Birkey’s Partners with Farm Bureau Foundation

Birkey’s of Macomb recently partnered with the McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation in an effort to improve and continue agriculture education through a $500 donation to the Agriculture in the Classroom (AITC) program sponsored by the McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation. AITC provides agriculture classroom presentations and resources to local teachers and students free of charge. Last year over 300 presentations were given in McDonough County.

“We saw the Foundation and AITC as bringing real value to our community,” commented store Manager, Dave Berlet. “Students are 2 and 3 generations removed from the farm and they really need to know where their food comes from. AITC provides that information to local students,” added Berlet.

“We couldn’t be happier with this partnership,” added Sarah Grant, Manager of the McDonough County Farm Bureau and McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation. “We’re pleased that Birkey’s sees the benefit of a program like this to our area. Agriculture touches all of our lives each and every day.”

The McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit and supports the AITC program as well as scholarships for students pursuing higher education in agriculture related fields. For more information about the AITC program or how to support the Foundation, please contact Sarah at 309-837-3350. 

Pictured above is Sarah Grant, Farm Bureau and Farm Bureau Foundation Manager and Dave Berlet, Birkey's Macomb Store Manager.

Local Golfers Hit the Links for AITC

        Local golfers helped raise funds for the Agriculture in the Classroom program on Saturday, August 20th at Gold Hills Golf Course as part of the McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation’s annual golf outing. The winning team this year was sponsored in part by MidAmerica National Bank and included team members Ryan Riggins, Greg Garrett and John Vigezzi.

 

                Agriculture in the Classroom is a program of the McDonough County Farm Bureau and provides agriculture related presentations and resources to local students, teachers and classrooms at no cost to the school.

 

                A special thank you goes out to all the sponsors of the event! Sponsors included the following:


West Central FS- Tournament Sponsor

Country Financial- Lunch Sponsor

Tee Sponsors- AITC Coordinator Margaret Harn, Citizens Bank,  Curtis Appraisal & Real Estate, First State Bank of Illinois, Hunt Farms, McDonough County Farm Bureau, McDonough Power Cooperative, MidAmerica National Bank, No Place Like Home, Pioneer, Representative Norine Hammond, State Bank of Industry and West Central FS.

 

Pictured from left to right are Greg Garrett, Ryan Riggins and John Vigezzi


See more pictures from the outing HERE 



Farm Bureau Foundation Names Four Scholarship Recipients 

                Four youth from McDonough County have been named recipients of the 2011 McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation Scholarship. Each of the recipients will receive $500 to be applied toward the cost of continuing their education in an agricultural field.

                During the past several years, the county Farm Bureau Foundation has provided assistance in scholarships to local individuals. The primary focus of the not-for-profit Foundation is to promote agricultural education. The Foundation is supported by individual contributions, including those from McDonough County Farm Bureau members.

                Kari Kelso, the daughter of Clarke and Deborah Kelso, is a 2008 graduate of Macomb Senior High School. She attends Oklahoma State University majoring in Animal Science and Pre Vet.

                Austin Tate, the son of Dennis and Diane Tate, is a 2009 graduate of West Prairie High School. He is currently attending Ranken Technical College and Carpentry and Construction Technology with an emphasis on construction management.

                Erika Ferguson, the daughter of Rick and Beth Ferguson, is a 2011 graduate of Bushnell Prairie-City High School. She will attend the University of Illinois and plans to major in Elementary Education.

                Jill Greuel, the daughter of Stephan Greuel and Paul and Lisa Butterfield , is a 2011 graduate of West Prairie High School. She plans to attend Spoon River College and major in Agriculture Business.

                The McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation is proud to be able to support agricultural education through its scholarship program. Congratulations to the 2011 McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation Scholarship winners.

Pictured from left to right is Kari Kelso, Erika Ferguson, Jill Greuel and Jeffrey Butler, McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation President. 

 Also pictured is recipient, Austin Tate.

 

Enjoy the Ride with Theme Park Discount Tickets

 

Do you ever feel like your life is a roller coaster… jammed-full of ups and downs? Sometimes all you can do is hang on and enjoy the ride. And, if you’re a Farm Bureau member… save some money along the way!

 

This summer you can take advantage of special savings on theme park tickets to eight popular attractions sure to fit your travel schedule. With savings on each ticket, you can take the whole family and save even more!

 

Special ticket savings are available for Six Flags St. Louis, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, IL; Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri; King’s Island in Cincinnati, Ohio;

Raging Rivers in Grafton, Illinois; Holiday World & Splashin’ Safari in Santa Claus, Indiana; Adventureland in Des Moines, Iowa; and Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio.

 

Each park offers unique attractions, rides, shows and specials. There’s something for everyone in your group – from the timid to the most adventurous. For ticket prices and more information, contact the McDonough County Farm Bureau at 309-837-3350 or click on the "theme park tickets" tab at the top of this page. 

 

So go ahead… hop on and enjoy the ride… and the extra change in your pocket! (Be sure not to lose it on the roller coaster.)

