Thank you to everyone who joined us at our second annual Stephenson County Farm Bureau open house and McNess Truck Sale. We still have McNess products in the office if you were able to make it in last weekend. If you have questions please contact our office at 815-232-3186.
Collegiate Farm Bureau Discussion Meet final four: Gracie Murphy, of Macomb, recently took first place in Illinois Farm Bureau’s Collegiate Discussion Meet, held Friday, Oct. 24. The competition tests participants ability to lead and engage in small-group discussions while exchanging ideas and information to solve agricultural challenges. Murphy, a junior at Southern Illinois University, is a member of McDonough County Farm Bureau and SIU Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter. She will represent Illinois in the national Collegiate Discussion Meet at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmer & Ranchers Leadership Conference, March 13-16 in Portland, OR. In addition to a $200 cash prize, Murphy will receive an expense-paid trip to the AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference and the Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in December, along with a $1,500 scholarship courtesy of GROWMARK Inc. The IFB Collegiate Discussion Meet provides students the opportunity to demonstrate open-mindedness, teamwork and agricultural knowledge while practicing respectful discussion and problem-solving. Participants exchange facts and insights on pre-determined topics while brainstorming logical solutions to challenges in the agriculture industry. The event consists of three parts: opening statements, open discussion and closing statements. Participants are judged on problem solving and implementation, analysis of the topic, cooperative attitude and delivery. There was a record number of participants in this year’s competition, with 24 students competing at Illinois Farm Bureau headquarters in Bloomington.
The final four participants included:
· First place: Gracie Murphy of Macomb, a McDonough County Farm Bureau and Southern Illinois University Collegiate Farm Bureau member.
· Second place: Haley Bode of Waterloo, a Monroe County Farm Bureau and Southern Illinois University Collegiate Farm Bureau member.
· Third place: Benjamin Bremmer, of Pearl City, a Stephenson County Farm Bureau and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign member.
· Fourth place: Rylee Skillman of Mayo, Fla., a Will County Farm Bureau and Joliet Junior College Collegiate Farm Bureau member.
Membership Value Program Business Spotlight: Café 217 located at 405 South Schuyler Street Lena, IL offers Farm Bureau members a .50 cent discount on 1 specialty latte or frappe. To learn more visit the Café 217 Facebook page.
Stephenson County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting: You are invited to join the Stephenson County Farm Bureau on Monday, November 17th for our Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place at 7:00p.m. with updates from affiliate companies, presentations about the National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference and an International Judging Trip that FFA members from the Orangeville Chapter took place in. Pie will be served. Reservations are not required but appreciated. To reserve your spot or with questions please call 815-232-3186 or email [email protected].
Holiday Freezer Meals Supporting OCAP: Are you looking for a gift for an individual that is hard to shop for? May we suggest freezer meals to support Ag In The Classroom in Carroll and Ogle Counties. Get two sets of 5 meals each packaged for individual serving. Menu includes: Over the top smoked chili, smoked meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes, chicken and biscuits, cheese chicken mostaccioli, and pulled pork mac n cheese. Meals will be ready for pickup on Wednesday, December 17th in Carroll County from 3:00p.m.-4:00p.m. and Ogle County from 4:30p.m.-5:30p.m. Meal sets cost $90 if paying with cash or check and $95 if paying with credit card. To order you can call our office at 815-244-3001, visit our website at www.carrollcfb.org or by mailing a check payable to OCAP and mailing it to our office with a note with your contact information, number of meals and where you plan to pick up the orders. If you have questions, please call our office at 815-244-3001.