Enhance the quality of life for member families;
Promote agriculture, farms & food; and,
Advocate good stewardship of our land and resources.
VOL. 80 NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2015
KCFB member outing
to Kane Co. Cougars
Right: Over
100
KCFB members took
in a Kane County
Cougars game at our
member outing in
August and picked up
a Farm Bureau prize
on their way into the
park.
Left: Farm Bureau member
Linda Hilbert of Algonquin
invited six family members to
the game including grandson
Jonathan Lucas (3) and his
dad Ben, who picked up a pig
pencil topper on their way
into the game.
Midwest Groundcovers
to host Harvest Picnic
KCFB’s 9th Annual Harvest
Leadership Picnic for Kane
County public officials will be
held at Midwest Groundcovers
in Virgil on September 23. Peter
and Irma Orum and their staff
will welcome guests for tours of
the 270 acre site with 90 acres
of growing areas organized to
function as a mini nursery –
with another 30 acre growing
area currently under construction. The Virgil facility is also
headquarters
to
Midwest
Trading facilities. Midwest also
has facilities in St. Charles and
Glenn, Michigan.
The invitation-only picnic is
specifically for federal, state,
and local (county, township and
municipal) elected and appointed officials and department
heads. The picnic provides
invited Farm Bureau leaders the
opportunity to discuss issues
that affect their farming operations with local officials and
thank them for their help in
keeping Kane County a great
place to live and farm. The
evening’s events will include a
wine
and
cheese reception featuring
local products
followed by
dinner and a
short
program.
Public officials are asked
to contact the
Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660
or reply to info@kanecfb.com
to reserve a place at the picnic.
Midwest
Groundcovers will host the
2015
Harvest
Leadership Picnic at
its 270 acre Virgil
location.
Harvest Picnic attendees will get a look
inside the two-acre
greenhouse. KCFB
member Peter Orum
started the company in 1969 and it now employs around 200 seasonal
employees and 50 year-round staff.
An easier way to renew membership
DATES TO REMEMBER
September
September 1-3
Farm Progress Show, Decatur
September 3
KCFB Annual Meeting, 7pm
Board of Directors, 7:30 pm
September 7
Labor Day, KCFB Office
Closed
September 7-9
IFB Leaders to Washington
September 7-10
IAITC Bike Ride
September 9
Women’s Committee, 9:15am
September 18-20
Big Rock Plow Match
September 23
Harvest Leadership Picnic,
Midwest Groundcovers
September 27
Primrose Park Farm Frolic,
11am-3pm
September 20-26
National Farm Safety &
Health Week
Above: KCFB members enjoyed
some perfect summer weather
and a great view of the game
with seats close to the plate.
September Featured Product
Smokehouse Boneless
Pork Chops
This month we’re offering
special smokehouse boneless
marinated pork chops! Each
box comes with eight sealed 8
oz. chops to a box. These special Smokehouse Pork Chops
are marinated in a balsamic
reduction with mustard seed
and just a hint of onion and
very popular, high quality meat
ready for your grill. Price:
$21.50 for PLUS members,
$23.50 for members, and
$27.00 for non-members.
These special pork chops are
available while supply lasts for
the month of September at the
Kane County Farm Bureau,
Randall Rd and Oak Street in
St. Charles.
Kane County Farm Bureau,
the Illinois Farm Bureau and
COUNTRY Financial are working together to make it easier for
associate members who are also
COUNTRY Mutual Insurance
Company or COUNTRY Preferred Insurance Company customers to pay their membership
dues. Beginning in July, your
annual Kane County Farm
Bureau/Illinois Farm Bureau
member dues will be included
with your insurance premium in
one billing for most personal
lines policies. From then on, you
will only need to make one easy
payment
to
COUNTRY
Financial and we’ll take care of
the rest.
Adding your membership
dues to the COUNTRY premium bill may change the timing
of your membership dues payment. If so, you will remain a
member of the Kane County
Farm Bureau/Illinois Farm
Bureau during the time between
your last payment year and your
new payment due date.
Following payment of your
dues, your new membership
cards will be mailed to you. At
that time you have the chance to
contribute to the Kane County
Farm Bureau FOUNDATION.
If you’re a regular supporter –
we thank you! If not, now is a
great time to show your support
of farms and food.
Voting members (farmers and
Why haven’t
I received my
KCFB
dues notice?
Many of you may have noticed
by now that your Kane County
Farm Bureau dues notice did not
show up in your mailbox in
August. It’s no mistake! That’s
because, if you are a COUNTRY
Financial client, your dues are
now included on a premium
statement so there’s only one
easy payment to make.
farmland owners) of the Kane
County Farm Bureau/Illinois
Farm Bureau will see no change
in the method or timing of membership dues invoices. These
were mailed Friday, August 21
for payment on or before
September 30. Similarly, associate members who are not clients
of COUNTRY Financial will
continue to receive a ‘standalone’ invoice for Farm Bureau
membership dues annually on
the anniversary of their joining
the organization.
For questions regarding
Kane County Farm Bureau
membership dues, benefits and
services, call Liz Polovin
at 630-584-8660 or email
member@kanecfb.com
Don’t’ forget about
these valuable Farm
Bureau discounts:
$500 Ford Bonus Cash
$300-500 Case-IH 31-120 HP
tractor discounts
Polaris Snowmobiles $300
manufacturer’s incentive
Polaris $200-300 off UTVs,
ATVs & GEM Vehicles
Soil Testing discounts
Scriptsave and Agelity
prescription drug discounts
Grainger Industrial Supply
discount
Hotel discounts at 14
nationwide chains
25% Sherwin-Williams
discount
Great America
discounted tickets
And much more! ...
visit www.kanecfb.com and
click on “member benefits”.
A free
family portrait!
See page 2 for details
PAGE 2
KANE COUNTY FARMER
SEPTEMBER 2015
KCFB Board Meeting review
August 6
The August KCFB Board
meeting was led by a review of
investments and strategies from
Bruce Anderson, Senior Vice
President of Wealth Management at the Anderson Group.
He gave a report on KCFB
investments and an outlook for
the future.
