Culver’s of North Aurora,South Elgin and Carpentersvillewill be helping at Touch-A-Tractor on April 8th, 9th &10th! From noon-2:00 pm eachday, Scoopie and his helpers

will be handing out singlescoops of custard coupons.Culver’s is there to support theKane County Farm BureauFoundation and our farmers!Culver’s “Thank You

Farmers” programs at partici-pating restaurants across theU.S. have helped to spreadawareness and generate supportfor our nation’s hardworkingfarmers.

Culver’s restaurants havedepended on family farms sincethe first restaurant opened in1984. Don, Julie, Serena &Gavin Michels, owners of NorthAurora, South Elgin, andCarpentersville Culver’s, wantto show their gratitude by help-ing support the next generationof farmers. Touch-A-Tractorprovides an excellent means ofoutreach to the farm communityand to the consumers whodepend on it.For over 30 years, Culver’s

guests have been treated tocooked-to-order food made withfarm-fresh ingredients,served with a smile. Theever-expanding franchisesystem now numbers morethan 560 family-ownedand operated restaurants in

22 states. The restaurants’nationally-recognized customerservice is based on small-town,Midwestern values, genuinefriendliness and an unwaveringcommitment to quality.Signature items include theaward-winning ButterBurger®,made from fresh, never frozen,beef, and Fresh Frozen Custard,including the famous Flavor ofthe Day program. For moreinformation on Culver’sRestaurants, visit http://www.culvers.com.

All trademarks belong to CulverFranchising System, Inc.

Y ou don’t have to travel tothe country to get a close

up look at farm life. The FarmBureau invites your family toTouch-A-Tractor, our annualfarm-city community event,April 8-10, to celebrate agricul-ture and the coming of spring.Easy to understand signs next tothe modern farm machinery willexplain the technology that goesinto planting and harvesting ournation’s food supply. More than adozen antique tractors from areafarms will be on hand for Momand Dad to get that perfect photoof the kids for the grandparents.Kids can participate in

hands-on activities, ride pedaltractors, shell corn, see farmanimals, play and sit in the seatof one a dozen tractors. Therewill be a FREE Pedal TractorDrawing for kids 8 and under –one entry per child. Visitorswho bring non-perishable fooditems for local food pantrieswill receive one additional entryin that drawing.Hours are Noon to 4pm on

Friday, 10 am to 4 pm Saturday,and 10am to 3pm Sunday. Thereis no cost for admission. Newfor 2016, Culver’s of NorthAurora, South Elgin &Carpentersville will be at

Touch-A-Tractor! From noon-2pm each day, April 8th, 9th &10th, ScoopieTM and his helperswill be handing out singlescoops of custard coupons. The Elburn Lions Club will

prepare hot dogs and bratwurstfor purchase from 11-2 onSaturday and Sunday. A donutcart will be on hand to providefresh, hot snacks for the kidsand FFA volunteers will providefresh, hot popcorn for a dona-tion. New this year on Saturdaywill be face-painting and bal-loon animals for kids, andKuipers Family Farm will bringthe ever popular “Apple Pickin’Ramblin Race”. These activitieswill take place on Saturdayfrom 10-2.

On Sunday, April 10, the“Moo-gician” will providestrolling music and comedy from11-2 with a stage show in theFarm Bureau building at 2 p.m.At 3pm the Kane County FarmBureau Foundation willannounce scholarship recipientsfor the 2016-17 school year,announce the winners in theFoundation’s annual Winner’sChoice Tractor Raffle, the not-for-profits’ biggest fundraiser forscholarship and agricultural liter-acy programs and will draw onewinner under 8 years of age for aFREE pedal tractor, complimentsof the Kane County FarmBureau.

Enhance the quality of life for member families;Promote agriculture, farms & food; and,

Advocate good stewardship of our land and resources.

VOL. 81 NO. 4 APRIL 2016

Welcome Spring with Touch-A-Tractor, April 8-10

CONNECT WITH US

April Featured Product

Honey BBQChicken BreastsThe Special this month is

Honey BBQ ChickenBreasts. Each 5 lb. box comeswith 8oz., individually sealedboneless, skinless chickenbreasts marinated in a deli-cious honey BBQ sauce.These would be great on theirown, served on a bun, orcooked on the grill!The member price is

$25.00, PLUS members$23.50, and $29.00 non-Members. Available onlyduring the month of April orwhile supplies last.

FARMERS ANDLANDOWNERSYou have a vested interest

in agriculture. Wouldn’t youlike to take charge of yourfuture by setting policy andbuilding relationships that willlast throughout the next gener-ation of agricultural landown-ers and farm leaders? If youhave a desire to gather ideasand do something about thechallenges and opportunitiesof farming in Kane County,you should consider runningfor a seat on the Kane CountyFarm Bureau’s Board ofDirectors. See page 2 for moreinformation.

Touch-A-Tractoris a FREE event

at theKane CountyFarm Bureau.

The fun lasts allweekend long,April 8-10.

Bring your child/grandchild and get a photo on theseat of an antique tractor, see the newly hatchedbaby chicks and get a FREE entry (8 years &younger) in our annual Pedal Tractor drawing.DATES TO REMEMBER

AprilApril 4-5IFB & Affiliates YouthConferenceApril 6-7IFB Governmental AffairsLeadership ConferenceApril 7Board of Directors, 7:30 pmTouch-A-Tractor set up, 4 pmApril 8-10Touch-A-Tractor, 10-4 each dayApril 94-H Foundation Fundraiser,4:30-7 pmKane County FairgroundsApril 10Scholarship AwardsRecognition, 3pmApril 10Tractor Raffle Drawing, 3:15 pmApril 10-16National Volunteer WeekApril 11-29SPROUTS in classroom reading programApril 124-H Government DayApril 21Ag Committee, 10 am, County Board RoomApril 26-27Defensive Driving

CulversTM to join KCFB Foundation’s T-A-T team

Join Scoopie from Culver’sat Touch-A-Tractor, April 8-10 for a coupon for a singlescoop of custard at partici-pating Culver’s restaurants.Scoopie and his helperswill be at Touch-A-Tractorfrom noon-3 each day atthe Kane County FarmBureau on Randall Road inSt. Charles.

