/4 C. cornstarch1 C. sugarPinch salt1/2 C. water3 C. sliced fresh or frozen

rhubarb (1/2” pieces)1 unbaked pie shell (9”)Topping:1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese,

softened2 eggs1/2 C. sugarWhipped creamSliced almonds

In a saucepan, combine thecornstarch, sugar and salt. Addwater and stir until thoroughlycombined. Add rhubarb. Cook,stirring often, until mixtureboils and thickens. Pour into thepie shell; bake at 425° for 10minutes. Meanwhile, for top-ping, beat cream cheese, eggsand sugar until smooth. Pourover pie. Return to oven; reduceheat to 325°. Bake for 35 min-utes or until set. Cool. Chill sev-eral hours or overnight. Garnishwith whipped cream and slicedalmonds.

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2011

Women’s CornerBy Louise Johnson

Women’s Committee Chair

A new study on hunger entitled “Map the Meal Gap”is the first study to identify the county-level distribution ofover 50 million food-insecureAmericans.

“Until now, we could onlycompare the data by state,” saidCraig Gundersen, University ofIllinois associate professor ofagricultural and consumer eco-nomics. “Having this data bycounty has the potential to rede-fine the way service providersand policy makers address areasof need.”

Gunderson explained that theterm “meal gap” refers to theadditional number of meals thefood insecure population in theselected area requires to meettheir food needs. On the nation-

al level, the average cost of ameal is $2.54. The study showsthis shortfall represents an esti-mated $21.3 billion on an annu-al basis.

“Per person this is only about$56 more each month on average to address the shortagesin their food budget,”Gundersen said.

Among the key findings ofthe study is that there are 44counties in the United States thatfall into the top 10 percent cate-gories for both food insecurityand food prices. “These countiesstruggle with multiple stressors,including high food insecurity,high poverty, high unemploy-ment and above-average foodcosts,” Gundersen said.

This study also demonstrates

the distribution of food-insecurepersons who are not eligible forfood assistance programs. InIllinois, for example, 41 percentof the almost 2 million peoplewho are identified as being foodinsecure are also ineligible toreceive federal assistance fromSNAP, which is limited to peo-ple with incomes up to the 130percent level of federal poverty.(SNAP, The SupplementalNutrition Assistance Program,was formerly known as theFood Stamp Program.)

A summary of the findings,an interactive map of the UnitedStates showing data for eachcounty, and the full report areavailable on Feeding America’swebsite at www.feedingamerica.org.

Study shows hunger hitting closer to home

Special thanks go tovisitors who broughtover 250 pounds offood to Touch-A-Tractor to aid inKCFB’s Harvest forALL hunger reliefeffort. Each donationearned an extra entryin the FREE pedaltractor drawing. Allfood was donated toSt. Peter’s foodpantry.

___ YES, I want to help to restock a local food pantry.For FARMERS:___ I will donate: ___ one acre or ___ bushels of:___ nn corn nn soybeans nn wheat nn (other, specify)__________ or___ *I will donate crops that can be gleaned from my fields after

harvest, or___ ** I will donate excess produce from my farmers market

standFor NON-FARMERS:___ I will donate $_________ to Harvest for ALL, or,___ nn *I will volunteer myself or ___________________ (group)

to glean crops from farm fields, or,___ nn **I will volunteer myself or ___________________(group)

to glean produce from farmers markets* ** KCFB Foundation will make every effort to match requests from individuals andgroups to glean farm fields and farmers markets to producers who offer this oppor-tunity. Perishable products from those efforts should be directed to shelters desig-nated with an asterisk (*) below.