Joe White followed with his
President’s Report, which included a recap of the IFB President’s
Conference held in July. White
delivered a presentation there on
Farm
Bureau
Foundation
fundraising where he highlighted
some of Kane County’s accomplishments over the past 25 years.
White reviewed the procedures
for the upcoming KCFB Board of
Directors
elections
and
announced the following candidates will be on ballots to be
mailed in August: District 5 – Joe
Engel, District 4 – Mike Kenyon,
District 3 – Chris Collins, District
2 – Bill Collins, Karl Kettelkamp,
and Elmer Gramley, District 1 –
Donna Lehrer. White announced
a “Farm Talk” meeting with IFB
President Rich Guebbert will be
held Aug. 26 at 5pm at DeKalb
CFB. White reported on a successful John Buck Memorial golf
a last call for seats to the Aug. 13
outing in July at Marengo Ridge
Directors discussed some
KCFB member outing to the
Golf Course.
questions to improve the organKane County Cougars and a new
Manager Steve Arnold’s
ization and ensure it meets the
member
discount
with
report included a number of
needs of members in the future.
Caterpillar which makes its
items including a preview of the
They considered questions such
debut at the Farm Progress
activities Illinois Farm Bureau
as “How would you like the
Show in Decatur,
will carry out to celSept. 1-3. Joe White,
ebrate the associaMike Kenyon and
tion’s
centennial,
Wayne Schneider
including a time capreported on the
sule, commemoraBrookfield
Zoo
tive t-shirts and cere“Summer Nights”
monies. KCFB celeconsumer outreach
brated its own cenevent held in August.
tennial just two years
Approximately 250
ago. Arnold encourfamilies played a
aged everyone to
farm trivia game and
take part in the free
talked to the farmer
portrait sitting provolunteers
about
gram for KCFB
farms and food.
members, Oct 9-11.
KCFB volunteers including (l to r) Lisa Geisler, Joe White and
In the GovernArnold announced
Valerie Johnson helped hundreds of families play a farms and
mental Affairs arena,
that the COUNTRY
food trivia game at Summer Nights at Brookfield Zoo in August.
directors discussed
Financial St. Charles
the
upcoming
Harvest
office will now close one hour
Farm Bureau to be perceived?”
Leadership Picnic planned for
earlier, so their new office hours
and “How do we involve memMidwest Groundcovers on Wed.,
are 8:30am to 4pm.
bers and grow leaders?”
Sept. 23. Committee Chairman
Arnold also reported that a
Directors reviewed a list of
Wayne Schneider also said a Fox
Food Hub Feasibility Study
KCFB Foundation donations
River Study Group Ag Study
recap meeting will be held at
from the past month. PR and
Group is to meet at KCFB Aug.
5:30pm at KCFB just prior to
Membership Committee Chair
19, to discuss voluntary agriculthe September 3 Board
Beth Engel announced donatural best management practices
Meeting. Study results will be
tions made to Harvest for ALL,
FOOD>Forward and SPROUTS.
and the Illinois Nutrient Loss
presented by consultants from
Other announcements included
Reduction standards in order to
Pittsburgh and Portland.
propose to IEPA a Fox River
Implementation plan. This is pro-
Free family portrait for KCFB members
Kane County Farm Bureau is
offering members an outstanding opportunity to gather your
family for a free professional
portrait sitting at the KCFB
office in St. Charles. As a Farm
Bureau member family, you
will receive a FREE 8”x 10” full
color portrait of your family.
Individual poses are available,
however this program is limited
to one (1) FREE portrait per
family or household. Children
under 18 must be accompanied
by an adult in the free portrait.
You will be able to view your
photos immediately on a digital
viewing system.
Appointments are available
Friday Oct. 9 from 2 to 9 p.m.,
and Saturday, October 10 from
10 am to 5pm. Family photos
make a wonderful gift.
Appointments fill quickly!
Click the “portrait sign-up” link
at www.kanecfb.com or call the
Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660.
Defensive Driving class
Time to update your family
portrait? Make your appointment
and get a FREE 8x10.
You receive the Kane County
Farmer because you are a Farm
Bureau member. If you are a
farm operator or owner, you
benefit from a local, state and
national organization committed
to agriculture and your way
of life.
If you do not have direct ties
to farming, your membership
helps promote local farms and
farming, encourages wise use of
our limited natural resources and
preserves farmland and our agricultural heritage while allowing
you to enjoy COUNTRY insurance and the many other benefits
of one of Illinois’ premier membership organizations.
We appreciate your membership and continued support and
we welcome your comments on
the content of the Farmer. We
encourage you to make recommendations about farm, home,
food, natural resource, renewable
energy or agricultural heritage and
history related topics for inclusion
in future issues of the Farmer.
The Kane County Farm
Bureau Women’s Committee
has scheduled a 55 Alive
Mature
Driving
Program
through the AARP. The dates
are Wednesday & Thursday,
October 14 & 15 from 9am to
1pm each day at the Kane
County Farm Bureau, 2N710
Randall Road, St. Charles. To
complete the course, both sessions must be completed.
This two-day, eight hour
course covers driving in various
road and weather conditions,
passing techniques, the effects
of alcohol and drugs on driving
and other defensive driving
methods. Many insurance companies offer a discount on auto
insurance to insured’s age 55
and older who qualify and
attend all eight hours of the
course. Contact your insurance
agent for more details.
A fee of $15 per person for
AARP members and $20 for
non-members (payable the first
day) will be charged to cover
the cost of materials. For more
information or to register, contact the Kane County Farm
Bureau at 630-584-8660.
Attendees must be licensed
drivers. Pre-registration is
required.
Beef store is now open!
By appointment only
100% hormone free beef.
Selling individual cuts. Buy as little or as much as you want.
815.895.4691
Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners
8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park
Sample Packs make great gifts!
posed as an alternative to IEPA
establishment of TMDL’s (Total
Maximum Daily Loads) on the
Fox River and is led by the KaneDuPage SWCD. Directors
reviewed an executive summary
of the Illinois Nutrient Loss
Reduction Strategy, released
July 21.