The Kane County FarmBureau is seeking eligible can-didates for election to the asso-ciation’s Board of Directors. AFarm Bureau director is an indi-vidual who helps provide gover-nance, set policies, and supportsthe philosophy and actions ofthe organization. Directorsshould be willing to dedicatetime to make a difference inagriculture and to provide direc-tion, inspiration, and motivationto the largest, most influentialand effective farm relatedorganization in Kane County. Eligible candidates are

“MM” members (farmers andfarmland owners) residing inKane County.Five directors will be elect-

ed, by ballots mailed in May, toMM members in each respec-tive District. KCFB has five dis-tricts each made up of threetownships. To suggest potential candi-

dates for election, membersshould call 630-584-8660 byApril 15.

CALLING ALL FARMERSAND LANDOWNERS!

Do you have an interest inagriculture? Would you like totake charge of your future bysetting policy and building rela-tionships that will last through-out the next generation of agri-

cultural landowners and lead-ers? Do you have a desire togather ideas and do somethingabout the challenges and oppor-tunities of farming in KaneCounty? Then perhaps youshould consider running for aseat on the Kane County FarmBureau’s Board of Directors.

The KCFB Board consists of15 directors, three seats in eachof five East-West districts.District 1 consists of Aurora, BigRock and Sugar GroveTownship; District 2 isKaneville, Blackberry, Genevaand Batavia Townships; District3 is Virgil, Campton and St.Charles Townships; District 4 isBurlington, Plato and ElginTownships; and District 5 isHampshire, Rutland, and DundeeTownships. With the approval ofnew bylaws in late 2015, thereare now 5 seats up for electioneach year, 1 in each District.

Our members belong to theFarm Bureau for many reasons.Some join to take action onbehalf of agriculture. Others jointo support Farm Bureau policiesor assist with program efforts.Farm Bureau works on the locallevel, in Springfield and inWashington D.C. to supportaction not just on farm issues, buton many of the same thingsyou’re concerned about: protec-

tion of private property rights andthe quality of the rural environ-ment, tax policies and economicgrowth, and the quality and safetyof our food supply. As a regular(voting) member, you are eligibleto run for the Board of Directorsand help look out for the bestinterests of all of our members.The KCFB Board meets the

first Thursday evening of eachmonth. For more information,about service on the Board ofDirectors, please contactPresident Joe White at 630 557-2517, Manager Steve Arnold at630 584-8660 or any member ofthe Board of Directors. To nom-inate yourself or a neighbor forconsideration, please fill outand return the form below to theNominating Committee byApril 15.Board elections will be held

by ballots mailed to regular(voting) members of the associ-ation in May.

March 10thA Legislative Briefing meet-

ing and dinner for the Board,Young Farmers, Legislative vol-unteers and guests was heldbefore the Board of DirectorsMeeting at 6:00 pm. The meetingconsisted of a panel discussionwith Senator Karen McConnaug -hay, IFB Northeast LegislativeCoordinator Christina Nourie,and Ben Marcum, LegislativeAssistant to Representative KeithWheeler. The panelists gaveinstructions about how to haveeffective legislative office visitsfor the Lunches to Legislatorsprogram, and to review IFBLegislative Priorities. The March meeting of the

Kane County Farm BureauBoard of Directors was called toorder at 7:20 p.m. Severalguests including AgricultureCommittee Chairman T.R.Smith, and Kane County BoardChairman Chris Lauzen, and hiswife Sara, were present.Directors reported on several

topics and events. Engel report-ed on the upcoming Leaders toWashington and B. Collins onthe upcoming 4-H fundraiserpork chop dinner. Donna Lehrer

stated that the Meet the BuyersEvent is March 22 at theNorthern Illinois Food Bank.Beth Gehrke presented a reporton the Food for ThoughtRegional Advertising Com -mittee that was held Tuesday,March 1 at Brookfield Zoo. Shereported that last year’s totalsfor participation in the programincluded 17 County FarmBureaus throughout 20evenings, expanding the IllinoisFarm Bureau’s agricultural andpromotional messages to anaudience of 320,000 people.In local news, T.R. Smith,

Agriculture Chairman of theKane County Board, thankedthe Board for his experience inthe Shopping Spree in February,he also was thankful for theKCBF’s support at theBeekeeping Town Hall and insponsoring Illinois AssociationFFA Secretary Susie Thompsonon the Illinois LeadershipSeminar for State Officers toSouth Africa. Thompson gave areport of her experiences to theKane County Ag Committee inMarch.FB Manager Steve Arnold

gave an update on the upcoming

Touch-A-Tractor event. Touch-A-Tractor and the accompany-ing Winner’s Choice TractorRaffle is the Kane County FarmBureau FOUNDATION’slargest fundraising event andmuch planning is involved inmaking the details of the eventcome together. Directors dis-cussed entertainment, additionaltractors, and activities for theevent.Committee Reports were

delivered including a report onand request for assistance atAgDays, to be held on March15 and 16 at Mooseheart, andSPROUTS to be held on April11-29.The Board received thank

you letters from Citizens forDan Wilbrandt for the opportu-nity to interview with ACTIVA-TOR Trustees (Schneider &Gaitsch); and from Nan Long, aH-BR FFA Alumni thanking theKCFB for the donation for theFFA fundraiser.The meeting was adjourned

at 10:30pm. The next scheduledmeeting will be held Thursday,April 7 at 7:30 pm immediatelyafter setting up for the Touch-A-Tractor event.

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER APRIL 2016

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLY

Steven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorAudre Pack, Training Specialist

Elizabeth Polovin, Member Services CoordinatorCarolyn Gehrke, Interim Communications ConsultantValerie Johnson, Administrative & 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

William KeckP.O. Box 281Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-4668

■ 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

Dale Pitstick128 N Hadsall St.Genoa, IL 60135630-816-0223

■ 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.

Joe Engel516 Sawgrass Ln.Hampshire, IL 60140847-347-5561

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 a farmoperator or owner, you benefitfrom a local, state and nationalorganization committed to agri-culture and your way of life.

If you do not have direct tiesto farming, your membershiphelps promote local farms andfarming, encourages wise use ofour limited natural resources andpreserves 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 heritage andhistory related topics for inclusionin future issues of the Farmer.

