KKanane e CouCounty Fanty Farrmermer...County Farm Bureau, Randall Rd. and Oak Street in St. Charles for the month of June, or while supply lasts. Don’t forget to pick up a bottle

Dale and Linda Drendel areonce again opening theirHampshire farmstead to the gen-eral public for a Dairy Breakfastand Farm Tour on Saturday,June 18 from 6 to 11 a.m.

The Drendels offer thisunique experience to visit afarm and provide others with abetter understanding of the ori-gins of their food, such as dairyproducts. “This Saturday morn-ing family activity is meant tobe enjoyed by all ages,” saidDale Drendel. “We welcomevisitors and hope they see thisas an opportunity to learn moreabout life on the farm.”

When you visit their farm,known as Lindale HolsteinFarm, one of the highlights willbe watching some of the 150dairy cows being milked in themilking parlor. The modern par-lor accommodates 11 Holsteincows at a time and offers viewersan up-close look at the farm’sautomation and the transfer ofmilk from the cow to the bulktank. Milking demonstrationswill occur from 6 to 8:30 a.m.

The farm visit also offers atour of the barns to see theyoung dairy calves and cows. Ifyou have never milked a cowbefore, you will have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity tomilk a cow by hand just likefarmers used to do many yearsago. And, you’ll see all aspectsof dairy production, from thefeed used in their special diets

to the care taken by farmers toensure their animals are com-fortable and healthy.

Also, farm equipment usedon the dairy and grain farm will

be on display that morning.Visitors will have a chance tosee modern tractors and learnmore about farm implements.

Then, to top off the morning,a hearty farm-style breakfastwill be served complete withpancakes, sausage, fruit, cheese,milk, coffee and ice cream,from 6 to 11 a.m.

A donation of $7 for adultsand $4 for children (6-12 years)will be collected at the farm.The price includes breakfast andthe farm visit. Children 5 andunder are free. All proceeds gofor dairy education in localschools.

The Dairy Breakfast andFarm Tour is being sponsoredby local dairymen from DeKalband Kane counties who aremembers of the KishwaukeeDairy Herd ImprovementAssociation (DHIA). This is thefourth dairy farm visit plannedby the association. Previous

Dairy Breakfasts were held in2006, 2007 and 2009.

The Drendels are avid pro-moters of the dairy industry,whether it’s welcoming visitors

to their farm,showing cattleat fairs, servingin leadershiproles or educat-ing others abouta g r i c u l t u r e .Dale serves onthe boards ofthe IllinoisMilk ProducersA s s o c i a t i o n ,F o r e m o s tF a r m s ,K i s h w a u k e e

DHIA, and Dairy Lab Services.Linda, a former teacher, also hasan active role on the farm.

Their son, Jeff, is a graduateof the Dairy Short Course at theUniversity of Wisconsin,Madison and works with themon their dairy farm. The Drendeldaughters, Carrie and Julie, areboth graduates of the Universityof Illinois. Carrie DrendelCorson now works in publicrelations for COUNTRYFinancial in Bloomington whileJulie is editor of the IllinoisHolstein Herald and lead graph-ic designer at Alpha Graphics inSycamore.

As livestock caretakers forthe past 40 years, Dale andLinda hold themselves account-able to the hundreds of dairyanimals on their farm. “We takepersonal responsibility for feed-ing and caring for our animals,”said Linda, “and providing topquality milk for consumers.”

They grow corn, soybeans,alfalfa, oats and wheat, much ofwhich is used for dairy feed.

Dale has completed theFarmers Assuring ResponsibleManagement (FARM) program,which recognizes that he meetsnational dairy industry stan-dards and provides best prac-tices in animal care. He andLinda are also part of theIllinois Farm Families coalitionto share with consumers howtheir food is grown and raised.Additionally, they are partici-pants in the National DairyCouncil and National FootballLeague’s “Fuel Up to Play 60”campaign endorsing healthy

and active lifestyles.To learn more about the

Drendels visit their website at:www.lindaleholsteins.com orstop by the Dairy Breakfast andFarm Tour on June 18.

The farm is located twomiles southwest of Hampshireat 15N057 Walker Road. Visitwww.dairybreakfast2011.orgfor directions, photos of pastDairy Breakfasts, and completeevent info. For more informa-tion, contact the Kane CountyFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660,or Al Lenkaitis at 630-561-9514.

By Sarah Carson,KCFB Summer Intern

I am very excited to be work-ing with the Kane County FarmBureau this summer. Throughthis internship, I hope to gainvaluable experience that willhelp me to pursue a career inAgricultural Education.

My interest in agriculturebegan at a very early age on myfamily’s farm; watching myolder siblings show cattle andhelping my dad do chores. Ihave been active in 4-H sincemy days as a Clover Bud doingvarious horticultural projects aswell as showing beef cattle.During high school, I was veryinvolved in FFA through variousleadership opportunities, com-petitions and conventions.

Currently, I am studyingAgricultural Education at theUniversity of Illinois. Myinvolvement in agriculture con-tinues at the U of I where I amthe Vice President of theAgricultural Education Club,coach of the Illini EquestriansWestern Team and a member ofthe Hoof ’n Horn Club.

Throughout my time at theFarm Bureau, I hope to gainvaluable experience working

with Ag Literacy CoordinatorSuzi Myers during the SummerAg Institute teacher tours. Inaddition, I will be helping withthe activities during the KaneCounty Fair among other duties.During my internship, I hope toput my agricultural educationknowledge to good use as wellas gain new experiences.

In the future, I hope tobecome a high school agri-science teacher. It is my goal toshow high school students theimportance of agriculture andthe various career opportunitieswithin agriculture.

On her firstday on thejob, KCFB Summer Intern SarahCarson joined FFA members fromMcHenry County on a tour of the U of I Horticulture ResearchCenter in St. Charles. TheMcHenry County Farm Bureauorganized the tour. Here, Sarah lis-tens to Sr. Research Specialist BillShoemaker as he explains some ofthe field trials being conducted onvarieties of wine grapes.

DATES TO REMEMBER

June 2Board of Directors, 7:30 pmJune 8Women’s Committee, 9:15 amYoung Farmers Committee, 7 pm, Biddle Farm, ElburnJune 13-17Summer Ag Institute forTeachersJune 16Illinois Ag-in-the-ClassroomGolf Outing, PontiacJune 17Volunteer Appreciation, Kane County Cougars, 6 pmJune 18Dairy Breakfast, 6-11 am,Dale & Linda Drendel Farm,HampshireJune 21Food For Thought Committee,10:00 am, MorrisJune 28IFB District 1 Meeting, Crystal Lake

VOL. 76 NO. 6 JUNE 2011

Kane County FarmerKane County Farmer

Pork ChopsOur special this month is a 5-lb. box of pork chops. This is one

of our meat supplier’s most popular sellers, and a memberfavorite! Each five-pound box contains either eight 10-ouncechops or ten 8-ounce chops, either bone-in or boneless – yourchoice. They are thick, juicy and flavorful.

This month only, pork chops are $20.00 to plus package mem-bers and $21.00 for A or M members. Available at the KaneCounty Farm Bureau, Randall Rd. and Oak Street in St. Charlesfor the month of June, or while supply lasts.

Don’t forget to pick up a bottle of our pork BBQ spicewhile you’re here. Just $5.50(plus pkg.) or $5.75 (A or Mmembers) for a 12 oz. bottle.

JUNESPECIAL

Drendels host Dairy Breakfast on June 18

KCFB Foundationsummer intern

Dale andLinda Drendel

The Drendel farm in Hampshire is the perfect spot to celebrate JuneDairy Month. Enjoy a pancake breakfast and tour the milking parloron June 18th.

Farm fresh and locallygrown – see page 8 to ...

May 5, 2011President Joe White called

the monthly meeting of theBoard of Directors to order at7:30 p.m. Directors reviewedthe monthly COUNTRYFinancial agent newsletter, IAABoard minutes and KCFB cal-endar of events for May andJune. They received reportsfrom COUNTRY FinancialAurora Agency Manager KevinGommes, and from Jerry Elliotand Dan Nagel, both of SugarGrove, on Blackberry CreekWatershed planning.