In
Young
Farmers
Committee news, Kristin
DeSutter of Naperville was the
IFB District 1 Discussion Meet
winner on Aug. 3 at Stephenson
CFB. She will represent Dist 1
at the IAA Annual Meeting in
December during the Young
Leader State Discussion Meet.
Also, a team will compete at the
Illinois State Fair Agri-Quiz
Bowl, August 18. The committee’s plans to attend the
National Night Out event in St.
Charles were also discussed.
KCFB
activities
and
fundraisers at Kane County Fair
raised over $2,000. The board
recognized volunteers who
helped out at the fair including:
Lisa Geisler, Mike Kenyon,
Joseph & Bonnie White, John &
Lauren Biddle, Andy & Sarah
Lenkaitis, Tom Campbell, Trent
Pierson, Nan Long, Beth &
Dennis Engel, Nancy Meyer,
Louise Johnson, Flo D’Angelo,
(continued on page 3)
KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCE
OCTOBER 2014 THRU SEPTEMBER 2015
C. BRADLEY
F. CARLSON
B. COLLINS
C. COLLINS
B. ENGEL
G. GAITSCH
B. GEHRKE
M. KENYON
K. KETTLEKAMP
D. LEHRER
N. LONG
*D. PITSTICK
W. SCHNEIDER
S. SCHRAMM
J. WHITE
OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
JLY AUG. SEP.
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
*New to the Board of Directors 2/1/15
Kane County Farmer
KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU
PUBLISHED MONTHLY
Steven J. Arnold, Editor
Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy Coordinator
Audre Pack, Training Specialist
Ryan Klassy, Information Director
Elizabeth Polovin, Administrative and Program Assistant
OFFICE: Randall Rd. between Routes 64 & 38
Address: 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles
PHONE: 630-584-8660
info@kanecfb.com www.kanecfb.com
OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-5:00 Monday though Friday
(USPS No. 289700)
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Kane County Farmer
2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174
Periodical Postage • Paid to St. Charles, IL 60174
Year Subscription: $2.00
■ DISTRICT 1
Aurora, Sugar Grove,
Big Rock Twnshp.
Nan Long
11461 E. County Line Rd.
Big Rock, IL 60511
815-693-7214
Donna Lehrer
7S027 Jericho Rd.
Big Rock, IL 60511
630-556-3476
Steve Schramm
7328 Perry Rd.
DeKalb, IL 60115
630-557-2410
■ DISTRICT 2
Kaneville, Blackberry,
Gen./Bat. Twnshp.
Bill Collins
1125 Lewis Rd.
Geneva, IL 60134
630-484-6852
Karl Kettelkamp
0S860 Rowe Rd.
Elburn, IL 60119
630-365-2713
Joe White
President
47W727 Main St. Rd.
Elburn, IL 60119
630-557-2517
■ DISTRICT 3
Virgil, Campton,
St. Charles Twnshp.
Frank Carlson
104 Sumac Court
St. Charles, IL 60174
630-513-9980
Chris Collins
1143 Anderson
Elburn, IL 60119
630-934-4642
Dale Pitstick
128 N Hadsall St.
Genoa, IL 60135
630-816-0223
■ DISTRICT 4
Burlington, Plato
Elgin Twnshp.
Beth Gehrke
12N860 US Hwy. 20
Elgin, IL 60124
847-697-2538
Mike Kenyon
Secretary/Treasurer
1250 E. Main St.
South Elgin, IL 60177
847-741-1818
Craig Bradley
37W791 Orchard Lane
Elgin, IL 60124
847-888-2380
■ DISTRICT 5
Hampshire, Rutland,
Dundee Twnshp.
Beth Engel
15N638 Walker Road
Hampshire, IL 60140
847-683-3482
Gerald Gaitsch
10613 Brittany Ave.
Huntley, IL 60142
847-669-2003
Wayne Schneider
Vice President
721 Lindsay Lane
West Dundee, IL 60118
847-428-0488
SEPTEMBER 2015
KANE COUNTY FARMER
PAGE 3
Illinois Farm Bureau kicks off Centennial Celebration
Plans are in place to celebrate Illinois Farm Bureau’s
100th birthday! IFB was born
on
January
26,
1916.
Celebration activities kick off at
this year’s Farm Progress Show
in Decatur. Centennial activities
will continue throughout 2016
and will include a 100th
Birthday party, time capsule,
activities at State Fair, and a
pre-opening gala. Also, keep
your eyes and ears open for features on RFD radio, in
FarmWeek and Partners magazine, and on social media.
EDITOR’S NOTE: The following is part of a series on the history of the Kane County Farm
Bureau, Illinois Farm Bureau,
and its affiliates that ran in the
Kane County Farmer in 201213, during KCFB’s centennial
year. Excerpts are included from
Farm Bureau in Illinois, John J.
Lacey & The Diamond Harvest,
A History of Illinois Farm
Bureau, Dan Leifel and Norma
Maney, and the IFB brochure,
Glimpses of a Rich History.
The Illinois Farm Bureau –
How it all started
In December 1913, a group
of farm advisers met in
Champaign to organize the
Illinois Association of County
Agriculturalists, naming Jerome
E. Readhimer of Kane County,
president. The farm advisers
had been discussing the need for
the county crop improvement
to farmers in the organized
counties inviting them to attend
the meeting of the Illinois State
Association
of
County
Agriculturalist to be held in
January at the University of
Illinois.
On January 26, 1916,
At the dedication of the IAA office building in Bloomington in 1961, county Farm Bureau presidents brought soil from their counties to be blended
in a planting area in the courtyard to symbolize the intermixing of ideas,
influences and efforts of Farm Bureaus. Membership in a county Farm
Bureau also makes you an Illinois Farm Bureau member.
associations to band together for
mutual helpfulness.
At
their
meeting
in
December 1915, they instructed
Ed Heaton of DuPage County,
as secretary, to send invitations
Thanks for your support
The KCFB Foundation offers its sincere appreciation to the following for their pledges (crop proceeds, cash, farm products or
labor) and contributions to our community service, education and
scholarship programs. Names shown are pledges made as of August
15, 2015 and not previously recognized. Numerous pledges have also
been made and will be listed here when fulfilled.
