Each year I look forward to kicking off the summer with our annual trip to Shipshewana, Indiana. I love visiting the familiar businesses, enjoying treats from the families/farms we visit and seeing those who have become friends over the years.  I’d like to invite you on our 2024 trip that will take place Monday, June 10 through Wednesday, June 12. Our tentative agenda is as follow:

• Monday: Leave Freeport Walmart at 6:30a.m., lunch and exploring at Linton Garden, Dinner and a show at Blue Gate Theater.
• Tuesday: Tours of Amish Businesses and a threshers meal at an Amish Homestead.
• Wednesday: Your choice of attending the famous Shipshewana Flea market, exploring downtown Shipshewana, or relaxing at the hotel before we travel home. Our estimated time of arrive home is 7:00p.m.

The trip costs include transportation, all meals with the exception of lunch and dinner on Wednesday, Hotel accommodations at Farmstead Inn, ALL Gratuities and moderate walking. The cost is based on the number of individuals in your room and ranges from $610-$400. Non- members pay an additional $50. To register call 815-232-3186.  Space is limited and this trip regularly fills up, so don’t miss out.

Prairie Farmer Names 2024 Master Farmers: Prairie Farmer selected four new recipients of the Master Farmer award. The award is noted as agriculture’s lifetime achievement award and honors exceptional agricultural production skills, commitment to family and service to their communities.

Chris Hausman, Champaign County: Hausman and his wife, Evonne, are Champaign County Farm Bureau members from Pesotum. They grow 1,450 acres of corn and soybeans adopting practices such as Integrated Pest Management and GPS grid sampling. Hausman was an Illinois Farm Business Farm Management (FBFM) fieldman before heading back to the farm, and he served as the IFB District 12 director for 10 years. He is currently a director on the Longview Bank Board and remains an FBFM client.

Malcolm and Susan Head, Macon County: The Head’s grow corn, soybeans, seed corn and beans, wheat, hay and alfalfa with their sons, Rollin and Alex Head, near Blue Mound. The Head’s also raise commercial cows and feeder cattle. Susan Head served on the Illinois Beef Association board and the board for Illinois Beef Foundation Inc. Malcolm Head was a past school board president and chairman of the Blue Mound Lions Club. He currently serves as a director on the Soy Capital Bank Board with 10 locations throughout Decatur, Bloomington, Peoria, Kankakee and Champaign.

Lou Lamoreux, Carroll County: Farm Bureau member Lou Lamoreux raises corn, soybeans, wheat and hay with his wife, Sue, their son, Nathan, nephew, Dan, and Lou Lamoreaux’s brother, John. The farming operation near Lanark also includes finisher cattle and cows. Lamoreux served on the Carroll County Board, IL Corn board and Illinois Beef Association board. The Lamoreaux family has been farming since 1867.

Gerald Thompson, McLean County: Former IFB board director for District 7, Gerald Thompson lives with his wife, Jayme, near Colfax. They raise corn and soybeans with their son, Reid. Thompson is a 1983 graduate of the University of Illinois and serves as a member of the McLean County Board. He has a private pilot’s license to fly for fun, check farm fields and visit his children.

Prairie Farmer also named Gary Schnitkey as an Honorary Master Farmer. As an economist at the University of Illinois, Schnitkey teaches, conducts research and uses the farmdoc website to share farm management information with farmers throughout Illinois.

Recipients will be honored on March 28 at Prairie Farmer magazine’s annual event in Bloomington. This award is sponsored by GROWMARK.

Stephenson County Farm Bureau Foundation: The Stephenson County Farm Bureau scholarship deadline is April 5 at 4:30p.m. Applications can be found online at www.stephensoncfb.org or on the County Farm Bureau’s Facebook page. Please direct questions to Manager, Victoria Hansen at 815-232-3186 or by email at [email protected].