In the President’s Report, JoeWhite reviewed a proposedtimeline for upcoming KCFBBoard elections. DistrictNominating Committees willhave until July 25 to submit thenames of nominees to stand forelection two-year terms.Election ballots will be mailedin August, with new directorsannounced at the annual meet-

ing in September. Directorswith terms expiring in 2011 are:Gene Feldott, Donna Lehrer,Bill Collins, Karl Kettelkamp,Chris Collins, Mike Kenyon andBeth Engel.

White welcomed ideas fromthe board on ways to recognizeKCFB’s 100-year anniversary.KCFB was formed as the KaneCounty Soil and CropImprovement Association onDecember 31, 1912. A letterfrom Glen Ginder was circulat-ed. Ginder is seeking nominationfor election to the Illinois CornMarketing Board, District 1.

Items included in SteveArnold’s Managers reportincluded: final report of fundsraised from the 2011 KCFBFoundation Winners ChoiceTractor Raffle and other dona-tions at Touch-A-Tractor; anomination for the 2011 IFBDistinguished Service Award;and the IFB & County Farm

Bureaus Corporate SocialResponsibility Report. This lastreport provides details on hun-dreds of programs performed byIllinois’ County Farm Bureauslast year, including militaryassistance, safety awareness,hunger relief and other aid tofamilies and communities.

The Treasurer’s Reportincluding investment portfolioreports was reviewed. Joe Whiteand Mike Kenyon delivered aFarmland ProtectionCommission update. In theRegional Planning Commissionreport, Arnold shared details onthe 2040 roadway improve-ments from the Quality of KanePublic Outreach meetings.White reported on an April 13meeting with CountyDepartment leaders to plan atour highlighting the success ofKane County’s FarmlandProtection Program on its tenyear anniversary. The tentativedate for the tour for CountyBoard members is July 26.

Kenyon gave the KaneCounty Board and IFB Boardreports. A District 1 “Ya’llCome” meeting is planned forJune 28 in Crystal Lake.

Directors provided com-

ments on Touch-A-Tractor,which was held in April. Over250 pounds of food was collect-ed and will be donated to St.Peter’s Food Pantry in Geneva.Since the 1950 Farmall Cub wasnot chosen by the grand prizewinner in the KCFB Foundationraffle, it will be used for promo-tional purposes until anothertractor is found for 2012. It willthen be offered for sale bysealed bid.

Public Relations CommitteeChair Beth Engel reported thatnew Harvest for ALL commit-ments were received from BobBurgin, Jon DeRaedt and theFantastics 4-H Club of St.Charles. Also, Land O’ Lakesprovided a $2,300 match ofElburn Coop’s 2010 donation tobenefit the Elburn Food Pantry.Engel also provided details on theJune 17 Volunteer Appreciation

outing at the Kane CountyCougars. Invited volunteers willreceive invitations by mail. Doorprizes will start at 6:15pm. The2011 Voting Membership Drivewill kick off at that event and cul-minate with a July 7 barbeque atthe Farm Bureau.

Directors discussed andapproved donations and partici-pation at the June 18 DairyBreakfast at the Dale and LindaDrendel Farm in Hampshire.The Kishwaukee Dairy HerdImprovement Association spon-sors the event.

The Board also learned thatBamboo River Productions,which produced “Deep Roots:Legacies of 150-Year-OldFamily Farms”, has applied tothe Farm Foundation for a grantto develop a curriculum guidewith the help of KCFB Ag

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER JUNE 2011

You receive the Kane CountyFarmer because you are a FarmBureau member. If you are afarm operator or owner, you ben-efit from a local, state andnational organization committedto agriculture and your way of life.

If you do not have direct tiesto farming, your membershiphelps promote local farms andfarming, encourage wise use ofour limited natural resources andpreserve farmland and our agri-cultural heritage while allowingyou to enjoy COUNTRY insur-ance and the many other benefitsof one of Illinois’ premier mem-bership organizations.

We appreciate your member-ship and continued support andwe welcome your comments onthe content of the Farmer. Weencourage you to make recom-mendations about farm, home,food, natural resource, renewableenergy or agricultural heritageand history related topics forinclusion in future issues of theFarmer.

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLYSteven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorElizabeth Dawson, Membership Secretary

Audre Pack, Training SpecialistRyan Klassy, Information Director

OFFICE: Randall Rd. between Routes 64 & 38Address: 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles

PHONE: [email protected] www.kanecfb.com

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-5:00 Monday though Friday(USPS No. 289700)

POSTMASTER: Mail form 3579 to2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

Periodical Postage • Paid to St. Charles, IL 60174Year Subscription: $2.00

■ DISTRICT 1Aurora, Sugar Grove,Big Rock Twnshp.Gene Feldott8S696 Barnes Rd.Aurora, IL 60506630-892-2197Jeff Bornemann4S985 Dugan Rd.Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-1626Donna Lehrer7S027 Jericho Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511630-556-3476■ DISTRICT 2Kaneville, Blackberry,Gen./Bat. Twnshp.Bill Collins1125 Lewis Rd.Geneva, IL 60134630-232-2043Karl Kettelkamp0S860 Rowe Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-365-2713

Joe WhitePresident47W727 Main St. Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-557-2517■ DISTRICT 3Virgil, Campton,St. Charles Twnshp.Frank Carlson104 Sumac CourtSt. Charles, IL 60174630-513-9980Chris Collins1143 AndersonElburn, IL 60119630-934-4642Al Lenkaitis, Jr.6N352 Fair Oaks Dr.St. Charles, IL 60174630-561-9514■ DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.Alan VolppSecretary/Treasurer9N728 Peplow Rd.Hampshire, IL 60140847-683-3681

Mike Kenyon1250 E. Main St.South Elgin, IL 60177847-741-1818Robert Gehrke12N860 Route 20Elgin, IL 60123847-697-2538■ DISTRICT 5Hampshire, Rutland,Dundee Twnshp.Beth Engel15N638 Walker RoadHampshire, IL 60140847-683-3482Gerald Gaitsch10613 Brittany Ave.Huntley, IL 60142847-669-2003Wayne SchneiderVice President721 Lindsay LaneWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-3350

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEOCTOBER 2010 THRU SEPTEMBER 2011

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG SEPT

J. BORNEMANN X X X X X X XF. CARLSON X X X X X X X XB. COLLINS X X X X X X X XC. COLLINS X X X X X X X XB. ENGEL X X X X X X X XG. FELDOTT X X X X X X X XG. GAITSCH X X X X X XR. GEHRKE X X X X X XM. KENYON X X X X X XK. KETTLEKAMP* X X X XD. LEHRER X X X X X XA. LENKAITIS JR. X X X X X XW. SCHNEIDER X X X X X X X XA. VOLPP X X X X X X XJ. WHITE X X X X X X X X*appointed March 2011

Beef store is now open! Sat. 9-4 or by appointment

100% hormone free beef.Selling individual cuts. Buy as little or as much as you want.

Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park

815.895.4691 • 1-877-FOR-FDBASample Packs make great gifts!

Emerging issues identified from the grassroots levelIllinois Farm Bureau’s

GrassRoots Issue Teams(GRITs) have completed theirwork for 2011. During the pastseveral months, theteams identified short-term and long-termchallenges andaddressed issues facing their fellowmembers.

Volunteers on theeight teams met inDecember inBloomington and again earlythis year to discuss currentissues and policy. The teamswrote a series of recommenda-tions to the Illinois Farm BureauBoard of Directors and proposedresolutions to the 2011Resolutions Committee for con-sideration.

The report from those meet-ings was approved in April bythe IFB Board of Directors.

Maple Park farmer Chris

Gould, and KCFB DirectorsFrank Carlson and MikeKenyon are among the 101leaders who served on GRITsthis year. The eight teams areConservation and NaturalResources; Crop Productionand Trade; Equine; Livestockand Dairy; Renewable

Resources and Energy; RiskManagement and FarmPrograms; Rural Life; andSpecialty Crops and Labor.