Thanks to members who
renewed their Harvest for ALL
hunger relief pledges to the local
food pantry of their choice. Visit
www.kanecfb.com to download a participation form or call 630-5848660.
Renewed commitments
Donor
Beneficiary
Mike Dienst
St. Vincent DePaul – Maple Park
Jami & Julie White Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry
A new KCFB Foundation
initiative to increase classroom
education resources and provide
college scholarships for local students was launched in June.
New commitments
Donor – John & Nan Long
Herman W. Danforth of
Tazewell County was appointed
chair while the matter of forming a state federation of county
agricultural associations be considered. A committee was
appointed
consisting
of
Danforth, two farm advisers,
and two farmers to consider the
matter of a state association, and
report at a later date. Eckhardt
moved to amend the motion so
that the committee would be
made up entirely of farmers,
leaving out the farm advisers.
The amendment carried, and
then Dean Davenport offered an
amendment, which would per-
Board meeting
(continued from page 1)
Joe White, Wayne Gehrke, Dale
Pitstick, Alex Olson, Cody
Pitstick, and Chase Bornemann.
Lastly, directors discussed
plans to attend the IFB Annual
Meeting, December 5-8, at the
Palmer House Hilton in
Chicago and the AFBF Annual
Meeting, January 10-13, in
Orlando, FL.
Correspondence circulated at
the meeting included: Brenton
Bartelt, thanks for KCFB
Foundation
Agricultural
Scholarship; Allyssa Mish,
thanks for KCFB Foundation
Scholarship; Michael Long,
mit the committee to call the
farm advisers for consultation.
At 8:30 that evening, in
Room
903,
Agricultural
Building, the committee reported to the entire group which
adopted the name “Illinois
Agricultural Association,” set
the dues at $100 a year for each
county association, and elected
Danforth the president. Thus
was set in motion the mightiest
force that had ever appeared in
Illinois agriculture. It was to
bring profound changes for all
farmers in Illinois.
The home office of Illinois
Farm Bureau and its affiliates
moved to Bloomington in 1959
and opened the new building at
1701 Towanda in 1961. Prior to
relocating to Bloomington,
from 1947 to 1959, IFB and its
affiliates were headquartered in
a twelve story building just
north of the loop at 43 East
Ohio St. in Chicago.
Farmers have always governed the business of Illinois
Farm Bureau and its family of
companies. Members of the IFB
Board are elected by fellow
farmers from their areas to represent various districts around the
state. IFB board members serve
two-year terms and are elected at
the Illinois Farm Bureau annual
meeting held each December.
Terms are staggered so that only
half the board members are up
for election each year. Farmer
delegates to the annual meeting
also elected a president and vice
president who serve two-year
terms as well.
Throughout the decades
visionary farmers from around
Illinois provided powerful ideas
and drive to make the IAA the
definitive voice of Illinois farmers, and the premier farm organization that helped improve the
business of farming and the
quality of rural life. Illinois
Farm Bureau hit its stride in the
1920s and 1930s and throughout the remainder of the century
was the political and social
force in rural Illinois.
Active in politics to ensure
farmers got a fair return on their
investment and that rural communities received necessary services, IFB helped bring improved
roads to an undeveloped rural
Illinois. Farm Bureau and its university and government partners
helped stamp out the dreaded hog
cholera in the late 1960s that constantly threatened the hog industry throughout the decades. This
partnership also helped end the
fly plague of the 1940s and 1950s
and Farm Bureau has always
championed finding new uses for
farm products to help improve
farm income; products from soybeans such a soy paint, and corn
byproducts such as ethanol,
known as hi-ball gas in the 1930s.
Over the years, IFB has
fought hard to keep agriculture
a top industry for the state. IFB
worked with government regulators and others to create an
environment where agriculture
in Illinois can expand and grow
to meet the nation’s and world
demand for abundant and
affordable food.
thanks for KCFB Foundation
Scholarship;
Ashleigh
Wackerlin, thanks for sponsoring
plaques at the Kane County Fair;
Kelsey Gould, thanks for KCFB
Foundation
Scholarship
(University of Illinois); Kathy
Chwee, in appreciation for past
scholarships for her children;
Northern Illinois Food Bank,
thanks for Harvest for ALL contributions (O’Connell, Mings,
Spohr); Children’s Hunger Fund,
thanks for Harvest for ALL contribution (Chris & Dana Gould);
U of I Extension, thanks for
sponsoring 4-H awards at the
Kane County Fair; Illinois Ag
Leadership Foundation, in appreciation for support from KCFB;
Illinois
Ag
Leadership
Foundation, invitation to August
11 Open House in new headquarters; Living Well Cancer Center,
invitation to 10 year anniversary
Open House on Sept. 1; Alyce
Konen, enclosing a $1,000 contribution to SPROUTS in memory of her late husband Bob
Konen; 4-H Foundation/Blue
Ribbon Sale Committee, thanks
for County Fair purchase and
invite to August 19 event; Martin
Burnidge, thanks for purchasing
his sheep at the Kane County
Blue Ribbon Livestock Sale;
Northern Illinois Food Bank,
welcoming KCFB as a “Circle
of Hope” supporter of the
Food Bank.
Sweet corn
now official
IL state
vegetable
Sweet corn is now Illinois’
official state vegetable. Gov.
Bruce Rauner signed legislation
in July after state Sen. Sam
McCann of Plainview introduced it to honor the request of
a group of fourth-graders at
Chatham Elementary School. In
2014, Illinois produced a record
2.35 billion bushels of corn and
ranked No. 2 in the U.S. for
corn production behind Iowa,
which yielded 2.37 billion
bushels, according to USDA.
That total includes both field
and sweet corn.
The legislation had unanimous support. Sweet corn joins
the list of other state symbols,
including popcorn as the official
state snack food, violet as the
official flower and the cardinal
as the official bird.