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEOCTOBER 2015 THRU SEPTEMBER 2016

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

KCFB Board Meeting

FarmWeekNowFor the tenth time in 10

years, Illinois Farm BureauYoung Leaders earnedAmerican Farm BureauFederation’s top award for rais-ing the most Harvest for ALLmoney – $998,085. YoungLeaders also nabbed the topaward for the most hours volun-teered and the most innovativeproject in the Harvest for ALLprogram.Young Leaders throughout

the state raised funds throughcollections at conferences,silent and live auctions, toy trac-tor sales, and Harvest for ALL

campaigns conducted by countyFarm Bureaus. They also volun-teered 5,675 hours, whichincluded working at county andstatewide events at food distri-bution centers and local foodpantries.Kane County Farm Bureau is

one of the leading counties inIllinois in the Harvest for ALLprogram. In 2011, KCFBaccepted the Summit Award –the highest award an associationcan receive – from ASAE, theCenter for AssociationLeadership. Characterized byone industry publication as “theNobel Prize of Associations”,

the Summit Awardshonor organizationsthat advance Americaand the world throughtheir work.

Illinois Young Ag Leadersreceive national award

Illinois Young LeaderState CommitteeChairman Evan Hultine(center) accepts theAFBF’s top award forraising the mostHarvest for ALL moneyfrom AFBF PresidentZippy Duvall (right), andAFBF Vice PresidentScott VanderWal.

Nominations sought for KCFB Director

TO: Nominating Committee, Kane County Farm Bureau2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174

Name (please print) ______________________________________

Mailing Address _________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Township________________________ District # ______________

Telephone (_________) ___________________________________

Signature ______________________________________________

Membership # (if known)__________________________________

Form completed &returned by: Name _______________________________________

Mail to this form to: Kane County Farm Bureau,2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174

Return on or before April 15, 2016The Nominating Committee will evaluate candidates

and propose a slate to run for director.

A great service the FarmBureau offers its members issoil testing. Make sure your soilis ready for spring planting.Visit www.kanecfb.com andclick on benefits and servicesfor a soil test form, or pick oneup at the KCFB office. Deliversamples to Kane County FarmBureau with payment. Resultsare sent directly to you by mail.Call 630-584-8660 for moredetails.Prices listed are for KaneCounty Farm Bureau members.Ask us how to save even morewhen you upgrade your mem-bership to a PLUS membership.

Why test your soil? Soil in itsnatural state is rarely fertileenough for the best growth ofplants. Usually it is necessary to

replenish the earth’s store ofplant nutrients to obtain the mostvigorous lawn, the most abun-dant and brilliant flowers, theprettiest trees and shrubs and thegreatest yield of fresh veggies.

When is the best time to testsoil? Proper sampling is impor-tant to obtain accurate results.Samples can be taken any timeduring the warmer months,when soil temperatures are atleast 55 degrees. If the soil istoo wet to spade, rototill or hoe,it is generally too wet to take asample. On the other hand,extremely dry soil should not besampled either.

How often should I test?Ideally, soil should be testedevery 3-5 years, more frequently

with intensive use. Try to sampleduring the same season eachtime for the best comparison.

Why does Farm Bureau pro-vide this service? Kane CountyFarm Bureau was founded in1912 as the Kane County FarmImprovement Association, to helpfarmers improve their productionpractices and increase the fertilityand productivity of their soil. Thisprogram is an extension of that. Ithelps you take the guess work outof gardening! Additional help for your

lawn & garden is availablethrough the University ofIllinois Master Gardeners.Contact them at 630-584-6166or visit their office at 535Randall Rd., St. Charles.

APRIL 2016 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

Winner’s Choice Tractor RaffleKCFB Foundation’s Scholarship Fundraiser

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

Name________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City, State, Zip _________________________________________

Email ________________________________________________

Phone (_________) ____________________________________Return by Sunday, April 10 with check made payable to

Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation, 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174 or charge my:

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

Signature ______________________________Date ___ / ___ / ___

Beef store is now open! By appointment only

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

815.895.4691Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park Sample Packs make great gifts!

Farm Bureau members haveuntil April 10 to get their chanceto win one of six great prizes inKane County Farm BureauFoundation’s Winner’s ChoiceTractor Raffle. All proceedsfrom the annual raffle benefitFoundation College Scholar -ships and Farm BureauAgricultural Literacy programs. Tickets are $10 each or 3 for

$25 and are available at KaneCounty Farm Bureau (2N710Randall Road, St. Charles),from the Farm Bureau directorslisted on page 2, with VISA orMasterCard at 630-584-8660, orby sending payment with theticket request form below.

In 2015, the Foundationawarded over $30,000 in scholar-ships & internships. These arethe young people studying tokeep our food system the best inthe world. Show your support for

their educational goals and get inon the fun of this annual raffle.Grand prize for the annual

raffle to be drawn at our Touch-A-Tractor event on Sunday,April 10, 2016 is the choice ofone of two antique tractors:1953 Farmall Super C, or a1947 Farmall Super A. If a trac-tor isn’t your thing, the grandprize winner can instead choosea John Deere riding lawnmower or $2,500 cash. There’sa great lineup of food, fuel andFarm Bureau prizes that includesecond prize of $500 in gro-ceries, third prize $500 in fuel,and fourth prize is $250 in KaneCounty Farm Bureau Bucks. Tickets are available at the

Farm Bureau office in St.Charles, by calling 630-584-8660, or by sending in theform below with payment byApril 10.

Help provide a strongfuture for farms & foodLast chance for foundation raffle tickets tobenefit college scholarship & a literacy

ECC’s Dr. Sam & T.R. Smith pile up $1,59787 in groceriesThe 15th annual Food

Check-Out Challenge ShoppingSpree was held on February26th to benefit two local foodpantries.

During the pre-event cere -mony, the food pantry represen-tatives and the courageous con-testants, Elgin CommunityCollege President Dr. DavidSam, and Kane County Agri -culture Committee ChairmanT.R. Smith, were briefed on therules. The rules suggested tofocus on non-perishable goodsand packaged goods that includ-ed canned goods, and wheat,corn, and soy. No more than twoidentical items (or shelf sweep-ing) were allowed.A whistle sounded. Elgin

Community College PresidentDr. David Sam hustled downone aisle. Kane CountyAgriculture CommitteeChairman T.R. Smith, barreleddown another. “Come on T. R.,” supporter