Name_________________________________________________

Address_______________________________________________

City, State, Zip __________________________________________

Phone (__________) ____________________________________Checks may be made payable to the local food pantry of your choice,

the Northern Illinois Food Bank or the Kane County Farm BureauFoundation–Harvest for ALL. All donations received without a local food

pantry designee will be donated to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.Send to: Harvest for ALL, c/o Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation,

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

___ Holy Angels Pantry, Aurora___ *Hesed House, Aurora___ Salvation Army, Aurora___ Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry,

Aurora___ Hope for Tomorrow, Aurora___ Center for Family Services, Aurora___ Assisi Homes, Batavia___ Logan Street Missionary, Batavia___ *Interfaith Food Pantry, Batavia ___ FISH Pantry, Carpentersville___ Elburn Food Pantry, Elburn___ St. Peter’s Food Pantry, Geneva___ First Congregational, Geneva

___ Community Crisis Center, Elgin___ Centro De Information, Elgin___ Bethesda Church of God, Elgin___ Lighthouse Food Pantry, Elgin___ *PADS of Elgin___ Burlington-Hampshire Food Pantry___ South Elgin Food Pantry, S. Elgin___ *Lazarus House, St. Charles___ Salvation Army, St. Charles___ Between Friends, Sugar Grove___ NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK

___ Other _______________________

_______________________________

KANE COUNTY

FOUNDATIONFOUNDATIONFOUNDATION

Kane County Farm Bureau offers its sincere appreciation to thefollowing for their pledge to combat hunger in our communities.

Thank you new participants for 2011...Donor(s) BeneficiaryRobert Burgin Hesed House, AuroraJon DeRaedt TBAFantastic 4H Club TBA

All members who contribute$250 or more in crops or cash to alocal food pantry through Harvestfor ALL in 2011 will receive one lim-ited edition Harvest for ALL brand-ed lightweight Lands’ End jacketcourtesy of the Kane County FarmBureau. Our way of saying ...thanks!

Visit www.kanecfb.comor call 630-584-8660for more information.

Farm, Food & Fuel BriefAFBF MARKETBASKET – Retail food prices at the supermarket increased during the first quarter of2011, according to the latest AFBF Marketbasket Survey. The informal survey shows the total cost of16 food items that can be used to prepare one or more meals was $49.07, up $2.10 or about 4 percentcompared to the fourth quarter of 2010.

The KCFB Foundation hasselected Matthew Paulsen, asenior at Hiawatha High School,to receive the John BuckMemorial Scholarship for the2011-12 school year. Matthewwas selected from a pool of 35applicants in a seven countyarea. This fall he plans to attendKishwaukee CommunityCollege to start his major inDiesel Power Technology.

Matthew is the son of Jeffand Lauri Paulsen of Clare. Hehas worked on his family’s farmsince a young age. His dutiesthere have included caring forfeeder cattle, maintainingequipment and raising cattle toexhibit at shows through 4-Hand FFA. He also works at alocal farm stand, with responsi-bilities from spring plantingthrough fall harvest.

Matthew received a number

of academic honors while inhigh school, including HonorRoll, National Junior HonorSociety and National TechnicalHonor Society. He has beenactive in his FFA Chapter,served as the Chapter Sentineland President, and received theFFA Proficiency Award in thearea of Diversified AgProduction Placement.

The John Buck MemorialScholarship provides $1,000 fortuition and fees for astudent pursuinghigher education inan agriculture relat-ed career field. 2011marks the tenth yearthis scholarship hasbeen awarded. It wasmade possible by agenerous gift fromthe family andfriends of John

Buck, who established the BuckBrothers, Inc. John Deere deal-ership in Hampshire in 1977.

The scholarship is availableto any student in the eight coun-ty service area around the BuckBros./J.W.Turf John Deere deal-ership in Hampshire. For moreinformation on Kane CountyFarm Bureau’s FoundationScholarship programs, contactSteve Arnold, ExecutiveDirector at 630-584-8660.