PAGE 4
KANE COUNTY FARMER
AG LITERACY CORNER
By Suzi Myers
E
very year since I’ve moved
back to Illinois in 1984, my
extended family and I spend one
week, or parts of a week
depending on vacation time, on
Washington
Island
in
Wisconsin.
Washington Island lies off
Door County, and was settled in
1865
by
Icelandic
and
Scandinavian immigrants. In the
old days, to get to Washington
Island from what is now called
Door County, a traveler would
have to pass through “port des
mortes” or “Death’s Door”.
There are hundreds of wooden
shipwrecks located in the waters
there. Today, all you need to do
is take a 45 minute ferry ride to
“cross the tension line” and
arrive safely on the Island.
The tradition of “Braun
Week” on the Island began
when my older sister had a summer cottage there, so we’d all go
to visit. We’d all snuggle into
the small three bedroom cottage
or camp in the surrounding
woods to spend the week
together ... we’d eat, laugh, play
games, eat some more, swim,
hike, shop, eat some more, and
just enjoy being together.
Through the years, the people
coming to the island has
changed due to weddings, births
and sad to say, deaths in the family. However, all that can arrive
on Saturday and meet at our
favorite beach ... Schoolhouse
Beach. This beach is not sandy,
but made up of limestone rocks
that have been smoothed by
tumbling in the water for thousands of years. It is one of only
five such rocky beaches in the
world. These rocks are great for
stacking and skipping or giving
someone a hot rock treatment,
but walking on them is difficult,
so most of us wear water shoes
even when we swim. As hard to
walk on as these smooth rocks
are, they are a very special rock,
so if you are caught removing
one, there is a steep fine of
$250.00 ... photographs are free,
so that’s what is done these days
to remember their beauty.
Not all of our time is spent on
the beach. We kayak or canoe in
the beautiful waters of Lake
Michigan, try to catch fish, ride
our bikes, hike in the woods, bird
watch, and look for deer. There
are a few special shops on the
Island that we visit, my wonderful brother-in-law makes a daily
morning run into “town” for our
coffee order at the Red Cup.
Usually the kids take a class in
nature-related art at the Art and
Nature Center, climb up Look
Out Tower, and look for crayfish
at a special beach. Occasionally,
we will walk the prayer path on
the way to the Stavkirke or Stave
Church, which was built to honor
the Scandinavian heritage of the
Island. Every year all of us adults
join the Bitters Club, an Island
tradition. We spend evenings
around a campfire, making
s‘mores and looking at the stars.
This year, I was on the Island
for the Blue Moon. My niece
Emma and I put our kayaks in
the van and headed down to a
local beach for “Kayak the Blue
Moon” paddle we’d seen advertised. We were both very excited, as it was a beautiful evening
and one we would surely
remember. We got to the beach
a bit early ... “island time” is
always LATE. We waited for a
bit, watching the sun set ... there
were lots of people in the area
listening to a local guitarist, but
none by the beach with kayaks.
We decided to go on our own.
When we got to the water with
our kayaks, it became somewhat clear why we were the
only ones there ... the waves
were pounding onto the beach.
Who knows, maybe there was a
new beach designated for the
paddle, but we didn’t know
where that would be and really
just wanted to paddle. So, we
got into our kayaks and took off
... yes, we were just the two of
us, but it couldn’t have been a
more special paddle. To be out
on the water, watching a lovely
sunset followed by a huge blue
moon, (which we howled at)
sharing this experience of a lifetime together. Who could ask
for more? Well, the “more”
could have been reflective strips
on our kayaks or paddles. That’s
what brought us in eventually,
as more and more big boats
came into the marina to tie up
for the night ... we were little
unseen specks in the water.
Safety said to go in, sorry to say.
Thanks for the memories,
Emma.
Book of the month
Pizza is often used to show
children how many different
things the farmers grow make
up the pizza ... from the wheat
used to make the flour in the
crust to the cheese made from
milk of a dairy cow, including
meats and vegetables as well as
some fruits.
Pizza for the Queen tells the
true story of the creation of
Margherita Pizza. “Raffaele
makes the best pizza in all of
Napoli. It is so good that even
Queen Margherita has requested
a taste. Raffaele runs around
town collecting the finest ingredients for the pizzas he’s planning for the queen, but when a
sneaky cat eats the anchovies,
he has to revise his plans.
Inspired by the colors of the
Italian flag, the pizza Raffaele
creates is one that delights not
only the queen but pizza lovers
for generations to come.
Accompanied by a generous
assortment of rich and detailed
acrylic paintings, the story ends
with a pizza recipe meant to
tempt the taste buds of pizza
lovers everywhere.”
Pizza for the Queen
by Nancy Castaldo
SEPTEMBER 2015
SEPTEMBER 2015
KANE COUNTY FARMER
PAGE 5
Compiled by Kristi Van Oost &Suzi Myers
Grains 101 --what makes a grain a whole grain?
There are 8 different types of true grains; wheat, oats, rice, corn, barley, sorghum, rye, and millet. These are all edible seeds of
different types of grass.
New research shows that grains in their whole form offer a variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as high levels of
antioxidants and plant-based nutrients. In fact, some whole grains provide unique antioxidants not found in any other type of food. So, what makes a grain a whole grain?
All grains start off as whole grains. If, after the grain is milled, it still contains all three
of its original parts – the endosperm, the bran, and the germ – in their original proportions,
then it is qualified to be a whole grain. Dietary guidelines recommend that people make at
least half of the grains they consume whole grains. Based on the daily recommended grain
studies for Americans, this equals 3 or more servings of whole grains per day.
Bran – The outer
Whole grains and refined grains – or none-whole grains – have different nutritional value.
shell that provides
During the milling process, many nutrients are eliminated when the grains are ground in the
fiber, B vitamins
and trace minerals
mill. Most flours are milled into a very fine meal, as is desirable for making baked goods. This
Endosperm – The
process removes the germ and bran from the grain (which contain the large majority of
middle part that supplies
nutritional content) leaving only the endosperm.
carbohydrates and protein
Replacing refined grains with whole grains does not mean eating heavy food. There are some
Germ – The inner part that provides
softer varieties of whole grains, such as barley, oats, and millet that, when milled into flours, can be
antioxidants, vitamin E and B vitamins
very suitable substitutes to white flours.