Barbara Brust hollered at him,as he tossed salad dressings thatbarely made it into his cart.“Come on, T.R., move it.”Other supporters shouted

similar exhortations to Sam tohurry up, as Sam zoomedthrough the pasta aisle, grab-bing noodles and sauce.Each side was followed by

supporters who would take

away the full cart and hand offan empty one, as Tom Hong, theretail liaison for the NorthernIllinois Food Bank, keptannouncing how many minutes,then seconds, were left. An announcement over the

store’s loudspeaker was madethat the Kane County FarmBureau had added one moreminute of time to their shoppingspree! During their 6 total minute

dash, the pair collected$1597.87 in groceries, pur-chased by the Farm Bureau anddonated to Elgin CommunityCollege’s Spartan Food Pantryand the Burlington HampshireFood Pantry. The event is traditionally

held during February, the timeby which most families haveearned enough to pay for theirentire food supply for the year.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. The Shopping Spree also

seeks to show consumers tostretch their grocery dollarswith healthy, nutritious food.The Farm Bureau recognizesthe fact that for many people,resources are stretched to thelimit. For that reason, each year

Elgin Community College President Dr. David Sam (left) and Kane County BoardMember T. R. Smith (right) shake hands at the end of the 15th annual Food Check-OutChallenge Shopping Spree.Top right: Dr. David Sam, President of Elgin Community College. Bottom right: T.R.Smith, Chairman of the Kane County Agriculture Committee.

public officials are invitedto “compete” to allow twolocal food pantries to stocktheir shelves with muchneeded items.Kane County Farm

Bureau extends its specialthanks to the BataviaJewel-Osco and theNorthern Illinois Foodbank for their partnershipin this Food Check-OutShopping Spree challenge.

Get your soil ready for spring

SOIL TEST COSTSBasic Test

$20 per sample for membersThis test checks for soil pH,phosphorus, and potassium.

Lawn/Garden Test$30 per sample for members

This test includes the basic testplus organic matter and recom-mendations on amount and timing of fertilizer.

Lawn/Garden Plus$50 per sample for members

This test includes the Lawn &Garden test plus nutrients, iron,zinc, manganese, copper, sulfurand boron. This test alsoincludes recommendations.

In April, Kane County FarmBureau volunteers will use awell-written book about agricul-ture and their knowledge of rurallife to teach area third gradersabout the job farmers do. TheSpring Program of Reading &Outreach to Teachers andStudents (SPROUTS) is a popu-lar program with students andteachers and reaches dozens ofclassrooms.SPROUTS volunteers will

read the book First Peas to theTable by Susan Grigsby andrelate the story to farms righthere in Kane County. Colorfulillustrations in the book are thework of Nicole Tadgell.If you’re interested in read-

ing a book to a classroom dur-ing the week of April 11-29, callKane County Farm Bureau at630-584-8660 to sign up.

A memorial fund establishedin memory of long-time FarmBureau volunteer and formerKCFB Director Bob Konen, andfunded by family and friends,has been designated to fundSPROUTS.

Why is it so hard to findtime for yourself? Why

aren’t the many time savingappliances or gadgets actuallyworking to increase our “freetime”? We have dishwashers, wash-

ing machines and dryers,microwaves, food that has beenpre-cooked, GPS systems, vacu-ums that have enough suction toclear a room of anything weigh-ing less than 5 pounds and dis-posable everything from razorsto towels. Yet, it seems that thereis less time in the day to relax.We can communicate across

the world with a push of the“send” button, we can record atelevision show for later view-ing; can catch up on all the lat-est news every second of theday, and correct our manu-scripts with ease (compared towhen I was in college and had

to keep retyping things becauseof mistakes).Time saving ... really? It

seems to me that we have just“saved” time so that we can doMORE in a day than we used to.No longer do we have to washdishes by hand while sharingconversation with the “helpinghands” of our children, spouse,or friend. Isn’t that saved timeactually lost time with others? How about the fact that we

can send a photo or video thatwe just took on our phone viaFacebook, Twitter, Instagram,Snapchat, or simply email it toour friends? We can wish some-one Happy Birthday, play agame with a friend and neverhave to leave our couch. Isn’tthat something to be celebrat-ing? Or is it?All of these modes of “com-

munication” lack the personal,

good old face to face type ofinteraction. Have you ever got-ten a text and taken the contentof it the wrong way? That does-n’t happen when we can see theother person’s face as theyspeak to us. We’ve even createdcyber bullies ... bullying thatcan even take place anonymous-ly ... the message is hurtfulwithout a person to blame for it. As I’m typing this article,

my computer doesn’t even rec-ognize Facebook, Instagram,Twitter, they are underlined forspelling errors. Something Ifound interesting, since they aresuch an integral part of ourdaily lives today. We can keep children occu-

pied in the car with videos, elec-tronic games and such ... towhat outcome? My grandchil-dren couldn’t even show mehow to take them to soccer prac-tice that their parents drive themto daily because they don’twatch anything but their deviceswhen in the car. Whatever hap-pened to looking out the win-dow or playing games like“alphabet” in the car? So, I guess what I’m trying

to point out is that we have somany time saving devices at ourfingertips, but what we lose byusing them is huge. We losetime for ourselves, as we justkeep doing more within eachday, because we can. We lose

Both school and personalgardens are very popular now.200 years ago, ThomasJefferson had extensive gardensat Monticello. First Peas to theTable addresses this gardenpopularity with a classroomcontest based on ThomasJefferson’s yearly competitionwith his neighbors to see whosepeas would be ready to eat first. Based on history and actual

facts from ThomasJefferson’s gardens, the bookis a winner of many awards,including American FarmBureau’s book of the year.As a side light, the Master

Gardeners had a ThomasJefferson garden out at theirtest plots last year, whichwas really exciting to see.Many of the seeds he used toplant are still available. We are using this book in our

SPROUTS program this year as

a giveaway book for theteacher’s classroom library. Thanks to a request years ago

by Bob Konen and Dean Dunnthat Kane County Farm Bureaustart a library of agriculturallythemed books for public use, wehave an ever growing selectionof titles. Feel free to come in tobrowse in our library and tocheck out books of interest.

Book of the month

Spring is here, which meansit is time for the Kane CountyMaster Gardener Help Deskto open for the 2016 season.Trained volunteers can fieldquestions on trees, shrubs,lawns, flowers, vegetables andmore.

The Kane County MasterGardeners are availableMonday through Friday from10 am to 2 pm. They can bereached by phone at 630-584-6166, or in the Master Gardeneroffice at the University ofIllinois Extension office at 535S. Randall Road in St. Charles. Questions alsomay be sent via email touiemg-kane@illinois.edu.