 

 

Johnson to present “Managing Crop Risks in Volatile Times” Program




Dr. Steve Johnson, Farm & Ag Business Management Specialist from Iowa State University Extension will be at the Spoon River Outreach Center on Monday, June 13th at 7:00 p.m. to present his seminar titled “Managing Crop Risks in Volatile Times.”

  Topics of interest will be: Crop Price Outlook, Risk Management Tools, Market Plan Discipline, Input Cost Increases and Multi-Year Volatility Planning.

Steve serves as the Farm & Ag Business Management Specialist in Central Iowa for Iowa State University Extension.  He presents annually at more than 100 meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences and field events across the Midwest.  He holds BS and MS degrees from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. from Colorado State University. 

Steve specializes in topics related to grain marketing, government farm programs, crop insurance and other risk management strategies.  He writes and trains on topics related to farm programs, grain production contracts, grain storage, farmland leasing and related crop income issues.  He contributes to articles featured in a variety of farm magazines, websites, e-newsletters and other    print and electronic media. 

If you are interested in attending the program by Dr. Steve Johnson please RSVP by contacting the McDonough County Farm Bureau office at 309-837-3350. 

This meeting is sponsored by the McDonough County Farm Bureau, Haley Risk Protection & Agronomy Services, 1st Farm Credit Services, Purdum Gray Ingledue, Inc., and Heartland Insurance Agency.

           

 





 

     

More than 500 FFA members, County Farm Bureau Managers, FFA advisors from 80 Illinois counties attended the 2010 Illinois Farm Bureau® & Affiliates Youth Conference, April 4-5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield.

Pictured (left to right) are: FRONT ROW:  Ashley Carter, West Prairie FFA; Joanna Bollinger, West Prairie FFA; Beau Huffman, Bushnell-Prairie City FFA;  BACK ROW:  John Edgar, President, Illinois Association FFA; Sam Kipling, West Prairie FFA; Tyler Suter, Bushnell-Prairie City FFA and Lance Curtis, Bushnell-Prairie City FFA.

"Lights, Camera, Take ACTION" the theme of this year’s conference, offered FFA members in their junior year of high school, a unique opportunity for career and personal development. This year’s attendees got the opportunity to visit with representatives about scholarships, internships, leadership programs, and career opportunities from community colleges, universities, agriculture commodity groups, and the Illinois Farm Bureau and its family of companies at a career fair. The conference also provided a series breakout sessions that outlined opportunities in agriculture and provided information about the Illinois Farm Bureau and its family of companies.

The annual two-day conference is sponsored by Illinois Farm Bureau and its affiliated companies, which include GROWMARK, COUNTRY Financial, Prairie Farms and the IAA Credit Union. Please visit www.youthed.org or http://www.facebook.com/ilfbyea for more information on the Illinois Farm Bureau & affiliated companies Youth Education program.

 


             

Local Leaders Graduate From Leadership Program

 

Jeffrey Butler and Colby Hunt recently graduated from the Illinois Farm Bureau leadership program “Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow" (ALOT). Twenty-six Illinois Farm Bureau members representing 17 counties successfully completed the 32nd agricultural program designed to give participants a head start on tackling tomorrow's responsibilities.

 

The eight-week training program allows participants to study and develop leadership skills in the areas of communication, political process, agricultural economics, and global issues. 

 

Pictured here (left to right) are Richard Ochs, District 13 IAA Director; Colby Hunt, McDonough County Farm Bureau Vice President; Jeffrey Butler, McDonough County Farm Bureau President and Troy Uphoff, District 11 IAA Director.  Both Uphoff and Ochs, past ALOT graduates, also serve on the ALOT Advisory Committee.

 

 

 

Lantz & Ferguson Win Raffle

Lantz is the recipient of a brand new John Deere Generator and Ferguson received the Stihl chainsaw both graciously donated by Heritage Equipment Company in Macomb. 

                Proceeds of the raffle benefit the McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation’s  Ag in the Classroom program which provides agriculture related presentations and resource materials to McDonough County teachers and classrooms free of charge.

                MCDFB would like to thank Heritage Equipment for their donation to this worthy cause and their commitment to the future of agriculture education.  For more information about the Foundation or the Ag in the Classroom program, please contact the McDonough County Farm Bureau office at 309-837-3350.

 Pictured from left to right is Shawn Hendel, Sales Manager at Heritage Equipment Company, Rick Ferguson, J.D. Lantz, and Sarah Grant, Manager of the McDonough County Farm Bureau.

 

On-the-Road Seminar

Motor Vehicle Law for Farmers

 

Federal truck registration rules affect the vast majority of farmers in Illinois.  New weight laws started for Illinois truckers in 2010 and are threatened in 2011.  Come join us and learn about these and other trucking laws that apply to farmers.

