“Planting a Vision” was the theme of this year’s Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting that took place December 7 through December 9. As I began to reflect on this past annual meeting, I started to think of the local visions we have planted in each county. Since 2005 Farmers in Carroll County have donated corn to the Young Leader Harvest for All Program. Since the first year the committee has donated over $780,000 to local pantries. The first group planted a crop that continues to be harvested 20 years later. The Young Leader Committee was recognized for these efforts in Chicago. Over 8 years ago Stephenson County Farm Bureau’s Young Leaders and past Manager, Bruce Johnson, had an idea to host a Farm-to-Farm Run in rural Winslow. Thus, the Farm-to-Farm 5K/10K Run was born, raising money for Agriculture in the Classroom in Stephenson County. This event has changed over the years but continues to follow the original vision of supporting agriculture education in our county. I’m not sure either of these groups had imagined that their visions would turn into two incredibly successful events that support those programs in their respective county, but I am beyond grateful they did. To see photos and learn more about our time at Annual meeting visit the Carroll County Farm Bureau Facebook page, Stephenson County Farm Bureau Facebook page, and the Illinois Farm Bureau Facebook page.
Holiday Office Hours: Stephenson County Farm Bureau will close at 4:30p.m. on Monday, December 23 and remain closed until Thursday, January 2nd at 8:00a.m. Carroll County Farm Bureau will close at noon on Tuesday, December 24 and remain closed until 9:00a.m., Thursday, January 2nd. If you need immediate assistance during this time, please call 815-353-9655 and ask for Victoria.
From Farm To Wick: Start the new year on a fun note by participating in a fun soy candle workshop. Both Stephenson and Carroll County Farm Bureaus will be hosting these fun two-hour programs. Each program will begin at 6:30p.m. and end at 8:30p.m.
January 21, 2025: Stephenson County Farm Bureau, 210 West Spring Street Freeport, IL
February 6, 2025: Carroll County Farm Bureau, 811 S Clay Street Mt. Carroll, IL
To learn more about pricing and registration details please call the county Farm Bureau that you plan to participate at. Carroll County Farm Bureau, 815-244-3001 and Stephenson County Farm Bureau 815-232-3186.
Scholarships Available: Both Carroll and Stephenson County Farm Bureau Scholarships will be available on January 1, 2025. Visit our county websites, www.carrollcfb.org and www.stephensoncfb.org to apply.
Internship application deadline coming soon: Applications are due on January 8, 2025. Applications can be found on the Stephenson County Farm Bureau Facebook page or website, www.stephensoncfb.org.