Kane County MasterGardener help deskopens for spring

First Peas to the Table by Susan Grigsby and

illustrated by Nicole Tadgell

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER APRIL 2016

AG LITERACY CORNERBy Suzi Myers

real communication with ourfamily and friends ... a vitalcomponent of personal happi-ness and contentment. We loseknowing about our environmentand interacting with it. March 4th was National

Unplug Day. Maybe we shouldconsider doing just that ...unplugging these gadgets and

spending some time feeling thewarm water while doing thedishes as we discuss the hap-penings of our day with ourfamily. Maybe we could reachout to a far away friend via snailmail and wish them a HappyBirthday or to let them knowthey are in our thoughts. Somethings to think about.

Now showingat an elementary

school near you ...

Read to a 3rd grade class through the SPROUTS reading

program, April 11-29.Call Kane County Farm

Bureau at 630-584-8660 for details.

FB volunteers to readfarm-themed book to 1,500 students

The Kane County Master Gardener help desk isnow open Monday through Friday from 10amto 2pm.

Your Farm Bureau membership means Value

AGRICULTURECOMBINECOMPUTERCROPSCULTIVATE

DIGFARMINGFIELDGRAINS

HARVESTHEADHORSEPOWERIMPLEMENTSINVENTION

MACHINEPLOWPULLREAPING

SOILTHRESHINGTILLAGETRACTORWINNOWING

APRIL 2016 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 April 14, 2016 for your chance to win a bag of goodies!

G S C F T I L L A G E H R Y P N V O K B

N J T R A L L I P Y K E C O K Q C V C C

I F E N O R F K M C W C U L T I V A T E

W P C A E P M U X O I H L Y O Q N P M T

O A S Y P M S I P D R Q F A M G L D W B

N D A C T A E E N G N B W G A O Y B J H

N W J M Z S S L V G K M V R W P U L L U

I G Z V Y R E P P W Y A Q I Q Q F J G U

W Z P F O B X V V M K C X C J U C M S S

T Q G H F S F G R I I H O U S B J H A C

T H R E S H I N G A S I T L E P U M O K

S F F M A S R T I L H N L T G O H M N N

O W L C Y L R E R V X E I U I I B D V G

R E T U P M O C A A Z S O R D I L Q R G

I N V E N T I O N P C C S E N E D A R A

J X R U A N P A I Q I T G E I G I A K K

I D W E V K X R Q H M N O F K N I Y E S

H E F R N Q R E T U U F G R S N F R F H

T C Q V T N E Y K B M R K N S C A G X S

Z F W O N S O I V C O W T B W V O R V R

Touch-A-Tractor

Compiled by Suzi Myers

April is:National

Jazz Appreciation Month • Poetry Month • Pecan MonthHumor Month • Keep America Beautiful Month • Welding MonthFinancial Literacy Month • Stress Awareness Month • Kite Month

Special Observances:April Fool’s Day – April 1 • Peanut Butter and Jelly Day – April 2National Walking Day – April 6 • World Health Day – April 7National Siblings Day – April 10 • Earth Day – April 22Global Day of Prayer – April 30 • National Honesty Day – April 30

CongratulationsLianne Rockensock! Lianne’s name was chosen from the entriesreceived for correctly completing last month’s “Nutrition” wordsearch. March’s prize is a market basket. April’s prize will be TheFarming Game: Harvest the Fun! Thank you for reading the KaneCounty Farmer, and continue to watch each month for a chance towin a prize.

• Just as some people have loy-alties to a certain car brand,some farmers prefer to purchaseone brand of farm equipmentover another. Some of the mostpopular farm equipment brandsinclude John Deere, Case IH,New Holland, and AGCO.Arguably, the most famousbrand loyalty argument isbetween John Deere and Case IH– many farmers love the iconicgreen John Deere machinery,

while others “bleed” Case IH red.• The word “tractor” comesfrom the Latin word “trahere,”which means to pull or draw.• The first gasoline-poweredtractor was made in 1892 inClayton County, Iowa by JohnFroelich.• Early tractors had metal wheelswith metal plates or spikes. Thismeant that they could not be usedon surfaced public roads.• Agricultural implements may

be towed behind or mounted onthe tractor, and the tractor mayalso provide a source of power ifthe implement is mechanized.• The first recorded use of theword meaning “an engine orvehicle for pulling wagons orploughs” occurred in 1901.• John Deere has an interactivewebsite for children:http://w ww . d e e r e . c om / e n _ U S /c o r p o r a t e / o u r _ c ompan y /fans_visitors/kids/kids.page.

Come on out & Touch-A-Tractor!

Combines:• A combine is a machine thatharvests grain crops.

• Among the crops harvestedwith a combine are wheat, oats,rye, barley, corn (maize),sorghum, soybeans, flax (lin-seed), sunflowers, and canola.

• The waste straw left behindon the field is the remainingdried stems and leaves of thecrop with limited nutrients whichis either chopped and spread onthe field or baled for feed andbedding for livestock.

• The combine was inventedin the United States by HiramMoore in 1834, and early ver-sions were pulled by horse ormule teams, oxen.

• A combine’s name comesfrom the fact that it combinesthree operations involving har-vesting – reaping, threshing, andwinnowing. Reaping is the cut-ting of crops when they are ripe.Threshing is the process of sep-arating grain from the plant.

Winnowing is the process ofseparating grain from chaff.

• Combines have two stan-dard removable heads – thestandard header (sometimescalled a grain platform) and acorn head. The standard headeris used for cereal grains andsoybeans, and the corn head isused for corn, as its nameimplies.

• Combine harvesters are oneof the most economically impor-tant labor saving inventions.Tillage:

• Tillage is the agriculturalpreparation of soil by mechani-cal agitation of various types,such as digging, stirring, andoverturning.

• The steel plow allowed

farming in the American Midwest,where tough prairie grasses androcks caused trouble.

• Tillage is often classifiedinto two different types – pri-mary and secondary. Primarytillage is deeper, more thorough,and generally leaves a roughsurface finish. Secondary tillageis shallower, more locationselective, and leaves a smoothersurface finish.

• Some common examplesof tillage equipment include thechisel plow, disk, ripper, andfield cultivator.

• Some farmers choose to dono tillage, which is called no-tillfarming.

• Modern agriculture hasgreatly reduced the use oftillage.

Combines & tillage need touching too!

TillageCombine

Win a Pedal Tractor at Touch-A-TractorThe Kane County Farm Bureau FOUNDATION will draw the name

of one lucky child to win a FREE pedal tractor at the conclusion ofTouch-A-Tractor on April 10. Return the form below to KCFB by April10 or sign up at Touch-A-Tractor, April 8-10. The pedal tractor draw-ing is open only to children 8 and under. Entrant’s name, age andphone must appear on the form.

