March 25, 2024

Coffee and Conversation with Victoria Hansen

This past week I had the pleasure of speaking with the participants of the Highland Leadership Institute. During this presentation I was able to share the story of the Farm Bureau and agriculture in our county. I always enjoy sharing about both topics. If you or your organization would like to learn more about agriculture, Agriculture In The Classroom or Farm Bureau please reach out to me and we can get something scheduled. I can be contacted at [email protected] or by phone 815-232-3186. Call and ask for Victoria Hansen.

Change to Stephenson County Farm Bureau Office Hours: The Stephenson County Farm Bureau will be closed on both Friday, March 29 and Monday April 1st. Then our office will be closed to walk in traffic Tuesday, April 2 through Thursday, April 4.  We will reopen for walk ins on Friday, April 5. Even though our staff will not be able to handle walk in traffic Tuesday-Thursday, our team can be reached by phone at 815-232-3186 or by email at [email protected]. We can’t wait to show you the improvements we are completing during this closure.

Stephenson County Scholarships deadline April 5: The Stephenson County Farm Bureau Foundation scholarship applications can be found online at www.stephensoncfb.org or on the County Farm Bureau’s Facebook page. Applications are due April 5, 2024, at 4:30p.m.

Pollinator Seed Orders Accepted until April 8:  The Carroll and Stephenson County Farm Bureaus are excited to announce our partnership to offer the second year of our pollinator seed sale program. Both counties are now accepting orders of one-pound bags of pollinator seed. The seed mix includes Alaska Shasta, Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly Milkweed, Candytuft, Dwarf Godetia, Dwarfed Mixed Cosmos, Gayfeather, Illinois Bundleflower, Indian Blanket, Lance-leaved Coreopsis, New England Aster, Pincushion Flower (Imperial Mix), Purple Coneflower, Purple Prairie Clover, Rocket Larkspur (Imperial Mix), Round-headed Bush Clover, Siberian Wallflower, Sweet William Pinks, Tall White Sweet Alyssum, and Zinnia ‘Dahlia Flowered Mix’. Orders will be accepted until April 8, with delivery the end of April/early May. The price for Farm Bureau members is $25/pound and $30/pound for non-members. There is a limit of 5lbs per order (roughly one-acre’s worth). Seed supplies are limited, so place your orders early! To place an order call or stop by your County Farm Bureau: Carroll County 815-244-3001 or Stephenson County 815-232-3186. This program is made possible with support from Illinois Farm Bureau, Growmark, Carroll Service Company and Stephenson Service Company.

Stephenson County to host DIY Animal Planter Workshop: The Stephenson County Farm Bureau and College Street Creations are partnering to host a DIY Animal Planter Box Workshop. This event will take place on Tuesday, April 30 at 6:00p.m. at the Farm Bureau Building in Freeport. All materials are provided with registration cost. Cost for members is $30 and non-member $40. Registration is required and can be done so by calling our office 815-232-3186 or stopping by 210 West Spring Street. Examples of the Animal planter boxes can be found on our Facebook page or website, www.stephensoncfb.org.

Applications Now Available for Veterinary Student Loans: BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Illinois Farm Bureau® (IFB) is accepting applications for its Illinois Veterinary Education and Training (IVET) loan program. Loans are available to second-year veterinary students attending any accredited college of veterinary medicine in the U.S. and who are focusing on Illinois food animal medicine. The IVET Program helps offset the high cost of veterinary education. The program loans up to $40,000 to as many as three veterinary students each year. Loans are made over a period of two to three years. IVET awards recipients a $1,500 stipend during their fourth year in school to help pay expenses associated with clinical rotations. Loans are repaid over five years, during which graduates must commit to working in a food animal practice that services Illinois livestock producers. “Illinois Farm Bureau encourages veterinary students to pursue a career in caring for food animals,” said Tasha Bunting, IFB director of commodity programs and food systems. “To succeed, farmers need the services of a food-animal veterinarian to help them care for their beef cattle, swine, sheep, and poultry. It’s an incredibly rewarding career field that has seen an increase in demand in recent years.” Applications are due May 15 and can be found online at www.ilfb.org/IVET. The selection committee will interview eligible applicants in spring 2024. Successful applicants will be notified by mail. Loan disbursements begin in August. IFB established IVET in 2005. Since then, the organization has awarded more than $610,000 to 29 veterinary students who focus on caring for food animals in Illinois. For more information about the program, contact Tasha Bunting, IFB director of Commodity Programs and Food Systems, at 309-557-2993 or [email protected].

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210 W. Spring St.
Freeport, IL 61032

Phone: 815-232-3186
Fax: 815-232-0016
[email protected]
Stephenson County Farm Bureau(R) is affiliated with the Illinois Farm Bureau(R). Illinois Farm Bureau® is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation®, a national organization of farmers and ranchers including Farm Bureaus in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and is responsible for Farm Bureau® membership and programs within Illinois.
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