Each teamidentified anddiscussed sev-eral issues.

The CropProduction andTrade teamdiscussed theimportance offarmer compli-

ance with refuge and otherstewardship requirements forbiotech crops and examinedexisting policy in that area.Several opportunities to educateand inform members on theimportance of stewardship wereidentified.

The Equine team discussed

the need for an equine census inIllinois to be used, in part, toidentify the economic impactthe industry has on the state. Anaccurate census would also bebeneficial in spurring businessdevelopment supporting theequine industry. Each teammember identified potentialquestions addressing the num-ber of horses in Illinois and theeconomic impact of the equineindustry in Illinois.

Fertilizer futures contractswere discussed by the RiskManagement and Farm Programteam. Following numerous dis-cussions with the teams over theyears, the Chicago MercantileExchange (CME) hasannounced it will launch fertiliz-er futures contracts during thesecond quarter of 2011. As a

result of the dialogue withbetween GRITs and CME, theCME has also expressed aninterest in partnering with IFB ineducational efforts regarding thenew fertilizer futures contracts.

Several GRITs policy resolu-tions will be forwarded to the2011 IFB ResolutionsCommittee for their considera-tion. Some of the topics addresslevy certification, renewablefuels, crop insurance, revenueprotection, and health aware-ness. Those items will be con-sidered by the IFB ResolutionsCommittee in July.

The application process forthe 2012 teams will be held thissummer. For more informationregarding the GrassRoots IssueTeams, please contact KaneCounty Farm Bureau.

Chris Gould Mike Kenyon Frank Carlson

May KCFB board meeting review

(continued on page 8)

Northern Illinois Universityhas conferred an honorary doc-toral degree to Leland A. Strom,chairman of the board and CEOof the Farm CreditAdministration and a decadeslong member of the KaneCounty Farm Bureau.

Strom has been active in theagriculture industry for more

than 30 years and was appointedto a six-year term on the FCAboard by President George W.Bush in 2006. He was designat-ed chairman and CEO in May of2008. He has also held leader-ship roles with the Illinois FarmBureau and Kane County FarmBureau.

“Northern Illinois University

awards a select number of hon-orary degrees to recognize theaccomplishments of individualswho have excelled in fields ofendeavor valued by the universi-ty and made significant contri-butions to society,” said Lisa C.Freeman, vice president forResearch and Graduate Studiesat NIU.

Strom is a member of theboard of directors of the FarmCredit System InsuranceCorporation, responsible forensuring the timely payment ofprincipal and interest on obliga-tions issued on behalf of FCSbanks. From 2000 to 2006, heserved on the Federal ReserveBank of Chicago AdvisoryCouncil on Agriculture, Labor,and Small Business, and in theearly 1980s with Northern F.S.,Inc., a farm service and supplycooperative serving farmers innorthern Illinois.

The third-generation ownerof a family farm that producescorn and soybeans in KaneCounty, Strom studied businessadministration at NIU and agri-culture business at KishwaukeeCollege.

“Mr. Strom currently hasnational and internationalresponsibility for protecting andmanaging the assets of our agri-cultural industry. His work hasalso included consulting world-wide with developing nations inthe process of establishingsecure food and agriculture sys-tems,” Freeman said. “However,he remains connected to Illinoisand his family farm in Elgin.”

In receiving honorarydegrees from NIU, Strom joinsdistinguished company. The listincludes former U.S. Speaker ofthe House J. Dennis Hastert;former Argonne directorsRobert Rosner and HermannGrunder; author and physicianAbraham Verghese; historianArthur Schlesinger; U.S. Sen.Paul Simon; poet GwendolynBrooks; and astronomer CarlSagan.

To improve our efforts topromote sound public policy,farmland preservation and the

success of local farms, KaneCounty Farm Bureau needsfarmer members – they need to

be the voice!Maybe you, or someone you

know, is eligible to be a votingmember (a farm operator orfarmland owner) of the KaneCounty Farm Bureau. If so, nowis the time to act.

Our voting membership drivestarts in June and culminateswith a “beef burgers or beans”barbeque at the Farm Bureau onJuly 7. Any KCFB member whosigns a new voting member is eli-gible to join us for the BBQ.

We’ll treat you to a meal for yoursuccess in signing up votingmembers and making our organ-ization stronger! See the articlebelow for more info on what vot-ing membership means and call630-584-8660 for details.

JUNE 2011 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

Hunger relief donations

(l to r) KCFB Manager Steve Arnold accepts a $2,300 check from Ron Almsand Howard Laube of the Elburn Co-op. The donation to KCFB’s Harvest forALL hunger relief effort was made by the Co-op’s affiliate, Land O’ Lakes,as a match to Elburn Co-Op’s generous donation in 2010 from their corntest plots crop proceeds (see letter below). The donation will benefit the Elburn Food Pantry. Learn more about Harvest for ALL atwww.kanecfb.com.

Betsy Metcalf of St.Peter’s food pantry inGeneva and KCFBInformation DirectorRyan Klassy unloadover 250 pounds offood donated byguests at KCFB’sTouch-A-Tractor inApril, which will helpfeed the 275 familiesserved there twice amonth. Metcalf said

donations from Farm Bureau members through Harvest for ALL have hada significant impact. She added that cash donations help buy fresh veg-etables and support a community garden.

Kane County Farm Bureau offers its sincereappreciation to the following for their pledge

to combat hunger in our communities.Donor(s) BeneficiaryRichard & Mary Lee Pitstick Northern Illinois Food BankBob & Carol Bronski Feeding Greater ElginRandy Pauli Elburn Food Pantry

Help us find the voice! ... and be invited to our July 7 BBQ

Strom receive NIU honorary degree

Leland Strom

Farm Bureau ership – what’s it all about?Our members belong to the Farm Bureau for many reasons. Some join to take action on behalf of agri-

culture. Others join to support Farm Bureau policies or assist with program efforts. Farm Bureau works on the local level, in Springfield and in Washington D.C. to support action not

just on farm issues, but on many of the same things you’re concerned about: protection of private prop-erty rights and the quality of the rural environment, tax policies and economic growth, and the qualityand safety of our food supply.

With your help, we’re working for equitable school funding and educating students and teachers,through programs like Ag Days, SPROUTS and Summer Ag Institutes for Teachers, about the importantrole agriculture plays in the U.S. economy and in the fabric of American life.

When you add that to our efforts toward local farmland preservation, promotion of local farms throughDiscover the Bounty of Kane, Farm-City events like Touch-a-Tractor, community food pantry supportthrough Harvest for ALL and the member services available, we hope you’ll agree it is worth the cost ofyour annual membership.

Plus – Farm Bureau membership provides a long list of benefits. Details are available any time atwww.kanecfb.com. So get involved when and where you can – there are lots of opportunities for com-munity involvement and professional development. Take advantage of Farm Bureau benefits. And then,tell a friend!

s

Memb

June is a month of promise,not only in farming, but in

our daily lives. To the farmer, planting is

generally finished by June, sothe promise of good, strongcrops looms in the air. Ofcourse, Mother Nature plays alarge part in the fulfillment ofthese anticipated yields.

To the school students, June

means the end of school and thebeginning of the promise of afun-filled summer. Dreams ofswimming, travel, sleeping in,and time to spend with familyand friends makes June a timeof joy and expectation.

To parents, June meanschanging routines to accommo-date the children being home allday. Registration for camps,

“The book provides a heart-warming clip of what happenson a dairy farm. Told throughthe eyes of a farm family, it givesyoung readers a glimpse of boththe miracles and work that hap-pen continuously on a dairyfarm. Hats off to the littleChaney twins for sharing theirstory with other children whoare not fortunate enough togrow up surrounded by the mar-vels of agriculture and life.”–Shelly Mayer, a Wisconsindairy farmer.