You can also receive one additional entry to the FREE PedalTractor Drawing for your child or grandchild for each non-perishablefood item you bring to Touch-A-Tractor. Food items will be donatedto a local food pantry. Winner need not be present to win.

FREE Pedal Tractor Drawing(For children 8 and under. Entrant’s age must appear on the form below)

Please enter me in the Kane County Farm Bureau’sFREE Pedal Tractor Drawing.

Name_______________________________________________

Age _______ Phone (________) _________________________

City, State, Zip ________________________________________Return By Sunday, April 10 to: Kane County Farm Bureau,

2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174

IngredientsFresh mozzarella cheeseSmall tomatoes (like grapetomatoes)Black pitted olivesBasil leavesBalsamic Cream

Cut the mozzarella cheeseinto thin, round slices. Cut thetomatoes in half – this will be theladybug “body.” Create “wings”by making a little slit in thetomato skin in half of the “body.”Slice the olive into quarters. Tearthe basil leaves to fit the moz-zarella slices. Lay the basilleaves on top of the mozzarella,

place the tomato halves on thebasil leaf and lay an olive quarternext to the side with the slit (thetomato end without the slitshould line up with the edge ofthe cheese). Create dots on thetomato using the balsamiccream.

Adapted from “Lady BugCaprese Bites” posted on www.itsmygirlsworld.com.

Caprese ladybugs

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER APRIL 2016

“Helping to keep America Picked up for 45 years”

A LOCAL VISIT – KENYONBROTHERS DAIRY FARM

By Val Johnson

Val Johnson was a partici-pant in the 2013 Illinois FarmFamilies Field Mom Program.This is a portion of her blogabout her experience aftertouring Kenyon Brothers DairyFarm in South Elgin. Val nowspends her time working for theKane County Farm Bureau incontinuation of her agriculturelearning experience.

• • • • •

There are still thriving farmsin our suburban area. If you

look hard, they hide betweenthe newly built subdivisions andhigh schools. Kenyon Brothersdairy farm in South Elgin is aplace where the dairy cows out-number people by a ratio of 30-1. Our family had a recentopportunity to tour this farm,see where our milk comes from,and help feed some hungrynew-born calves as well. We entered the barn that

Kenyon’s grandparents built in1890. Dairy farming was popu-lar in this area during that time.It was busy inside the barn –there were dairy cows lined upon both sides being milked. Thefemales that recently gave birthwere resting near the front andthe calves were in a pen togeth-

er near the door.All of the animals were con-

tent in the barn (we learned thatcows are content if they chewtheir cud) with the exception ofa bull becoming more annoyedwith our presence the longer welingered nearby. Why is milk so important?

Our family alone drinks threegallons a week or 156 gallons ayear. According to USDA, theaverage family with childrenages 2-11 drinks twice as muchmilk as adults, and according towisconsonmilk.com, milk is anatural high source of calcium(305 mg per serving) and potas-sium (370 mg per serving).Cow’s milk consists of simpleingredients compared to soy,almond, coconut, and rice milkwhich include added ingredi-ents such as cane sugar, car-rageenan, and canola oil.

The Kenyon Brothers Dairyfarm produces an average of1000 gallons of milk each daywith their herd of 180 cattle. Allof this work helps provide milk toour tables. Our family is thankfulfor the farms, farmers – and thedairy cows – in our communitywho continue to work hard eachday to feed us.

Zimmerman Recycling, Inc.

301 Industrial Drive, DeKalb

(815) 756.8600

Left:Kathryn Johnsonfeeds a one dayold calf while touring KenyonBrothers DairyFarm.

DefensiveDrivingClass

The Kane County FarmBureau Women’s Committeehas scheduled a 55 AliveMature Driving Program forTuesday and Wednesday April26 and 27. The class runs from9 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day atKane County Farm Bureau,2N710 Randall Road, St.Charles. You must attend bothsessions to complete thecourse.The eight hour course cov-

ers driving in various road andweather conditions, passingtechniques, the effects of alco-hol and drugs on driving andother defensive driving meth-ods. Many insurance compa-nies may offer a discount onauto insurance to those age 55and older who qualify andattend all eight hours of thecourse. Contact your insur-ance agent for more details.Attendees must be licensed

drivers. Pre-registration isrequired. Cost is $15 per per-son for AARP members and$20 for non-members (payablethe first day) to cover the costof materials. For more infor-mation or to register, contactKane County Farm Bureau at630-584-8660.

The KCFB Governmental Affairscommittee organized visits to theoffices of 16 local legislators dur-ing this year’s Lunches toLegislators program. Members ofthe Kane County Corn Growersand Farm Bureau volunteers had achance to introduce themselvesand share information about theagriculture industry.

Above: Illinois Farm BureauNortheast Legislative CoordinatorChristina Nourie (left), an unidentifiedstaffer, and State Representative LindaChapa-LaVia (right) discuss policiesimportant to IFB.

Left: KCFB board member BethGehrke (left) is shown with StateRepresentative Michael Tryon (right).

KCFB members contact U.S. SenatorsThank you to the following

members who responded to theaction request and made con-tacts with U.S. Senators lastmonth to support anational biotech(GMO) labelingstandard that wouldprovide a voluntarylabeling option pre-empting a patchworkof state laws such asVermont’s mandato-ry labeling law.Farm Bureau believes that

Congress and the administrationmust act to protect interstatecommerce, prevent the stigmati-zation of a safe agriculturaltechnology, and ensure invest-ment in future agricultural inno-vation. Without congressionalaction, consumers will be leftwith a confusing labelingscheme that will increase foodcosts and limit choice.

The House of Represen tativespassed the Safe and AccurateFood Labeling Act (H.R. 1599)on July 23, 2015. Farm Bureau’s

action request was initiated toencourage the Senate to pass S.2609. Most farmers believe thatwe cannot have a confusing

s t a t e - b y - s t a t eapproach to labelinglaws. If Congress failsto act, Vermont’smandatory GMO foodlabeling law takeseffect July 1, andmore states are set tofollow.Biotech labeling

has become a national discus-sion requiring a national solu-tion. Farm Bureau is committedto a transparent dialogue withconsumers by supporting greaterpublic education about biotech-

nology and endorses a federalGMO labeling solution that:• Provides meaningful infor-

mation to consumers aboutbiotech products in the market-place,• Ensures consistency by

creating a national standard forbiotech labels, and• Eliminates consumer con-

fusion about the foods they pur-chase.If you would like to join

Farm Bureau’s AgriculturalContact Team to help weigh inon state and federal issuesimportant to farmers, pleasegive Steve Arnold a call at theKane County Farm Bureau,630-584-8660.