FOR SALELarge hay and straw 3x3x8 bales,and feed oats. 847-436-2538Loader with backhoe 14 ft., Ford545 A 1985-88, only 2,475 hrs.,good condition, always starts,good farm utility tractor, 630 67363541985 Ford Ranger with truck cap.Auto, low mileage, white withbrown trim, runs well, depend-able, some rust. $1,800, will con-sider selling truck & cap sepa-rately. Call: 630 466 1638 SERVICESNew horse barns with under-ground utilities and earthwork(grading, electric & water),drainage tiles, pasture clipping,mowing, spraying, new seeding,renovation seeding & fenceinstallation. We follow UofIExtension best management rec-ommendations. 5% discount forFarm Bureau members. GalushaFarms: Tom Berning 630-330-9970, BerningEarthWorks@com-cast.net; Steve Berning, 630-878-6350, steve@GalushaFarm.com,630-330-9970Aurora Sportsman Club, 7858Preserve Rd., Waterman. OPENHOUSE dates April 9, May 14,June 11, and August 13. Safetymeeting required 10 a.m. and 12noon. FOID card required for freeuse of Rifle and Pistol Range.

Small fee for Trap Range. Call formore information or www.auro-rasc.org, 815-264-9000WANTEDKane County Farm BureauFoundation is seeking a goodrestored antique farm tractor, anymake/model, for our 2012Winner’s Coice Tractor Rafflefundraiser for college scholar-ships. Call Steve at 708 650-8661.Used 16-20 ft. disk. $1,200 orless. Call Church on the Rock.847-961-6974Seeking land to farm hay thisyear. 630-514-2155 or 630-514-2153Land to hunt for next BowSeason. Will rent or trade forpainting/handyman services. CallMark or Dave, 630 406 3000Wanted: H.S. boy for garden workafter school or Saturdays intosummer part-time. 630 584 32741-2 acres land for long-term leaseto establish field trials for grapes.Within 30 miles of St. Charles.Call Sam 630-513-6609.HELP WANTEDPart-time office/clerical in St.Charles. Afternoons, 5 days/wk.Send resume with work, salaryhistory and references to P.O. Box673, St. Charles, Il 60174-0673.WANTED TO RENT1 tilled acre with water sourcewithin 15 miles of Aurora forgrowing vegetables. Call: 312 3300774

Spring means baseball teamsare back on the field. During

each broadcast of my team’sgames, they give a report called“down on the farm” where theyreport on talented major leagueprospects playing in the team’sminor league clubs, known asfarm teams.

The Farm Bureau has its ownminor league of sorts, and youcan read about these promisingup-and-comers in the scholar-ship feature this month. TheFoundation Board had the chal-lenging task of narrowing theimpressive field of 35 applicantsto just 20 recipients.

These young men andwomen are studying at collegesand universities across the coun-try, with professional goalsranging from growing the foodyou eat to managing the systemsthat deliver it. Some will earndegrees in education, so theycan pass on to the next genera-tion the knowledge they gatherat school and what seems like a

life-time of skills already gainedthrough activities in 4-H, FFA,and community service. Be sureto read their bios in this and nextmonth’s Farmer. The enthusi-asm they have for the industryindicates a bright future for agri-culture.

Some of the same studentsare also members of our YoungFarmers Committee, a group of18-35 year old KCFB memberswho have been busy latelyattending IFB leadership activi-ties and tours and assisting withAg-in-the-Classroom eventslike Ag Days and Touch-A-Tractor. This group may beyoung, but their contributionsare not minor, and many of themare already in the major leagueswhen it comes to raising thefood, fiber and fuel we rely on.If you fall into the age range andare looking for a way to posi-tively affect your communitywhile honing your professionalskills, please give us a call forinfo on their next meeting.

MAY 2011 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

THE FARM TEAMBy Ryan Klassy, Information Director

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.

Mail to: Kane County Farm Bureau,or fax to (630) 584-0023. Non-member ad rate: payable with ad,$10.00 – 20 word maximum per ad.

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CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDD AADDSS

Recruiter of the monthEach month, Kane County

Farm Bureau honors the personor persons who sign the mostmembers into our organization.This month we would like toc o n g r a t u l a t eBobbi Bostonand LukeFawkes. Bothhave signed sixnew members tobe named toprecruiters.

Bobbi hasbeen an agent withCOUNTRY’s St. Charles/ElginAgency since November 2004.Bobbi’s office is located at2N710 Randall Rd St. Charles,60174. You may reach Bobbi at

630-584-0001.Luke has been an agent with

COUNTRY’s St. Charles/ElginAgency since June 2006. Luke’soffice is located 18114

G r a n d s t a n dPlace, Elgin60123. You mayreach Luke at847-742-0001.