Grains
Grains grown and raised in Kane County
The Whole Grain stamp
Find healthy choices fast by
choosing products that have the
Whole Grain stamp.
• If a product bears the
100% Stamp, then all its grain
ingredients are whole grains.
There is a minimum requirement
of 16g (16 grams) – a full serving – of whole grain per labeled
serving, for products using the
100% Stamp.
• If a product bears the Basic
Stamp, it contains at least 8g (8
grams) – a half serving –
of whole grain, but may
also contain some refined
grain. Even if a product
contains large amounts of
whole grain (23g, 37g,
41g, etc.), it will use the
Basic Stamp if it also contains extra bran, germ or
refined flour.
Corn:
Used in human food
production, livestock feed, also
used in plastic, batteries, medication, fuel, household cleaners
and much more.
Each stamp also shows a
number, telling you how many
grams of whole grain ingredients
are in a serving of the product.
Even though the image above
shows just four different numbers (8g, 23g, 16g, 47g), when
you look on your grocery
shelves you’ll see a wide range
of numbers, reflecting the whole
grain content of a serving of that
specific product.
Congratulations
Bill Haberstitch of Elgin!
Bill’s name was chosen from
the entries received for correctly completing last month’s
“Food Preservation” word
search. For his participation,
Bill receives a collection of
assorted food preservation
related goodies compliments
of Kane County Farm Bureau.
Thank you, Bill, for reading
the Kane County Farmer and
continue to watch each month
for a chance to win a prize!
Whole grains word search
Q
S
M
R
E
P
S
O
D
N
E
S
E
R
V
I
N
G
W
B
K
L
V
G
U
Q
Z
J
R
Z
C
U
Z
X
C
F
R
X
P
Y
GRAINS
PANCAKE
WHEAT
OATS
CORN
M
L
G
Q
V
Z
P
O
T
A
G
U
K
A
O
A
H
J
Y
W
X
A
Y
J
M
F
C
A
K
K
I
U
H
H
I
O
K
J
G
M
Y
E
X
M
Q
M
W
I
B
A
G
E
L
N
W
J
C
G
L
M
X
R
N
Y
P
S
H
T
Y
L
A
V
S
N
O
R
C
I
E
I
C
E
A
L
F
T
E
H
E
L
Q
Y
S
V
N
K
C
G
B
L
RICE
ANTIOXIDANTS
FIBER
HEALTHY
WHOLE
H
C
M
O
Z
T
A
N
T
I
O
X
I
D
A
N
T
S
J
L
S
L
D
G
M
I
T
H
V
F
D
T
N
U
K
F
R
R
N
I
E
I
Q
X
B
C
Y
M
R
E
G
U
B
Q
T
Z
M
P
N
N
C
T
S
Q
A
N
P
C
Q
N
E
H
R
W
A
D
E
A
S
G
MILLING
ENDOSPERM
GERM
BRAN
DELICIOUS
I
T
B
S
R
M
B
V
N
L
S
P
E
M
T
L
N
A
N
L
R
E
X
V
L
J
A
P
R
U
M
Q
A
J
O
R
E
T
T
A
V
H
A
M
E
H
A
M
O
E
T
S
D
H
C
M
T
C
T
M
E
G
D
U
Y
N
M
I
S
U
B
R
W
R
W
W
U
D
C
B
BAGEL
SPAGHETTI
BREAD
CEREAL
PITA
Q
A
A
Z
C
X
C
T
C
F
H
I
I
P
Q
X
L
K
R
Q
X
P
K
A
M
I
A
Z
Z
P
A
F
F
T
W
U
G
A
D
I
D
S
K
J
L
O
L
G
R
C
M
P
G
G
I
W
N
J
S
Q
N
E
E
E
Z
K
Y
H
L
K
M
K
G
R
W
O
T
X
F
I
P
P
D
G
Y
E
X
H
R
E
U
A
T
I
P
I
N
L
W
S
SERVING
DIET
NUTRITION
GLUTEN
BARLEY
Name ______________________________________________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________________
Telephone ___________________________ Email ________________________________ Age ______
Please complete and return to the Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174
by September15, 2015 to be entered in a drawing for a whole-grain themed prize.
Wheat:
We grow soft red
winter wheat which is used for
cake and pastry flours. (Gets its
name from the fact that it is
planted in the fall and winters
over to be harvested in the
spring.)
Used for cereal as in oatmeal and rolled oats, also for
livestock feed.
One of America’s
favorite snack foods, as well as
Oats:
Popcorn:
the official snack of Illinois. It is
a special type of corn that has a
moisture-sealed hull and a dense
starchy interior. When heated,
pressure builds within the kernel, and a small explosion (or
“pop”) is the end result.
Used in cereal, animal
feed and malt used in brewing
processes. Barley is one of the
first cultivated grains, dating
back to early human history.
Barley:
Whole grain dining & decorating
A great family project to help children see where butter and buttermilk come from. Making buttermilk pancakes with fresh butter and
buttermilk like they did in the pioneer days is really easy to do ... all
you need is some helping hands to make the butter and buttermilk
used in this recipe.
Buttermilk pancakes with freshly made butter
To make the butter and buttermilk: Pour 1/2 pint of room temperature heavy whipping cream into a small jar with a cover (should be
only 1/3 full) and add 1/4 tsp. salt (if wanted). Shake the jar vigorously; eventually the cream will separate into butter and a watery substance known as buttermilk. Open the lid and carefully pour off the liquid, collecting it in a bowl to be used in the pancake batter.
Pancake batter: Mix together 1 cup bread flour, 1 egg, 1/2 tsp. salt,
3/4 cup milk and 1/4 cup buttermilk left from the cream you made
butter with.
Cook the pancakes and serve with the homemade butter ... yum!
Make a decorative grain bottle
It is so easy to make this
bottle – just choose your seeds
and grains and fill a clear glass
bottle making layers. You
should start with the smallest
seeds and continue with the
larger ones. To finish, tie a bow
around the neck of the bottle
and put a cork on top.