• Beth Engel• Gerald Gaitsch• Carolyn Gehrke• Christopher Gould• Louise Johnson• Michael Kenyon• Andrew Lenkaitis• Dale Pitstick• Joseph White

By Victoria Wax, IFBManagement Trainee

To say Kane County is different from where I grew upis a large understatement. Thecity of St. Charlesitself boasts a largerpopulation than theentire county I grewup in. This area is bothrural and urban whichmade me excited tocome see what madeKane County FarmBureau special. In short it’s the ability to take challengesand create wonderful opportuni-ties for its members and thecommunity.I am Victoria Wax, a

Manager Trainee with IllinoisFarm Bureau. The purpose ofmy job is simple: Travel fromcounty to county across the stateand absorb all that I can from theCounty Farm Bureau ManagersI work with, and hopefully fol-low in their footsteps.

My home away from homefor the past 3 weeks has been theKane County Farm BureauOffice and all the events Steveand the staff take part in. Duringmy time with Kane County FarmBureau I have gotten the oppor-tunity to do everything frommeeting with legislators, towatching teachers learn new

ways to highlight the importanceof Agriculture in their class-rooms, and even visiting theBrookfield Zoo for a meeting.

Ag Days at Mooseheart wasthe grand finally to myvisit to Kane County.It’s hard to imaginehow an event of thatsize seems to run sosmoothly, but I sup-pose that is what expe-rience brings. OnTuesday, I was given

the opportunity to lead one classof 4th graders as we navigatedour way station to station aroundthe fieldhouse. I was impressedby the knowledge each volunteerbrought to each station. The U of I Extension started our jour-ney with a lesson about worms.One thing is for certain: if youwant boys to listen, show them atub of worms digesting paperand other matter into compost.Other stations included lessonson honey, soybeans, biotechnol-ogy, dairy, nutrition, fibers, andmuch more. As expected, the kids were

the most engaged by the goats,chickens, sheep, rabbits andespecially the new born calf thatwere present at Ag Days. Thestudents crowded around eachgate with so much excitement

My visit to Kane County

Victoria Wax

(continued on page 7)

St. Charles Agency, Bob Effner,Agency ManagerOrazio Difruscolo has been

named the Financial Represen -tative of the Month for February2016 in the St. Charles/ElginAgency. Orazio has providedtangible plans for addressing theimmediate and long term insur-ance and financial securityneeds of his clients throughCOUNTRY Financial’s diverseproducts and services. You maycontact Orazio at his office,1118 E. Main St., Ste. 1A, St.Charles or: 630-549-7696.Congratulations, Orazio!Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency Manager

Brandon Kopf, FinancialRepresentative with the AuroraAgency, is our Financial Rep -resentative of the Month forFebruary, 2016. Brandon beganhis career with COUNTRY Fin -

an cial in June of 2005 and servic-es clients out of his office locatedat: 450 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora,60506, or (630) 801-0946.Brandon’s professionalism,

community involvement andvast knowledge of auto, home,life, commercial and financialproducts make him a great per-son to do business with.Congratulations, Brandon!

Ihope you had a Happy Easterand are enjoying Spring,which started on March 20ththis year.

Have you ever eaten in theWalnut Room in Chicago? If youwere there at Christmas-time,how long was your wait? My hus-band and I went there for lunch ona Thursday in March. There wasplenty of seating and we chose tobe seated at a window table, butwe could have been seated adja-cent to the water fountain-statue .Delicious food! My husband hadtheir traditional chicken pot pieand I had wild Alaskan salmonfrom their ‘specials’ menu. Trythe Walnut Room the next timeyou are in Chicago, – I think youwill be delighted.

Never, never, never use wateron a grease fire. There is ademonstration online, made bythe Community EmergencyResponse Team (CERT) ofSanta Monica, California. Itshows a small pan with a greasefire inside it. A long pole (forsafety) with a cup of water isput over the pan and the water isgently poured on the fire. Amassive fireball explosion fol-lows. What to do for a cookingfire? Do not move the pan:instead slide a lid (or pizza panor cookie sheet) across the panto smother the fire. Remembergrease fire + water = explosion.To get you ready for Harry

Patterson’s talk about bees atour June 23rd luncheon, here is

a delightful and different ver-sion of peanut-butter cookies,made by Women’s Committeemember, Nancy.Honey Peanut-Butter Cookies1/2 c. Butter, softened1/2 c. Peanut-butter1/2 c. Sugar1/4 c. Honey1/2 tsp. Baking Soda1/2 tsp. Baking Powder1 Egg1/2 tsp. Vanilla11/4 c. FlourBlend the butter and the

peanut-butter. Add sugar, honey,baking soda, and baking pow-der. Beat until combined. Stir inthe flour until well-blended.Cover and chill the dough untilit is easy to handle. Make 1”balls of dough (roll them insugar if desired) and put themabout 2” apart on an ungreasedcookie sheet. Using a fork,make a criss-cross pattern asyou flatten the balls. Bake at375° for 7-9 minutes, until thebottoms are lightly browned.Makes about 3 dozen.

APRIL 2016 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

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

FOR SALE

Alfalfa grass hay – large 3x3x8and 3x4x8 bales – 1st, 2nd, and3rd cuttings. Nutrient contentavailable upon request. Call:847-436-2538

Portable Hutchinson Drive OverGrain Pit, 4 years old, $8,500.Call: 847 436 2538

2001 Chevy Conversion HighTop $2,750.00. Call: 630 3656335

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 add! 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, 630-254-9446

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

CLASSIFIED AD RATESClassified advertising rates: 20cents per word/$20 minimum (60words or less). DISCOUNTS formembers: 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

Women’s CornerBy Louise Johnson

Women’s Committee Chair

Brandon Orazio Kopf DiFruscolo

What’s new in theCOUNTRY agencies?

hoping the sheep and other ani-mals would come closer. Theylearned how to refer to each ani-mal based upon its gender andage from a local FFA studentand even got the opportunity topet some of the animals. We then took a trip outside to

see the machinery. Tractors, aplanter, a sprayer, and a combinefilled the parking lot ofMooseheart and boy, did thosekids have questions! The firstquestion was, “How does thefarmer get inside those things?”followed quickly by “You can’tjust drive that stuff on the roads,can you?” The answers were“By the ladder on the side.” and“Yes you can but very carefully.”