“A wonderful book that tellsthe farm-to-table story so beau-tifully... and focus on the manypeople behind the scenes whoare an important part of bring-ing wholesome milk to childrenand their families.” –JoanneLeatherman, Maryland

This book is available at ourlibrary. Thanks to a requestyears ago by Bob Konen andDean Dunn that Kane CountyFarm Bureau start a library ofagriculturally themed books forpublic use, we have an ever-

AG LITERACY CORNERBy Suzi Myers

Book of the Month

Mini Milk Maids on the Moooveby twins

Rianna and Sheridan Chaney

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER JUNE 2011sports, or lessons, travel plansmade for a family vacation, andthe proverbial lists of things toget done around the house whilethe weather is nice.

Gardeners join the farmerswith the planting of their gar-dens, be they flower or vegetable,and they hold the hope of goodweather to create a good crop.

Painters, asphalt companies,

air conditioner companies, andother seasonal companies hopethe weather in June increasestheir sales for the warm season.A cool or wet summer does nothelp their businesses.

Grandparents find June atime to plan for more visits fromtheir grandchildren. The prom-ise of more time with the chil-dren adds to the anticipation of

the summer ahead. So what is on your list for the

promise of June? Mine is full ofhome improvements, time withmy family, walks in the woods,and even a walk on theAppalachian Trail with mygrandkids. I’m hoping for aJune that becomes the begin-ning of a wonderful summer.Enjoy.

growing selection of titles formembers to enjoy.

Invitations to the KCFB Volunteer Appreciation Night on June 17 have been mailedto adults who volunteered at KCFB community service and educational events in thepast year. Invited members must call the Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660 to RSVP, andmay purchase additional tickets for $15 each. That includes a ticket to watch the KaneCounty Cougars game, admission to the “Leinie Lodge” in right field for a ballparkmeal and refreshments, door-prizes, and fireworks after the game. Elfstrom Stadium islocated just south of the intersection of Roosevelt Rd. (Rt. 38) and Kirk Rd. on the Eastside of Geneva. Gates open at 6 pm and the first KCFB door prize drawing is at 6:15 pm.

SPROUTS reacheshundreds of urban youth

Kane County Farm Bureaucelebrated National LibraryWeek with its annual SpringProgram of Reading & Outreachto Urban Teachers and Students,or SPROUTS. Fifteen volun-teers from the Farm Bureau vis-ited third grade classrooms toread the book, The Heartland byDiane Siebert, to their students.Wendell Minor of Aurora pro-vides the colorful illustrationsthat teach students about farmlife in America’s Heartland.

This year SPROUTS reachednearly over 1,500 students in 50classrooms. Each classroomreceived a copy of the book,Farmer George Plants a Nation,which highlights the lesser-known agricultural expertise ofour country’s first president,George Washington, who devel-oped new farming technologieson his farm in Virginia. Teachersare encouraged to use the bookfor additional lessons about theimportant job farmers do.

“I really enjoy doing this,”said Sandy Gould, who is in herthird year of volunteering forSPROUTS. “The kids alwaysask such good questions and it’sfun to give them a farmer’s per-spective. I think they enjoylearning that way.”

“I had so much fun I will def-initely do it again,” saidSuzanne Girsch of Geneva. Sheread to four classrooms atBlackberry Schools. “One of the

things I talked about was thepatchwork the fields wouldmake if viewed from the air andsaid they should pay attention tothe changing colors of thosefields as they proceed fromplanting to harvest.”

Teachers from John Stewart,McDole, John Shields andBlackberry Creek schools in theKaneland school district incorpo-rated the program into their read-ing curriculum. KCFB AgLiteracy Coordinator Suzi Myersalso distributed copies of FarmerGeorge Plants a Nation to 10libraries in Kane County. Thesebooks are available for check-outto area teachers and the generalpublic at the following libraries:• Dundee Township Public

Library, Dundee • Town and Country Public

Library, Elburn• Gail Borden Public Library,

Elgin• Messenger Library, North

Aurora• Sugar Gove Public Library• St. Charles Public Library• Geneva Public Library• Batavia Public Library• Aurora Public Library• Big Rock Library

A memorial fund establishedin memory of long-time FarmBureau volunteer and formerKCFB Director Bob Konen, andfunded by family and friends,has been designated to fundSPROUTS.

FarmBureau

VolunteerNight

“The SPROUTS program is an example of how much a smallgroup of dedicated volunteers can touch a large number of stu-dents. My thanks go out to each of the volunteers – without whomSPROUTS could not exist.”

–KCFB Ag Literacy Coordinator Suzi Myers

Thanks to the following volunteers who madethis year’s SPROUTS program a success:

Marti BergMary DonahueBeth GehrkeSuzanne GirschSandy GouldAnn JohnsonRyan Klassy

Barb KonenNancy MeisengerDenise OstrumMary PalaszBeulah SwansonJenny WagnerLori Williams

And a Special ThankYou to Alyce Konen,for continued finan-cial support of thislegacy to her hus-band Bob.

Sandy Gould of MaplePark explains theprocess of preparingthe soil for planting to3rd grade students atGreenman ElementarySchool in West Aurora.(Above) Gould, whosefamily operates a far-row-to-wean hog oper-ation and grain farm,was one of 14 volun-teers who read thebook Heartland to 50

classrooms through SPROUTS, the Spring Program of Reading & Outreachto Urban Teachers and Students in May. As part of her presentation, sheexplains the steps needed to get from fall tillage, as illustrated in the bookHeartland, to the final product of a farmer’s corn harvest.

JUNE 2011 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ___________________________________ Telephone (_____) _____________________

Email ______________________________________________________________________________

Please complete and return to the Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 by June 15, 2011. We've offered everything but the kitchen sink as prizes for our Word Search –now we have that too! Enter for a chance to win 2 Kitchen Sink desserts from Colonial Café.

The perfect delicious ice cream treat to celebrate June is Dairy month!

C A L C I U M J C M W B Y S V

M I N J G F A D O I R K K S I

P Y P Y O S E N T L L I C S T

D X F T M J R I T K M P T I A

N E S E E H C M A E R C K W M

T I Z W Y B E A G C Q K M S I

A A E V B J C T E F O U X N N

R S F T R U I I C C I W M W A

K T R W S S T V H S F F S O Y

C H O C O L A T E M I L K R R

C M B F N L O N E T M H N B S

Y O G U R T G H S R H D L N H

H G X E R A H Y E S R E J P I

X E Z E M P O T A S S I U M R

L W E Y E S N R E U G V V A E

Dairy

Compiled by Beth Dawson and Suzi Myers

AYRSHIREBROWN SWISSBUTTERCALCIUMCHEESECHOCOLATE MILKCOTTAGE CHEESECOWSCREAM CHEESEGUERNSEYHOLSTEINICECREAMJERSEYLOWFATMAGNESIUMMILKPOTASSIUMSKIMVITAMIN AVITAMIN DYOGURT

Congratulations!Kristie Decker of Gilberts! Kristie’s name was chosen from the

entries received for correctly completing last month’s Word SearchPuzzle. For her participation, Kristie receives a 5-lb box of Baby-back Ribs. Thank you Kristie, for reading the Kane CountyFarmer, and continue to watch each month for more great oppor-tunities from the Kane County Farm Bureau.

NationalDairy MonthFresh Fruit and Vegetable MonthIced Tea Month

National Egg Day......................June 3National Cheese Day ................June 4National Frozen Yogurt Day......June 4

National Chocolate Ice Cream Day ................................June 7National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day1..........................June 9National Iced Tea Day ...................................................June 10National Strawberry Shortcake Day..............................June 14Eat All Your Veggies Day ..............................................June 17International Picnic Day................................................June 18National Vanilla Milkshake Day .....................................June 20National Onion Rings Day.............................................June 22National Chocolate Pudding Day ..................................June 26National Ice Cream Soda Day .......................................June 30

• Wake up in a happy moood.• Don’t cry over spilled milk.• When chewing your cud, remember: There’s no fat, no calories, no

cholesterol, and no taste!• The grass is greener on the other side of the fence. • Turn the udder cheek and mooo-ve on.• Seize every opportunity and milk it for all it’s worth!• It’s better to be seen and not herd.• Honor thy fodder and thy mother and all your udder relatives.• Never take any bull from anybody.• Always let them know who’s the bossy.• Stepping on cowpies brings good luck.• Black and white is always an appropriate fashion statement.• Don’t forget to cow-nt your blessings every day.