September is:
National
Whole grain humor:
Grain farmers have a tough life.
They barley survive
from wheat to wheat.
When Beethoven lived on a
farm, he wrote Oat to Joy.
I tried to navigate the farmer’s
field. But it was a maize.
What does corn wear at night to
keep warm? Stalkings.
5
7
18
19
28
29
Chicken Month
Honey Month
Mushroom Month
Papaya Month
Potato Month
Rice Month
Whole Grains Month
Days to celebrate
in September
National Cheese Pizza Day
Labor Day
National Cheeseburger Day
National Eat an Apple Day
National Good Neighbor Day
National Coffee Day
PAGE 6
KANE COUNTY FARMER
SEPTEMBER 2015
Young Farmers update
Naperville has qualified to comIt’s been a busy summer for
Illinois Farm Bureau members,
pete in the Illinois Farm Bureau
members of the Kane County
all 18-35 years of age. Lenkaitis
Young Leader State Discussion
Farm Bureau Young Farmers
and Wayne Gehrke finished in
Meet. Kristen competCommittee. After wraped at the District 1 & 2
ping up activities at the
Discussion Meet in
Kane County Fair, they
August. The contest,
moved on to other
which judges a contestevents and competiants ability to manage a
tions. Farm Bureau
small group discussion,
members who are 18-35
was held at Stephenson
years old are encourCounty Farm Bureau in
aged to take advantage
Freeport.
of the leadership-buildEach provided an
ing, social, and com- The Kane County Young Farmers Agri-Quiz Bowl Team
munity service events (l to r) Andy Lenkaitis, Chase Bornemann, Wayne Gehrke opening statement on a
given issue and particiand activities the Young and Carolyn Gehrke.
pants then exchanged facts and
Farmers take part in. You don’t
second place last year. They
insights. Judges award points
have to be a farmer to belong –
were part of the Kane County
based on based upon how well
just a willing attitude and a
team that took the 2013 champiparticipants work with one anothdesire to pitch in to be a good
onship title, along with Trent
er; how well they express themadvocate for agriculture.
and Heather Pierson of Elburn.
selves; and on their knowledge of
Young Leaders Agri-Quiz Bowl
In the second round Kane
the topic. Kristen will face off
Members of the KCFB
County won handily by 200
against fellow Young Leaders at
Young Farmers committee
points or so, advancing into the
the state competition to be held at
Andy Lenkaitis, Wayne Gehrke,
single elimination champithe IAA Annual Meeting in
Carolyn Gehrke and Chase
onship round with two other
Chicago, December 5-8.
Bornemann competed in the
teams. One team would advance
Illinois Farm Bureaus Young
to play the three remaining
Leaders Agri-Quiz Bowl in
undefeated teams. It was
August at the Illinois State Fair
neck and neck in the semiin Springfield.
final round between Kane
They competed against 30
County and the Young
other teams during the all-day
Leaders from Ford-Iroquois.
event. Team members were
“The lead changed a few
quizzed on their knowledge of
times,” Lenkaitis said. “But
Ag Safety, Ag Management, Ag
they ended up getting the
Mechanics, Animal Science,
best of us in the end.”
National Night Out
Crop Production, Horticulture,
Ford-Iroquois went on to
John Biddle’s 7330 John
Natural Resources, Ag Statistics
take the championship title.
Deere tractor was once again a
and Ag Issues/Current Issues.
Perry County was the runner up,
big hit with adults and kids at
In their first round, Kane
Henry County placed third and
the Kane County Sheriff’s
County played Edwards County
Woodford County rounded out
Office “National Night Out” in
and Hancock County. At the end
the top four.
August. KCFB staff & volunof three rounds they were tied
COUNTRY Financial sponteers helped kids learn about
with Edwards and had to go into
sored this year’s event.
farm safety and handed out farm
a one-minute playoff. Edwards
safety safety-themed coloring
County came out ahead.
books and soybean-based
“Overall the team had a good
crayons. Hundreds of families
diverse split of knowledge,”
attended the event which feasaid Lenkaitis, who has compettured armored vehicles, a K-9
ed in the contest each of the past
unit and a helicopter fly-in.
seven years. He added,
Similar events were held in
“Carolyn had the economic
communities across the country
questions, Wayne was good
Kristen DeSutter
to build relationships between
with crops, Chase had animal
community groups and the pubscience and nutrition, and I
DeSutter qualifies for
lic and strengthen bonds with
rounded it out with equipment
IFB Young Leader
local law enforcement.
and random knowledge.”
State Discussion Meet
Teams consist of two to four
Kristen
DeSutter
of
Women’s Corner
By Louise Johnson
Women’s Committee Chair
A
ll teachers and students enjoy a wonderful school year!
The weather was great this
year for the Kane County Fair! I
hope you were able to attend.
The Women’s Committee
helped Suzi Meyer, KCFB Ag
Coordinator, with a free craft
project for children visiting the
Farm Bureau’s building.
The Women’s Committee
(WC) set our 2015-2016
Program of Activities at our
July meeting. We have a project
most months. The mission of
the WC is to help our farmers
and to promote farming. We
meet at 9:15 A.M. on the second
Wednesday of the month, for
ten months of the year. We welcome new members!
This month we will call hundreds of Kane County schools
to make sure we have the correct fourth grade teachers and
principals for these schools. The
principals and teachers will be
contacted for our March Ag
Days. To aide teachers, Suzi is
documenting how Ag Days fit
into the “common core” objectives. Many school districts
require teachers to have this
documentation for all field trips.
Tomatoes are now in abundance. If you have a bumper
crop at the end of the season,
you can save your ripe tomatoes
for winter enjoyment in cooked
food. Wash and core the tomatoes, then put them into your
freezer bags and freeze. When
you use the frozen tomatoes, the
peel will easily slip off for
removal as the tomatoes start to
cook in your stew or other
recipe.
Back-to-school snack-time
or lunchtime treats, with lots of
protein for brainpower, are great
for students. This is my simplified version which has no added
sugar.
Quick Energy Pickups
(My children call them QEP’s.)