As a token ofour apprecia-tion, Bobbi andLuke will

receive two tickets to theCharlestowne Movie Theater.Thank you, Bobbi and Luke foryour continued support of theKane County Farm Bureau andcongratulations on your success.

BobbiBoston

LukeFawkesSt. Charles/Elgin Agency,

Bob Effner, Agency ManagerTORY CHIAPPELLI – REP-

RESENTATIVE OF THEMONTH

Congratulations to ToryChiappelli! Tory has beennamed Representative of theMonth for March 2011 in the St.Charles/Elgin Agency, asannounced by Agency Manager,Robert J. Effner, Sr. Tory haspositively impacted her clientsthrough auto, home, life, busi-ness and investments.

Tory has been with COUN-TRY® Financial since February2009. She services her clients

from her office located at40W099 Rt. 64, Unit C, CamptonSquare in Wasco, St. Charles,60175. You may reach Tory at heroffice at 630-587-7440.Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency Manager

Zach Fox, FinancialRepresentative with the AuroraAgency, is our FinancialRepresentative of the Month forMarch, 2011. Zach began hiscareer with COUNTRYFinancial May 2007 and servic-es clients out of his office locat-ed at 1161 Oak Street, Unit 4,North Aurora, 60542. You mayreach Zach at 630-907-0796

What’s new in theCOUNTRY® agencies?

St. John receives Chuck Swanson Memorial Scholarship

Kate St. John has been cho-sen as the recipient of the$1,250 Chuck SwansonMemorial Scholarshipadministered by theKCFB Foundation. Sheis the daughter of PaulSt. John and BonnieOgle of Sugar Grove.

Kate graduated withhonors from theUniversity of Illinois in 2010 andis currently a first year student atthe U of I College of Veterinary

Medicine. She has raised andexhibited sheep poultry and hogs

through her 4-H chapterand has sold eggs, meatand vegetables from thefamily farm at localfarmer’s markets. Thoseexperiences helpedshape her lifelong goalof becoming a veterinar-ian. As an undergrad,

Kate participated in many activi-ties including ProductionMedicine Club, Pre-Vet Club and

the Illini Dairy Club. The Chuck Swanson

Memorial Scholarship wasestablished by the family andfriends of the former FarmBureau Director and long-timevolunteer to provide awards forstudents residing in KaneCounty pursuing a degree in anagriculture-related career field.It is one of 20 scholarshipsawarded by the Kane CountyFarm Bureau Foundation for the2011-12 academic year.

Kate St. John

Paulsen gets Buck Memorial Scholarship

John Buck Scholarship recipientMatthew Paulsen (right) with hisparents Jeff and Lauri, sold raffletickets at Touch-A-Tractor toraise funds for KCFB Foundationscholarships.

you just saw being processed.There is also a store where 95%of their production is sold andyou can taste their production of

different flavors of olive oils. Itwas a great end to yet anothergreat Illinois Young Leaders AgIndustry Tour!

KCFB Young Farmers activi-ties are open to members age18-35. New faces are alwayswelcome!

Young Farmers(continued from page 3)

Baby Back RibsPeople just love these ribs, and we thought Mother’s Day was

the perfect time to offer them again! These are very meaty ribsand have been described as “pork chops on a stick”.

Each five-pound box contains four half-slabs of uncooked,unseasoned ribs. We are selling each delicious box for $26 to pluspackage members, and $27 to “A or M” members. Available onlyduring the month of May or while supply lasts!

While you’re here, grab a bottle of great tasting “pork spice”seasoning. Perfect for ribs and good tohave on hand for delicious chops orchicken any time. A 12 oz bottle is$5.75 for “A or M” members and$5.50 for plus package members.