Udderly amazing• All 50 states have dairy farms.• The five leading milk produc-

tion states are California,Wisconsin, Idaho, Penn-sylvania and New York.

• The average cow producesenough milk per day to fill 90glasses.

• More than one-third of all milkproduced each year in theU.S. is used to manufacturecheese.

• When milk leaves the cow, itis 101 degrees. It’s then

quickly cooled to 40 degrees.• Milk is better for cooling your

mouth than water because ofthe protein casein, whichcleanses the taste buds.

• A gallon of milk weighs 8.59pounds.

• A cow has 4 stomachs and 24teeth.

• A cow has 207 bones – that’sone more than humans.

• An average cow producesabout 350,000 glasses of milkin her lifetime.

• Long ago, when people trav-eled and wanted milk, theyhad to take cows with them.

• Cows eat 90 pounds of hay,grain and silage each day –about 61/2 hours are spenteating.

• It takes about two days for acow to process food into milk.

• Cows drink 25-50 gallons ofwater each day.

• Cows spend up to 14 hours aday lying down.

Berry brownie puddingIngredients:4 cups 1% low-fat milk 2 packages (4 serving size each)

vanilla pudding mix 1 cup of 1-inch low-fat brownie

pieces 2 cups sliced strawberries 1 cup blueberriesPreparation:Add milk to pudding mix andprepare according to directions

on box (instant pudding may besubstituted).Place half of brownie pieces onbottom of a medium glass bowland layer with half of vanilla pud-ding, 1 cup of strawberries and1/2 cup of blueberries.Repeat layers with remainder ofingredients. Serve immediatelyor cover and refrigerate.

National Dairy Month

AllI need toKnowabout Life, I learnedfrom a

C•O•W

June is

Illinois Dairy Facts• Dairying supplies 11,600 Illinois jobs.• Greatest amount of milk produced in one

year was 59,298 pounds by a cow namedRobthom Sue Paddy.

• A dairy farmer’s day begins and ends withmilking cows.

• There are more than 1,000 new dairy prod-ucts introduced every year.

Try this activity tomake your own butter!1. Place a half-pint of room tem-

perature whipping or heavycream in a plastic or glass jarwith a lid. One half pint ofcream will make about one-quarter pound butter.

2. Shake the jar for five to tenminutes.

3. When a lump of butter forms,pour the contents of the jarinto a colander to separate thebutter from the buttermilk.

4. Eat the butter on bread orcrackers. Apinch ofsalt canbeadded.

Facts about dairy products• Blue cheese gets its color

from mold• The dates on milk are not for

expiration. They indicate thelast day that product can besold.

• Milk can be frozen. You canactually see the frozen milkmolecules on the surface.

• It takes 12.5 gallons of milk tomake one gallon of ice cream.

• It takes 10 gallons of milk tomake one pound of cheese.

• Swiss cheese has holes due tothe expansion of gases withinthe cheese curd during theripening period.

Wet weather kept most farmers out of the fields until the beginning of Maythis year. Corn planting was just 10% completed in Illinois as of May 1, wellbehind the 5-year average of 46%. Farmers did a great job of playing catchup though, upping the percentage to 90% as of May 23, 5% higher than the5-year average. That crop will have to get growing fast to help achieve theUSDA projections for the 2011-12 corn crop, set at a record 13.5 billionbushels. That’s up 1.1 billion from last year. Projected corn yield is 158.7bushels per acre. Substantial year-over-year increases in production areexpected in the United States, Argentina, Europe, Russia, Ukraine, Mexicoand China. Based on March planting intentions and a trend yield, the 2011U.S. soybean crop is projected at 3.285 billion bushels, 44 million bushelssmaller than the 2010 crop.

June is ...

Trent Piersonis taking courses atJoliet JuniorCollege toward adegree in agricul-tural business. He

continues to work on his fami-ly’s farm in Kaneville, where hisactivities include operating andrepairing machinery, restoringantique tractors and haulinggrain. He is involved with theStudent Ag Association and vol-unteers with the Kane CountyFarm Bureau, Kane CountyCorn Growers and KendallCounty Fair Association. Heplans to work in the agribusinessfield and farm part-time with hisfamily. Trent’s parents are Daleand Tina Pierson of Elburn.

C h a r l e n eS t e i n i n g e r ’ sinterest in agricul-ture started withcaring for beefcattle on her fami-

ly’s farm when she was eightyears old. She started showingcattle through 4-H and later gotinvolved in FFA, where sheserved as Chapter Sentinel,Vice-president and President.Her agricultural experienceshave taught her dedication,responsibility and the rewardsof physical work. Charleneplans to major in agriculturaljournalism and communicationsand hopes to work for an agri-culture-related magazine orpublishing company. She is thedaughter of Ken and WandaSteininger of Sugar Grove.

Helping withfarm relatedchores, raisinganimals, hay andgrain crops, havebeen an integral

part of Olivia Fabrizius’s life.She gained a love for animalswhile growing up on a farm thathas been in her family for fivegenerations. Olivia has been anactive 4-H member for 11 years.She currently attends WesternIllinois University, is majoringin agricultural science, and willgo on to obtain a pre-veterinarydegree. She then hopes to ownher own clinic or work in anestablished practice.

Kayla Meyerattends the Univer-sity of Illinois pur-suing a degree inA g r i c u l t u r eEducation. Kayla

serves as the National JuniorSwine Association CentralRegion Director and writes for

the association’s newsletter as amember of the NJSA ServiceCommittee. She has possessed apassion for raising and caringfor livestock from a young ageand was inspired to become anAg teacher by her aunt. Aftergraduation, she hopes to edu-cate youth about the importanceof Agriculture. Kayla’s parentsare Bryan and Sara Meyer ofHinckley.

Sara Weirichis the daughter ofMike and JoanneWeirich ofHinckley. She ismajoring in ani-

mal science and agricultureeducation at Iowa StateUniversity, and plans to teachAg education. Sarah was intro-duced to agriculture at ageseven, when her parents movedto a farm. At ISU she is a mem-ber of the Dairy Science Club,Ag Ambassadors and Block andBridle Club. She is also active inthe Junior Women’s Club andfor five years gained experienceworking with animals workingat the Sugar Grove AnimalHospital.

Doris Karalesattends the Univer-sity of Wisconsinat River Fallsmajoring in Agri-business. She runs

a one-acre asparagus business,helps out on her family’s grainoperation and at school, sheworks for the Ag EconomicsDepartment. She is also a mem-ber of the Ag Business andMarketing Society and theIntervarsity Christian Fellow-ship. Doris hopes to one day runa farm to provide food and edu-cational opportunities to thelocal community. Her parentsare Virgil and Ruth Karales.

K a r i s s aPitstick graduatesfrom KanelandHigh School inJune and plans toattend Illinois

State University. She will majorin education and wants to com-bine her love for teaching withher experience in agriculture toinform students about theimportant role agriculture playsin their lives. She participated instudent council, Spanish Club,and volleyball. She also enjoysshowing pigs and has served asa 4H Ambassador. Karissa wasa 2011-12 State Scholar andreceived an AcademicAchievement Award. She is thedaughter of David and LisaPitstick of Maple Park.

After gradua-tion from ElginC o m m u n i t yCollege, CarolynGehrke spentthree months in

Germany on an International4-H Youth Exchange, learningabout German culture and agri-culture in the European Union.She plans to return to ECC foradditional courses in AgEconomics and then transfer tothe University of Illinois tostudy Policy, InternationalTrade and Development. Heraim is a career that allows her totravel abroad and use the skillsshe has gained operating herown fall décor business inElgin. She is the daughter ofBob and Beth Gehrke.

Ben Fabriziushas helped on hisfamily’s farm sincehe was a youngboy. He plans tocomplete his asso-

ciate’s degree in Diesel PowerTechnology at KishwaukeeCommunity College, earn abachelor’s degree, and then takeover the family hay and grainbusiness and expand the opera-tion. Ben has been a member of4-H for ten years, earning numer-ous awards, and has volunteeredwith the Kane County FarmBureau and Kane-DuPage Soiland Water Conservation District.Ben’s parents are Gerard andJudy Fabrizius of Maple Park.

After graduationfrom St. CharlesNorth High Schoolthis May, LeahHorton will set hersites on a degree in

Food Science and HumanNutrition at the University ofIllinois. She hopes to learn moreabout what happens to food inbetween the pasture and theplate, and work on increasing thesafety of agricultural products. Inhigh school, Leah was a memberof National Honors Society andSpanish National Honor Societyand was an Academic AllConference student. Leah is thedaughter of Scott and MicheleHorton of St. Charles.

K r i s t i nPitstick is a juniorat the Universityof Illinois major-ing in statistics.She has learned a

lot about agriculture by helpingwith the family farm and hogoperation. Because farming hashelped shape her life, upongraduation Kristin plans to finda job performing surveys toassist farmers in their opera-tions. She has also raised andcared for show pigs for morethan 10 years. Kristin is thedaughter of David and LisaPitstick of Maple Park.

S t e p h a n i eHorton is thedaughter of Scottand MicheleHorton of St.Charles and has

been devoted to animal agricul-ture her entire life. She is partowner of a shorthorn beef cattleoperation with her father andsisters. As a 4-H member, officerand county ambassador she hasshared Ag experiences with thecommunity. In addition to herstudies in animal science pre-vetand biotechnology at theUniversity of Illinois, she worksat the dairy nutrition lab on cam-pus. She is also a member ofHoof and Horn Club and VetsWithout Borders.

Eric Lehrerstudies agricultureand aviation atBlackhawk Com-munity College andplans to one day

manage a grain and livestockoperation. Eric’s Ag experienceincludes running his own haybusiness and work on a grain farmperforming maintenance, runningequipment and tile drainage work.He recently received a grant topromote the raising of Heritagepoultry breeds. Eric is also amember of the BCC’s livestockjudging team and mentors youngstudents in the areas of poultryand livestock operations. He is the

son of Scott and Donna Lehrer ofBig Rock.

T i m o t h yJaneway is anagricultural eco-nomics andfinance major atthe University of

Illinois and will graduate in May2012. He is the son of Tim andLisa Janeway of St. Charles.Timothy is looking forward to acareer in agribusiness. In addi-tion to his studies, Timothy isalso a certified official soccerreferee and helps pay for collegeexpenses by officiating in theChampaign area and at HighSchool and Park District leaguesduring the summer.

Wayne Gehrkestudies CropSciences at theUniversity ofIllinois with aminor in Technical

Systems Management. He plansto own and operate his own fam-ily farm. Wayne began helpingon his family’s farm by unload-ing hay and has learned about thelogistics of owning and operat-ing a business through his ownroadside pumpkin stand. At theU of I, his activities include CropSciences Student Ambassador,Student Council and Vice-President of Internal Operationson the Recruitment Committeeof the Farm House Fraternity.Wayne is the son of Bob andBeth Gehrke of Elgin.

Growing upworking with hisfather on the farmhas led NolanAnderson to pur-sue a degree in

Agricultural SystemsTechnology at Southern IllinoisUniversity. Assisting with plant-ing and harvesting crops andbaling and delivering hay hastaught him toughness and deter-mination. He is active in variouschurch group related activitiesincluding highway clean-upsand fundraisers. During thesummer, he also works for alandscaping service. Nolan’sparents are Mark and HeidiAnderson of Hampshire.

After gradua-tion fromBurlington CentralHigh School inJune, Alex Kleinplans to attend

Western Illinois University. Heworks on the family farm oper-ating machinery, working in thegreenhouse and market, andrepairing tractors. Alex is amember of National HonorSociety and an Illinois StateScholar. Ryan Robinson, Alex’sAg teacher at Central, inspiredhim to become an Ag teacherhimself and utilize his agricul-tural experience and abilities toexplain processes to others.Alex’s parents are Matt andChristine Klein of Burlington.

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER JUNE 2011

KCFB Foundation scholarship recipients announced____

Kk____

T he Kane County FarmBureau Foundation

Board will award nearly$21,000 in scholarships thisyear to 20 future Ag industryprofessionals. William Haasof Elburn was chosen toreceive the $1,500 President’sScholarship. The Foundationalso administers the $1,000John Buck MemorialScholarship, awarded toMatthew Hislop of Clare, andthe $1,250 Chuck SwansonMemorial Scholarship,awarded to Kate St. John ofSugar Grove.

The following 17 studentswere selected to receive$1,000 KCFB FoundationGeneral Scholarships.____

Kk____

Kane County Farm Bureau memberA family name serving the Fox Valley & surrounding area for over 50 years

Kane County FarmBureau DirectorMike Kenyon (ctr)receives the John C.Biddle award fromKane-DuPage Soil &Water ConservationDistrict ChairmanGerard Fabrizius andDirector Maureen

McAllister. The award honors an outstanding farmer, family or partnershipfor conservation efforts. SWCD recognizes excellence in individuals, busi-nesses and/or organizations that go “above and beyond” to further natu-ral resources and/or agriculture in Kane and DuPage Counties. Winnerswere recognized at the SWCD Annual Meeting.

Young Farmers Meeting & BBQ June 8The KCFB Young Farmers Committee will meet on Wednesday,

June 8 at the home of John & Lauren Biddle, 42W143 Campton HillsRd in Elburn. The meeting will include discussion on committee activ-ities at the Kane County Fair and Harvest for ALL hunger reliefefforts, as well as sign up for the Young Leaders Discussion Meet,Agri-Quiz Bowl and other leadership development opportunities.

Afterwards they’ll fire up the grill for some burgers and play agame or two of bean-bag toss. All KCFB members age 18-35 are wel-come to attend. To RSVP and get directions to the farm, call the FarmBureau at 630-584-8660 or contact John Biddle at 630-768-2020.

Each month, Kane CountyFarm Bureau honors the personor persons who sign the mostmembers into our organization.This month we would like tocongratulate Jonathan Gonzalez,who signed eight new membersto be named top recruiter.

Jonathan Gonzalez has beenan agent with COUNTRY’s St.

Charles/ Elgin Agency sinceMarch 2010. He services clientsfrom his office at 1814Grandstand Place, Elgin, 60123.Jonathan may be reached at 847-742-0001.

As a token of our apprecia-

tion, Jonathan will receive twotickets to the CharlestowneMovie Theater. Thank you,Jonathan for your continuedsupport of the Kane CountyFarm Bureau and congratula-tions on your success.

FOR SALELarge hay and straw 3x3x8 bales,and feed oats. Call: 847-436-2538J.D. 6 row 30” cultivator, 3 pt hitch– good shape $1,000. 5 ton bulkfertilizer spreader – good shape$550. – Norton Farms. Call: 630803 1291SERVICESNew horse barns with under-ground utilities and earthwork(grading, electric & water),drainage tiles, pasture clipping,mowing, spraying, new seeding,renovation seeding & fenceinstallation. We follow UofIExtension best management rec-ommendations. 5% discount forFarm Bureau members. GalushaFarms: Tom Berning 630-330-9970, [email protected]; Steve Berning, 630-878-6350, [email protected]: 630-330-9970

Aurora Sportsman Club, 7858Preserve Rd., Waterman. OPENHOUSE dates April 9, May 14,June 11, and August 13. Safetymeeting required 10 a.m. and 12noon. FOID card required for freeuse of Rifle and Pistol Range.Small fee for Trap Range. Call formore information or www.auro-rasc.org. Call: 815-264-9000WANTEDKane County Farm BureauFoundation is seeking a goodrestored antique farm tractor, anymake/model, for our 2012Winner’s Coice Tractor Rafflefundraiser for college scholar-ships. Call Steve at 708 650-8661.Land to hunt for next BowSeason. Will rent or trade forpainting/handyman services. CallMark or Dave – 630 406 3000Wanted: Pennington mower forFarmall Cub in working conditionor for parts. Under chassis, 5 ft.wide with 3 blades. Call Donald,630 323 5231FOR RENTFarm house near Burlington, IL.Four bedrooms, one bath, unat-tached 2-car garage, out building& pasture that could be adaptedfor use by one to three horses orother farm animals. $1200 permonth. Call for more info.Available July 1st. Call: 847 6063577

In May, I had the privilege of participating in the

SPROUTS reading program.Developed to teach KaneCounty youth about the farmingoperations just miles fromwhere they live, yet far from therealm of their daily lives. Weread the book Heartland to thirdgrade classrooms.

As I prepared for the visit, Ithought about the importance ofboth education and agriculture.Agriculture is our most impor-tant industry, but I’d say it’shard to argue that the crop ofstudents tossing mortarboardsinto the air in high schools audi-toriums last month isn’t ourmost important.

Considering how importanteach is to the strength of anation, combining the two, ie.teaching about agriculture, is apretty important thing. Just interms of how our children makefood choices when they’regrown will be, in part, based onthe information we plant now.

I read to about 25 students atGreenman Elementary in Aurorawho had great comments andquestions about the book. Theillustrations in Heartland paint-ed them a wonderful picture offarming life, and the toy tractor,plow and combine I broughtalong helped drive the pointhome. We’re looking for moretoys for just that purpose, if youhave any in your garage or attic,please consider donating them –a picture tells a thousand words,but a toy tractor makes thirdgraders sit forward in their seats.

After my visit, I sat in on asession led by volunteer SandyGould. The teacher of that classmade a very important point.Sandy was explaining that most

farmers specialize in certainareas, grain crops, swine, dairy,poultry, etc. That’s a lot different,she pointed out, than the way ourancestors farmed. They often hadall those things on one farm.

The teacher compared thatspecialization to the way teach-ers specialize in one grade level.“I don’t know what they’redoing in the kindergarten class,”she said. “I know third gradersand what you need to learn.”Little heads nodded, and youcould tell the kids understood.

The teacher also mentionedthat she did know the kinder-gartners were hatching chicks,another program that the FarmBureau does, although this wasnot one of our hatches. Howmany of those kids had an “ahamoment” when that first chickpecked its way out of the shell!

KCFB’s Ag LiteracyCoordinator, Suzi Myers told usa story recently that shows usthe effect these Ag outreachexcursions can have.

She and a colleague wereconducting a teacher workshopand took a poll to see what thestudent teachers knew aboutsoybeans. One responded thatshe knew soybeans are used tomake crayons. It turns out thatshe learned that true, but not-so-well-known, soy fact as a thirdgrader when she attended AgDays at Mooseheart, a KaneCounty Farm Bureau programnow in its 27th year.

Who knows what made thatseed stick in her brain for 15years, and what other ideas ithelped form. But it’s a greatincentive for us all to keep pass-ing on real world knowledge toour kids, our most importantcrop.

JUNE 2011 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

OUR MOST IMPORTANT CROPBy Ryan Klassy, Information Director

CLASSIFIED AD RATESClassified advertising rates: 20cents per word/$10 minimum (50word max). DISCOUNTS for mem-bers: Associate members, 20%;Voting members, 30%; PLUSmembers, 40%. Advance paymentrequested. Ads due by the 15th ofevery month for the next issue. Noadvertising (classified or display)for financial or insurance serviceswill be accepted. Call 630-584-8660.

CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDD AADDSS

Shop the classifieds for member-to-member quality and deals

Recruiter of the month

Jonathan Gonzalez

What’s newin theCOUNTRY®

agencies?

“Agriculture in Illinois” was the theme for the Kane County FarmBureau’s 2011 bookmark contest, judged by the Kane County FarmBureau Women’s Committee. Two entries were chosen for recogni-tion this year: Jocelyn Martinez of Mrs. Goetz’s class at SunnydaleElementary in Carpentersville (left) and Trixie Pedres of Mrs.Beckman’s class at St. Thomas More in Elgin (right). Each receiveda personal prize and certificate, and their classrooms received an“Illinois” party, including a presentation by KCFB Ag Literacy coor-dinator Suzi Myers. This contest helped students connect familiaritems from with their agricultural roots.

Cost-share assistance available for growersand handlers of organic ag products

Growers and handlers oforganic agricultural productsnow can recover part of the costof their USDA certification. TheIllinois Department of Agri-culture has received $60,000 toreimburse producers and han-dlers who either obtain or renewtheir certification in the federalfiscal year that ends Sept. 30,2011. The reimbursement covers75 percent of certification costsup to a maximum of $750.

“These funds will help grow-ers who want to enter the rapid-ly-growing market for organicproducts,” Agriculture DirectorTom Jennings said. “However,they’re available on a first-come, first-served basis, so Iencourage those interested tocontact us as soon as possible.”

Applications will be accept-ed through Nov. 1, 2011 and canbe obtained by calling thedepartment’s Bureau ofMarketing and Promotion at

217-524-9129 or visiting itswebsite at www.agr.state.il.us.Organic Growers meeting June 20

University of IllinoisExtension and the IllinoisOrganic Growers Associationwill host a Sustainable/OrganicGrowers meeting to promotenetworking and discussionamong farmers and producers innorthern Illinois on Monday,June 20, from 5 p.m. to 8:30p.m. at Willow Creek OrganicFarm in Steward, Il.

The purpose of this initialmeeting is fact finding. “We wantto hear from growers what kindsof information and events at U ofI Extension can design thatwould be helpful to them,” saidEllen Phillips, U of I Extensioneducator. “Is there a need forfield days, webinars, intensiveworkshops, a blog to encouragedialogue on important issues?We want to provide program-

ming that will meet real needs.”For more information, con-

tact Ellen Phillips at 708-352-0109 or [email protected] there is no fee, regis-tration is requested atwww.webs.extension.uiuc.edu. Organic Farm Supplies

Johnsen’s Feed and Farm inElburn has announced that theynow stock organic fertilizers,pesticides, soil amendments andother products suitable for useon organic farms and gardens.They offer dozens of fertilizersincluding alfalfa meal, fish meal,green sand, and liquid kelp. Picksome up at the store located at40W467 Rt. 38 in or arrange fordelivery to nearby farmer’s mar-kets. Call Phyllis Johnsen at630-232-9004 for more infor-mation. One of many local farmstores and markets listed in theKane County Farm Bureau’sBounty of Kane directory. Visitwww.bountyofkane.org.

St. Charles/Elgin Agency, Bob Effner, Agency Manager

Congratulations to DanCooper! Dan has been namedRepresentative of the Month forApril 2011 in the St. Charles/Elgin Agency, as announced byAgency Manager, Robert J.Effner, Sr. He has positivelyimpacted his clients throughauto, farm, home, life, businessand investments.

Dan has been with COUN-TRY® Financial since January2003. He services his clientsfrom his office located at 32 W.Cross St., Sugar Grove, 60554.You may reach Dan at his officeat 630-466-9600.Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency Manager

Brian Guenther, FinancialRepresentative with the AuroraAgency, is our Agent of theMonth for April 2011. He beganhis career with COUNTRY®

Financial January 2002 and serv-ices his clients out of his officelocated at 2430 W. Indian Trail#202, Aurora, 60506 and can bereached at (630) 907-8888.

2011 Agriculture inIllinois bookmark contest

Find out more ...www.kanecfb.com

Kane County Farm BureauYoung Farmers Chairman DalePitstick has been selected forthe Cultivating Master Farmerprogram, sponsored by theIllinois Farm Bureau, 1st FarmCredit Services, Farm CreditServices of Illinois, GROW-MARK, Monsanto, and PrairieFarmer.

Established in 2005, the pro-

gram pairs 10 young farmersand 10 Prairie Farmer MasterFarmers in a unique mentoringopportunity. The two-year pro-gram consists of seven eventsincluding farm tours, roundtablediscussions, industry tours andkeynote speakers.

“I’m looking forward tolearning a lot from the program,”said Pitstick. “I think I’ll be ableto gather ideas to make ourYoung Farmers committeestronger too, so it’s a really good opportunity all around,”

he added.The class’s first meeting will

be held the second week in Julyat Farm Credit Services ofIllinois in Mahomet.