Each volunteer left me thor-oughly impressed. An army offarmers, professionals, FFAmembers, and 4-H membersfilled the field house to lend theirhands to the event. There is noth-ing better than listening to some-one when they are discussing atopic they are truly passionateabout. You can tell each helper atthe stations really cared about theeducation they were providingfor these future consumers. I am off to another county

Farm Bureau to continue mytraining, but will take with methe advice, connections, andwonderful ideas I have soakedup while working in this office.I can clearly see that this countywould not be successful withoutits dedicated staff and hard-working volunteers.

My visit(continued from page 6)

The Women’s Committee invites all KCFB women to their luncheon,“A Picnic with the Pollinators,” on Thursday, June 23. GuestSpeaker – Harry Patterson, beekeeper. More information to follow.

1. A calf from Lenkaitis Holsteins made an appearance at Ag Days, along with a chickensand rabbits provided by Clay and Mason Cargola. Mooseheart Farm provided sheep andgoats for the kids to see and touch. 2. Students were excited to be up close to a combine. They also had to opportunity to see several tractors, a tillage implement, a sprayer, and a planter.3. Kane County 4-H Ambassadors Gretchen Skaja and Nathan Holmer teach students about the 4-H program, what it offers, and how they can participate.4. Master Gardener Susan Brauk taught about worm composting.5. Dan Klein takes questions from students during his presentation.6. Flo Dangelo is one of many volunteers who help make Ag Days possible.

1 How old are they?2 How much do they weigh?

3 Where is their mother?4 Do they (calves) have teeth?

5 What is the difference between eggs that hatchchicks, and eggs we buy at the grocery store?

Thanks!

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER APRIL 2016

Farming lesssons for fourth graders at Ag DaysFourth grade classes from

throughout Kane County con-verged on MooseheartFieldhouse in March at KaneCounty Farm Bureau’s 32ndAnnual Ag Days. Guided byFarm Bureau volunteers, theylearned about agriculture at 25learning stations. Topics includ-ed beef, vegetables, GPS-guid-ed farming techniques and poul-try. Short presentations by local

farmers, representatives fromAg businesses and organiza-tions, and local FFA and 4-Hmembers gave the kids a memo-rable experience. Sandy Bickel, a teacher at

Spring Trail Elementary, bringsher students to Ag Days everyyear. “Through the year, welearn about agriculture in ourclassroom. This event serves asthe culmination of all my stu-

dents havelearned,” Bickelsaid. “To them,all of this is juststuff they driveby. It makes a

big difference when they cansee and touch the things wehave been learning about.”Kaneland FFA Advisor

Laura Widhalm said the eventhas been a great opportunity forher high school students to vol-unteer and build skills. FFAChapters from Hinckley BigRock and Burlington Centralalso volun-teer everyyear tochaperone,present les-sons andg e n e r a l l yhelp make

the event go more smoothly. “It’s good to teach these kids

at a young age about the agricul-ture industry,” Widhalm said. “Italso allows a chance for my FFAstudents to represent agricultureand gain leadership and presen-tation skills.” Burlingon CentralFFA Advisory Ryan Robinsonechoed Widhalm’s remarks say-

ing that, “as more and more kidsare further removed from thefarm, it’s good to educate them.My FFA students are learning togive back and be better citizensthrough educating these youngerstudents about agriculture.”

Ag Days is only possiblethrough a generous outpouring oftime, talents and energy bydozens and dozens of volunteers.We’ve expressed our apprecia-tion to as many of them as possi-ble by name below and apologizeto anyone we’ve overlooked.

Special thanks to these civic minded businesses whoprovided breakfast and/or lunch for the volunteers on hand each day– keeping them fueled up for the task of educating fourth gradersabout all aspects of farming. Your support of agricultural educationis much appreciated!

Culver’s • Jake’s BagelsSpecial thanks to those who provided the animals –

Sarah Lenkaitis, Clay Cargola, Mason Cargola, and MooseheartFarm. Your support of agricultural education is much appreciated!

Thanks Mooseheart! In addition to the hundreds of hourslogged by Farm Bureau volunteers to make Ag Days possible, a ded-icated core of Mooseheart staff members makes things happenbehind the scenes to help this educational program run smoothly.Kane County Farm Bureau salutes Mooseheart’s Janine Silverman,Randy Busby, Derek Oleson, John Lundell, Mark Bauser, and JerryLuther for making our 2016 Ag Days run smoothly.

For your assistance in teaching Kane County youth aboutagriculture at Ag Days, the Kane County Farm Bureau says

Thanks!Luke AllenAmerican AgriculturalInsurance Company

Karen BandaJulia BarickmanAlicen BauerHelen BauerCindy BecktoldKen BeeverEric BolanderAllic BornsDoris BraddockCraig BradleySusan BraukDan BuckBurlington-CentralFFA

Dave BuschDarin ButlerMelissa CareyMason CargolaDavid CasteelJoseph ColemanAshley CurranFlo DangeloDezeri Deraedt JrPaul DiehlMary DiehlLinda Drendel

Beth EngelKarl FaivreSteve FranklinBeth GehrkeLinda GuzzaldoElizabeth Hagen-Moeller

Cheryl HackbarthLaura HansonMary HansonAnne HeinrichDan HeinrichBrooke HeinsohnHinckley-Big RockFFA

Colleen HoganLorayne HressaPhilip JagieldDavid JohnsonGlenn JohnsonLouise JohnsonKane County 4-HAmbassadors

Kaneland FFAJames KennedyLarry KoescheMarielle KopaszJeff KeiferLuen KhawDan Klein

Linda LanceSarah LenkaitisLinda LoodAlice MacCallumTed MadavHan MitchellSandy MullinKobe NewmanBrian OestMike PappasAmy PariseHarry PattersonBonnie ProkopJim ReynoldsRyan RobinsonJan RoseJane RyanTracey SandersonWayne SchneiderJennifer SchroederCathy SodomaKyle SohnsonJohn ThompsonBonnie TorresRicky VazquezLaura WarrenJoe WhiteJoseph WhiteLaura Widhalm

What do fourth graders want to knowabout animals? Check out the top 5 questions

Ag Days Top 5

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A farm community open house that brings a little bit of the farm to the city.

WINNER’S CHOICE

TRACTOR RAFFLEKane County Farm Bureau Foundation

Friday - Sunday, April 8, 9 & 10 – 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily