We all have our official or unofficial kick of to the Christmas season. For me it’s the first weekend in December when Illinois Farm Bureau members meet in Chicago to hold our statewide annual meeting. There is just something about the magic of Chicago being decked out for the upcoming Christmas season. This year the Carroll and Stephenson County Farm Bureaus are trying something new. On Friday, December 12 we are hosting a bus trip to Chicago. Our drop-off and pickup location will be the Christkindlmarket. Attendees will have all day to explore Chicago as they see fit. This trip will depart from the Freeport Walmart at 8:00a.m. and arrive at the Christkindlmarket between 10:30a.m. and 11:00a.m. We will then depart from the Christkindlmarket at 7:00p.m. arriving back at the Freeport Walmart roughly at 9:30p.m. The cost of this trip is $45 for Illinois Farm Bureau members in good standing through December, 2025 and $65 for non-Farm Bureau members. This cost includes transportation, parking and driver gratuities. Attendees will be responsible for any food and activity costs throughout the day. The Christkindlmarket is outside and will include as much or as little walking as participants would like. To register please call your county Farm Bureau: Carroll County Farm Bureau 815-244-3001 and Stephenson County Farm Bureau 815-232-3186.

Stephenson County’s Ella Gunderson Earns Superior Young Dairy Producer Award at Illinois State Fair: Stephenson County 4-H member Ella Gunderson earned top honors at the Illinois State Fair on Aug. 16, being named one of three statewide winners in the Superior Young Dairy Producer Award program. Gunderson received a $1,000 scholarship, sponsored by Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., after excelling in the three-phase competition testing participants’ knowledge in the dairy industry. Gunderson was a top finisher in the dairy management test, which covered topics such as nutrition, health, reproduction, and milk marketing. She came in first in the skill-a-thon portion, where contestants identified dairy feeds, interpreted pedigree information and identified equipment. She also competed in the judging contest, evaluating four classes of dairy cows and two classes of heifers. The competition, now in its 30th year, showcases outstanding Illinois 4-H dairy youth and helps prepare them for future careers in agriculture. For more information about Stephenson County 4-H or how to get involved in future events, contact Jen Schultz at the University of Illinois Extension–Stephenson County office at (815) 235-4125 or [email protected].

Nuts and Candy orders are now open: The Stephenson and Carroll County Farm Bureaus are excited to announce that we are now accepting nut and candy orders; however, Terri Lynn, the nut and candy company we used in prior years, has closed. This year we will be using NutMan, a Milwaukee based company. Orders and payment are due on or before Thursday, October 9, 2025. Orders will be ready for pickup starting Friday, November 7 at 8:00am in Stephenson County and Monday, November 13 at 9:00a.m. in Carroll County. Pickup will be at whichever county you place your order at. All orders must be picked up by end of day Thursday, November 13 unless other arrangements have been made. Membership must be in good standing through November 30, 2025, for member rate. Order forms can be found on your County Farm Bureau website www.stephensoncfb.org or www.carrollcfb.org. You can also call your county Farm Bureau to place your order or to request an order form. For Stephenson County Farm Bureau call 815-232-3186 and Carroll County Farm Bureau call 815-244-3001. Please note we will be ordering a limited number of extras. Carroll County will not be having surplus nuts/candies throughout the year.