The Kane County FarmBureau Foundation is seek-ing a tractor for its 2012Winner’s Choice TractorRaffle. The 1950 Farmall Cubfrom the 2011 raffle was notchosen by this year’s grandprize winner, and will beused for promotional pur-poses until another one isfound. At that time, KCFB willaccept sealed bids for theCub. If you own or know of a nicely restored antique tractor, please callKCFB at 630-584-8660. It could be the 2012 grand prize!

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER JUNE 2011

Farm Fresh and Locally GrownAs the summer months begin,

Kane County growers have avariety of fresh fruits and vegeta-bles to offer you and your family.KCFB’s newly revised Bounty ofKane directory lists farmer’s mar-kets throughout the county, fea-tures a quick reference map andcontact information for 35 farmsthat sell direct to consumers. Visit www.bountyof kane.org to view the interactive map, access weblinks and contact information for each of the farms and markets, anddownload a copy to print at home. Your support of local farmers,farm stands and farmer’s markets is greatly appreciated.

—— Farmers Markets ——Aurora Farmer’s Markets

630-264–INFO (4636)www.aurora-il.org

Aurora Transportation Center ATC233 N. Broadway (Rt. 25)Saturdays, June - October,7:30am-Noon

West Aurora Plaza1901 W. Galena Blvd. at EdgelawnWednesdays, July – August, 2pm-6pm

Spring Lake Park–East3500 McCoy DriveTuesdays, July – August, 10am-2pm

Batavia Farmer’s MarketWater Street (between Wilson &

First Street)Saturdays, June - Oct., 8am-Noon

630-761-3528www.downtownbatavia.com

Downtown Elgin Harvest Market200 North Grove Ave. (Old LibraryParking Lot)Thursdays, June - Sept., 10am-4pm 847-488-1456www.downtownelgin.com

Geneva French MarketMetra Parking Lot NW corner ofSouth St. & 4th St.Sundays, April - Nov., 9am-2pm630-784-0862www.bensidoun-usa.com

Geneva Green Market75 N River Lane, GenevaThursdays, June - Sept., 7am-1pm 847-501-0430www.genevagreenmarket.org

Community Winter Market11 N Fifth Street, GenevaSaturdays, Nov.-May, 9am-1pm 630-377-0373

Old Dundee Farmer’s Market319 N. River St.Saturdays, May - Oct., 8am-2pm847-426-2423www.dundeedepot.com

St. Charles Farmer’s MarketBaker Memorial UMC, 4th Avenue& Route 64Fridays, June - Oct. , 7am-1pm630-584-6680www.bakermemorialchurch.org

Sugar Grove French MarketSugar Grove Village Hall, Rt. 30 &Municipal DriveSaturdays, June - Sept., 8am-1pm630-466-1014www.sugargrovechamber.org

Village of Montgomery Farmer’sMarketFounder’s Plaza - 200 North RiverStreet, Montgomery Tuesdays, June - Oct., 10am-2pm630-896-8080 ext.1112

State-wide farm marketlistings updated

The 2011 edition of PrairieBounty of Illinois, a free direc-tory of direct-from-the-farmsellers and farmers markets, isnow available from the IllinoisFarm Bureau® and the IllinoisSpecialty Growers Association.

The farm section of thedirectory contains contact infor-mation and locations of morethan 900 individual growers,arranged by county, in alphabet-ical order. There, consumers canfind a farm’s contact informa-tion, products available, andmethod of sale (roadside stand,u-pick/cut, wholesale, etc.). Thesecond section lists all farmers

markets in Illinois, arrangedalphabetically by city.

The publication is free, butthose interested in a hard copycan send $3.00 for postage andhandling to Cashier, IllinoisFarm Bureau, Attn: PrairieBounty, P.O. Box 2901,Bloomington, IL 61702-2910.The directory is also available atthe Kane County Farm Bureauoffice, or via free PDF down-load at http://www.specialty-growers.org/. Growers not listedmay contact Diane Handley at309-557-3662 or via e-mail [email protected] for instruc-tions on how to register.

John Buck Memorial Golf OutingThe 11th Annual John Buck

Memorial Golf Outing will beTuesday July 12, 2011 at theMarengo Ridge Golf Course inMarengo. Registration begins at10:00 a.m. with a shotgun startat 11:00 a.m.

The outing is limited to thefirst 144 paid entries, so callearly to make your reservations.All proceeds go to benefit theJohn Buck Scholarship fund,which is distributed to the KaneCounty Farm BureauFoundation, The Midwest GolfCourse SuperintendentsAssociation and the NorthwestGolf Course Superintendents

Association to be awarded to stu-dents seeking higher education.

$100 per golfer includes 18holes of golf with cart, drivingrange, box lunch, additionaldrink ticket, cocktails, steakdinner and prizes. Not a golfer?Then enjoy the dinner and cock-tails only for $40.00.

A team can be arranged foryou if you do not have a complete foursome. To register,contact either Brenda [email protected] or 747-683-4653, or Michelle [email protected] or847-683-4440.

Past recipients of the $1,000John Buck Memorial

Scholarship, administeredby the Kane County Farm

Bureau Foundation, include:

2011 Matthew Paulsen2010 Drake Hislop2009 Chris Paulsen2008 Thomas Alan Warhurst2007 Katie Stoll2006 Dan Hartmann2005 Kirk Meyer2004 Shannon Smith2003 Catherine McDonald2002 Stephanie Stout

to provide a unique perspectiveof farming practices and howworld food demand affects usall. Teachers will explore waysto integrate what they learn into

their classroom curriculum.Contact Kane County FarmBureau at 630-584-8660 formore information or visitwww.kaneroe.org.

Teachers on the 2010 Summer Ag Institutetoured Hunter Haven Farms, an 800 head dairyfarm in Pearl City. There, head herdsman ScottBrenner explained the milking process that sends7,000 gallons of milk per day off to be turned intocheese, and the way they use all of the waste andwater coming from the farm to be 97% energyself-sufficient. The 2011 tour, themed “HungryPlanet” will feature a unique series of field tripsto illustrate how Illinois farmers and agri-businesses feed a global population expected toreach nine billion people by 2050.

Literacy Coordinator SuziMyers. The DVD chronicles thestories of families living onsesquicentennial farms in Kane,Kendall and Boone counties andis available for $15 at the KaneCounty Farm Bureau.

In other Ag education news,directors learned that KCFB’sSummer Ag Institute II isplanned for August 8-11. Thetheme for the series of work-shops and tours for KaneCounty teachers is “HungryPlanet”. KCFB Ag LiteracyCoordinator Suzi Myers plans toask former IFB Market StudyTour participants to share theirperspectives on agriculture inother areas of the world.

The following thank younotes were circulated: DorisKarales for FoundationScholarship; Dwayne Nelson forbook donation to ElburnLibrary; Diane Christian forbook donation to Aurora PublicLibrary.

The next regular meeting isscheduled for Thursday June 2,2011 at 7:30 pm.

Board meeting(continued from page 2)

Teachers–put some Ag in your ClassroomIf you’re a teacher looking

for a way to introduce agricul-tural themes into your class-room, there’s still time toregister for the KCFBSummer Ag Institute &Kane County agriculturaltour for teachers. Joinother Kane County teachersJune 13-17 on a tour of farms,production enterprises, and

agribusinesses on. The deadlinefor registration is Thursday,June 9. Visit the Kane ROE site

at www.kaneroe.org to reg-ister, using class number426-10.Summer Ag Institute II is

August 8-11Teachers who have com-

pleted Summer Ag Institute I areinvited to attend the second of

two annual tours organized byKCFB to teach local teachersabout agriculture. SAI II is set forAugust 8-11. The theme of thisfour-day course is “HungryPlanet”. Teachers will learnabout techniques used by farmersto feed a growing world popula-tion and how those techniquesvary from region to region.

The purpose of the course is

Sign up forSummer AgInstitute by

June 9

Dale Pitstick

Pitstick chosen for mentoring opportunity