 

The McDonough County Farm Bureau® will host a 2-hour seminar beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, March 28th that addresses those rules.   Join us at the Spoon River College Outreach Center located at 2500 East Jackson in Macomb.  The seminar will focus on trucking laws important to farmers and will recap key fundamentals.  In addition, you'll have the chance to ask your questions. 

 

  • New & Pending Laws Impacting Motor Vehicle Operation
    • ATVs on Public Roads
    • USDOT Number Registration
    • Unified Carrier Registration (UCR)
    • Federal Bridge Formula (80,000#) Weight Limits
    • CDL and the Medical Card
  • Your  Questions

 

Presenting the seminar will be Kevin Rund who, for 30 years, has specialized in farm  transportation issues for the Illinois Farm Bureau®.  In addition to his presentation, Rund will provide take-home materials addressing these topics.

 

Come on out March 28th and learn something new!  At the same time, improve your understanding of today's motor vehicle law (and impress your neighbors!) 

 

The seminar is free courtesy of your county and state Farm Bureaus®, but advance registration is requested.  Please call the Farm Bureau office at 309-837-3350 to reserve your place by March 25th for this informative On-the-Road Seminar.

 

 


Pictured above is McDonough County Farm Bureau President, Jeffrey Butler and ILFB Vice President, Rich Guebert.

The McDonough County Farm Bureau was recognized for its achievements during the 96th annual meeting of the Illinois Farm Bureau held in St. Louis December4-7, 2010.

A member of Membership Group II, McDonough County received the following program awards:

Silver

Bronze

Ag Literacy

Commodities & Marketing

Communication and Promotion

Member Relations

County Farm Bureaus in Membership Group II are those with between 1551 and 2225 members.

As part of its Annual Meeting, Illinois Farm Bureau presents program and committee awards in recognition of outstanding county Farm Bureau volunteer efforts throughout the year.

The Illinois Farm Bureau is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a national organization of farmers and ranchers. Founded in 1916, IFB is a non-profit, membership organization controlled by farmers who join through their county Farm Bureau. IFB represents two out of three Illinois farmers.

 

 

 

Passing of State Representative Rich Myers (R-Colchester)

 

State Representative Rich Myers will certainly be missed as a legislator, agricultural advocate, member of the Illinois Farm Bureau family and friend to everyone he worked with.  On the night of December 1st 2010, with his family by his side, Rich sadly lost his battle with prostate cancer.

 

Rich embodied the spirit of Farm Bureau leadership and what can be done with hard work, dedication and a passion for our industry.  He served for 12 years on the IAA Board before being elected to the Illinois House of Representatives in 1994.  Rich was re-elected in November to serve another term as Representative in the 94th district. 

 

You could not find a bigger believer in Farm Bureau than Rich Myers.  He often reflected back fondly on his time as an IAA Board member.  Rich dedicated his time as a State Representative to agriculture, education and a host of other important causes.  His legacy as a representative of agricultural and rural life interests is one that showed his commitment to a lifestyle he knew so well.

 

Rich sponsored and helped foster legislation to ensure the livestock industry in Illinois could operate into the future by providing key leadership in the development and passage of the Livestock Management Facilities Act.  In addition he supported countless renewable fuels measures, Illinois Department of Agriculture legislative initiatives, Grain Code legislation and the Illinois Family Farmer Support Act.  His record flat out speaks for itself.

 

In a State Legislature largely populated by urban legislators, Rich Myers stood up for his constituents and never forgot where he came from. 

We send our thoughts and Prayers to Rich's family and thank them for sharing him with us! 


Johnson to present “Managing Crop Margins: Utilizing Risk Management Tools” Program

 

Dr. Steve Johnson, Farm & Ag Business Management Specialist from Iowa State University Extension, will be in Macomb on Monday, November 22nd at 12 p.m. to present his seminar titled “Managing Crop Margins: Utilizing Risk Management Tools.” 

Steve serves as the Farm & Ag Business Management Specialist in Central Iowa for Iowa State University Extension.  He presents at more than 100 meetings, workshops, seminars and conferences across the Corn Belt and interacts with more than 10,000 producers annually.

He holds BS and MS degrees from Iowa State University and his Ph.D. from Colorado State University.  Steve specializes in topics related to grain marketing, government farm programs, crop insurance and other risk management strategies.  He writes and trains on topics related to government farm programs, grain production contracts, farmland leasing and related crop income issues.  He contributes to articles featured in a variety of farm magazines, websites, e-newsletters and other print and electronic media.  Steve posts monthly a free newsletter, updates and regular webcasts that can be found on his university web site.

The meeting will be held at the Spoon River College Community Outreach Center; Mid America National Bank Conference Hall, Room A; 2500 East Jackson, Macomb. Lunch will be served starting at 11:30 a.m. with meeting to follow at 12 p.m. Cost is free for MM members and $10 for Associate and non-members. RSVP is required. Call 309-837-3350 to RSVP by November 18th.

This marketing meeting is sponsored by Country Financial Agent, Brett J. Powell;
Country Financial Crop Specialist, Dan Schmalshof, Haley Risk Protection and Agronomy Services and the McDonough County Farm Bureau.