The town I grew up in didn’t necessarily have the “local” ice cream shop. We typically went to Dairy Queen for our ice cream needs. So, most of my favorite ice cream memories take place in a town less than 40 miles from both of my offices. Oregon, Illinois plays home to the summer camp I attended as a kid and the home of Jays Drive In. For those who haven’t yet made it to Jays, it’s an old school Drive In where you can order from your car and eat in the parking lot. While in high school I served as a counselor at the same camp I went to as a kid. It was standard that on Friday when the campers leave and we would finish our staff meeting we would head to get ice cream. There is rarely a time that I’ll turn down ice cream. A few of my favorite ice cream flavors include coffee, egg nog, and butter pecan. In honor of my second column of June I want to share a few ice cream facts with you.
- In 2024, ice cream makers in the U.S. churned out 1.31 billion gallons of ice cream
- The majority of U.S. ice cream and frozen dessert manufacturers have been in business for more than 50 years and many are still family-owned businesses.
- The average American eats roughly 19 pounds of ice cream each year, or about 4 gallons.
All facts are from the International Dairy Foods Association. Don’t forget to help celebrate June dairy month by saying “yes” to a trip for ice cream.
IFB- backed deer nuisance bill passed by General Assembly: The Illinois House Friday night unanimously approved Illinois Farm Bureau-backed legislation addressing deer overpopulation, sending the bill to Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk for his signature. “This bill is the result of meetings with constituents who annually have to deal with significant financial loss to their crops as a result of nuisance deer and other wildlife,” said state Rep. Norine Hammond, R-Macomb, chief co-sponsor of Senate Bill 710. “Working together with the Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and those affected has resulted in a significant piece of legislation to address this problem.” A key provision of the new legislation requires the IDNR to update its Deer Removal Permit (DRP) procedures. Among the changes: IDNR biologists must respond to DRP requests within a specific timeframe, helping farmers address deer-related issues more quickly. The department must also publish clear information about the DRP process, including eligibility criteria and application instructions, on its website. These updates stem directly from farmer feedback and discussions with IDNR facilitated by county Farm Bureaus around the state. "Agriculture is the economic engine of Illinois, but many of our farmers have been bogged down by red tape that prevents them from eliminating nuisance wildlife until damage has already been done," said Rep. Marcus Evans Jr., D-Chicago, who was the sponsor of the legislation in the House. "I am proud of this bill because it empowers farmers and landowners to address problems proactively before they get out of hand. "For Saline County farmer and landowner Randy Anderson, the legislation could make a big difference. In 2024, deer damage was so severe that he didn’t harvest four acres of corn in a 36-acre field, meaning those four acres produced zero revenue to cover his expenses. Under the new DRP provisions, landowners like Anderson who harvest at least 50% of the deer authorized under a permit will automatically qualify for additional antlerless-only permits during the regular hunting season. If they fulfill 80% of the permit, they become eligible for an additional nuisance permit — valid for harvesting up to five deer — usable between June 1 and Sept. 15 of the following year. “This is very encouraging,” Anderson said. “Automatically getting permits for the next year would save so much time and hassle of me calling and asking a biologist to come to my farm, especially when sometimes there aren’t enough biologists to go around.” Another provision allows landowners to designate a hunter to receive one guest landowner permit, which includes one either-sex permit and one antlerless permit for every 240 acres owned in Illinois. Anderson said this will also help him manage deer populations more effectively by enabling others to assist with the issue. Anderson has been involved in the legislative effort from the start. As a delegate at the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting in December, he voted to include updates to wildlife management practices in the organization’s policy book. Now that this bill has passed through the General Assembly, he said, “It finally seems like our voices were heard.” “That’s one of the things I feel is an advantage when you get a group together like Illinois Farm Bureau. It’s not just one voice, it’s the voice of many,” Anderson told FarmWeek. "It’s great to see this much-needed, bipartisan legislation make its way to the governor’s desk,” said Anna McKinley, IFB assistant director of state legislation. “We’re grateful to Sen. Patrick Joyce and Rep. Marcus Evans for their leadership, to the Department of Natural Resources for their collaboration, and to the many County Farm Bureau members who helped advocate for this important change.” Pending Pritzker’s approval, SB 710 will officially go into effect Jan. 1. For more details about the legislation, visit bit.ly/DeerNuisanceBill.
Deadline to Register Extended: The Stephenson and Carroll County Farm Bureaus are excited to announce we will be traveling to Fair Oaks, Indiana to explore their Dairy, Pig and Crop Adventure. We will enjoy a guided tour then have time for you to explore on your own. This trip will take place on Friday, June 20th.
Days agenda:
6:30a.m.: Depart Carroll County Farm Bureau
7:00a.m.: Depart Freeport Walmart
10:30a.m.: Arrive at Fair Oaks Dairy Farm
4:00p.m.: Depart for Home
6:00p.m. Dinner on the way home
8:00p.m.: Tentatively arrive at Freeport Walmart
8:30p.m.: Tentatively arrive at Carroll County Farm Bureau
Trip cost includes tour admissions, transportation, all tips and gratuities, water on the bus. Dinner and lunch are at your own expense. Farm Bureau member price is $85 and non-member price $105. To register please call the Farm Bureau where you’d like to be picked up at: Carroll 815-244-3001 and Stephenson 815-232-3186. A little more about fair oaks from their website: The founders of Fair Oaks Farms, Mike and Sue McCloskey, opened their doors in 2004 with the purpose to showcase the practices and innovation of their original dairy farms. The practices at these farms are what we, at Fair Oaks Farms, communicate to our guests. The McCloskey farms have given us the ability to share with our guests displays of modern farming practices. All dairy practices referred to at Fair Oaks Farms are the practices performed at the McCloskey-owned dairy farms we partner with. Since then, we’ve seen a vibrant dairy and agricultural community grow around our area with other farm families supporting the mission of Fair Oaks Farms. As we’ve grown, we have added several other businesses to our existing Dairy Adventure and farm tour such as the Pig Adventure, Crop Adventure, Mooville (an outdoor play area), the Orchard, a hotel, a cafe and restaurant, a gas/convenience store and the production of our own farm fresh products. We continue to develop other projects such as pollinators, the farmer’s garden, flower field, pumpkin patch, vegetable garden, vertical farming, aquaculture and the role that science, technology, engineering and math play in the story of modern agriculture.