MAYSPECIAL

For staffing, set-up and demonstrationsGladys Arnold Bob BiddleLauren BiddleJeff BornemannFrank CarlsonBill CollinsChris CollinsNicole CollinsDoyle CraneKatie DahlstromRay EggertBeth EngelClayton FeldottGene FeldottJim FeuerbornJerry GaitschCarolyn GehrkeWayne GehrkeLisa GeislerCheryl HackbarthHeather HeinrichMike HeinrichLouise JohnsonRuth KaralesBev KuipersDonna LehrerAlbert LenkaitisCurtis MarschinkeDavid Marshall Katie McDonaldMike McDonaldCecilia NassJim NassJim O’ConnellEmma Pappas

Heather PiersonDale PitstickJim ReynoldsSteve SchrammRachel SorensonAlan VolppBonnie WhiteBurlington Central FFA:Scott MannMitch DiekhoffMike Dorband

Kaneland FFA:Mitch DienstChase Bornemann

Plus tractors,farm equipment& materialsJohn BiddleBuck Bros.Anne & Sarah Carson

Paul ChristensenGerard FabriziusPrimrose FarmBob GehrkeEldon GouldDan HeinrichMike KenyonKarl KettlekampLes KlecknerDave KlussendorfBrad KriegelKuipers FamilyFarmAndy Lenkaitis

Bernice ManessNancy MeyerBruce NagelErwin PanzerLeonard PanzerRandy PauliDale PiersonTrent PiersonGerry Regan

Wayne SchneiderJay SchrockBeulah SwansonRobert SwansonJoe White

Thank you!

1. Two-year-old Topher Gibson of Geneva poses with the John Deere pedaltractor he won at Touch-A-Tractor. Over 1,100 kids 8 years old and underentered the FREE pedal tractor drawing.

2. The front lawn was packed thanks to temps in the 80’s on one of the firstweekends of Spring. Hundreds of families enjoyed the day playing in the farmatmosphere created by the equipment, farm animals and straw bales.

3. Members of the Burlington Central FFA Chapter welcomed Touch-A-Tractorguests and helped them sign up for KCFB Foundation raffles.

4. Jeremy Demand of Aurora stands atop a platform on the Case Quad TracTractor belonging to Bruce Nagel of Sugar Grove. Farm Bureau volunteers gavetours inside the cabs of two tractors, a combine and a sprayer.

5. Volunteers brought in 18 antique tractors and a number of vintage farmimplements to give youngsters a close up look and a chance to sit behindthe wheel.

6. A live remote and free prizes from Y103.9 were new additions to Touch-A-Tractor.

7. The animals, including these pygmy goats, were a crowd favorite.

Sixth Annual Farm-City event raises friendsand funds for KCFB Foundation

This year’s Touch-A-Tractor was an event to remember. Moreguests than ever got a glimpse of farm life and the equipment thathelps Kane County farmers plant, harvest and care for their crops. Thelines to see the baby chicks extended out the doors and the steeringwheels of 18 antique tractors were kept turning by hundreds of youngsters.

“We were very happy with the turn out,” said KCFB Director Beth Engel, who helped keephamburgers and hot dogs rolling off the grill on Saturday. “We couldn’t have asked for betterweather and there were lots of families, lots of kids – and that’s what it’s all about.”

“This is a fun event for us,” said Kara Young of Algonquin who camewith her kids Shane (6) and Ruth (2). “They remember this event every yearand ask to come back to sit on the tractors. We really don’t get a chance todo this anywhere else.”

At the conclusion of the event, the KCFB Foundation recognized 20local students who received scholarships for the 2011-12 school year anddrew winners in the Winner’s Choice Tractor Raffle. (See raffle winnerslisted on page 3).

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2011

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Warm weather graces

Many volunteers contribute to the success of Touch-A-Tractor.The bringing together of families, the smiles on the faces of the kids ...and the farmers, who are rightly proud of their profession, made it allworthwhile!

Kane County Farm Bureau and our Foundation offer a special thanks to the following, for makingequipment available, for demonstrations, for help with set-up and staffing during the event and other-wise assisting in the success of this farm-city relations program. Without your help, Touch-A-Tractorwould not be possible.

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