1 c. powdered milk
2 c. (1 lb.) peanut butter, softened on low in your
microwave
6 Tblsp. of water
2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 handfuls of coconut (more or
less, as desired)
Mix all ingredients. Shape
into one-inch balls. Refrigerate
until firm.
NOTES: 1. These can be
frozen. (Frozen balls may be
best for sending to school.) 2.
This recipe can be halved, but
as is, it uses all of a 1-pound jar
of peanut butter.
CONNECT
WITH US
Farm, Food & Fuel briefs
NEW JOBS AHEAD
According to new data from the USDA there will be 57,900 annual job openings in food, agriculture,
renewable natural resources, and environment fields between 2015 and 2020.
Participate in our upcoming photography program
at Kane County Farm Bureau and help our community
by donating a non-perishable food item.
SEPTEMBER 2015
A NUTTY QUESTION
By Ryan Klassy, Information Director
O
ur recent “Summer Nights”
event at Brookfield Zoo
allowed seven Farm Bureau volunteers to meet hundreds of
families and play a farm trivia
game with them. Live music, a
bison mascot, a man on stilts
and a laser light show added to
the excitement of beautiful summer night at the zoo. The best
part for me was getting to talk to
people about farms and food –
and finding out what they did
or did not know about Illinois
agriculture.
Our farm trivia game
involved spinning a wheel
marked out with pie-shaped sections with 20 different questions
about farming. The pointer
click, click, clicked until it landed on a space. The question
missed most-often was: True or
False ... peaches and pecans are
grown in Illinois. True!
The fact that peaches are
grown here didn’t seem to be as
much of a surprise. We just held
our annual peach sale here at
KCFB in August as we have for
years, as many of you know.
Those peaches come from
southern Illinois – just 45 miles
north of the border – at
Rendleman Orchards in Alto
Pass. Wayne Rendleman “Ren”
Sirles farms 800 acres that his
family has owned since 1873.
Ren’s son Wayne and wife
Michelle are the sixth generation on the farm. If you haven’t
tried these peaches – you should
next year! I’ve had many people
tell me they are like no peaches
they’ve tasted.
Pecans grown in Illinois
though? That was a little harder
for people to believe. “I thought
they were all in Georgia!”
everyone said. To get the scoop
on Illinois’ pecan industry I
called Clinton County Farm
Bureau member Ralph Voss at
Voss Farms in Carlyle, roughly
50 miles straight east of St.
Louis. He took a break from
welding and assembling a stand
for a conveyor to tell me a little
about his trade.
Voss’s family settled there in
1832 just over a mile from
the Kaskaskia River – a 325
mile-long tributary of the
Mississippi. “Pecan trees love a
deep, rich, dark soil and moisture is not a problem,” Voss
said. “In the flood in 1993 there
were only two types of trees that
survived along the river, willows and pecans.”
Voss said he is just about the
only farmer in Illinois raising
pecans in Illinois, partly he says
because it’s very labor inten-
KANE COUNTY FARMER
sive. Voss himself makes his
living raising corn and soybeans
and said pecans are really just
a hobby.
After harvesting the pecans
with mechanical shakers and
harvesters, the pecans go
through a series of a dozen
machines to get them cleaned
and dried. They are taken to
shelling facilities – the nearest
to Voss’s farm are both about
500 miles away in Arkansas and
Oklahoma.
There aren’t many pecans
groves left in the area because
trees were cut for timber years
ago and to make way for row
crops. “If they were hunters
they may have left the pecan
and hickory trees,” Voss said.
He discovered around 1,200
native pecan trees on his property when he first started his
pecan venture 31 years ago.
“The old-timers talk about how
they used to come out here and
collect pecans and haul away
box wagons full of them.”
Voss now plants trees as well
across 140 acres and says the
younger trees fare better in high
winds. In 2006, Voss lost 243
trees and had hundreds more
damaged by 100 mile-per-hour
straight-line winds.
KCFB volunteers played a farm trivia game with visitors at the Brookfield
Zoo during “Summer Nights” in August and even managed to corral a
bison to have him spin the game wheel! Maybe you’ll be surprised at the
nutty question that was missed most often ...
Farm, Food & Fuel briefs
SPICY FOODS – A new study finds those who had spicy food six or seven times a week were
found to have a 14 per cent lower mortality risk than those who rarely consumed such foods.
Kane Coun
ty Fa
members rerm Bureau
10% disco ceive
unt
service wo on all
rk.
“I didn’t lose one tree under
18 inches in diameter,” Voss
said. “Just like young people, a
younger tree can bend, where an
older tree (some are up to 5 feet
in diameter) might just break.”
Voss said pecans come in all
types – short, tall, skinny, and
fat. He selects the best trees and
uses grafting to end up with a
pecan that is a superior nut with
good size, excellent flavor and
good disease resistance.
Pecan harvest starts around
November 10. Bumper crops
generally skip a year and he said
2013 was what he calls a “limbbreaker” year, with pecans
weighing down the branches.
Voss said this year is looking
PAGE 7
like it should be a good one.
So there you have it – peaches and pecans grown right here
in Illinois. Bake a peach cobbler,
improve the taste of your pecan
pie, or just have an advantage if
you get a shot at the Farm
Bureau trivia prize wheel.
KCFB sold out of pecan
halves last month during our
special sale, but we’ve ordered
a shipment of new crop pecans
in one-pound bags to be delivered around Thanksgiving, fresh
from Voss Farms. In the meantime, stop by Kane County Farm
Bureau for a great deal on
chocolate covered pecans and
pecan caramel clusters – while
supply lasts.
Pecan Special
Stock up on chocolate and caramel covered pecan
treats! Special prices while supply lasts at Kane County
Farm Bureau in St. Charles, M-F 8:30am-5pm.
MILK CHOC. PECANS, 12 OZ. BAG ................. $7
CHOC. PECAN CLUSTERS, 12 OZ BAG............ $7
CLASSIFIED ADS
CLASSIFIED AD RATES
Classified advertising rates: 20
cents per word/$20 minimum (60
words or less). DISCOUNTS for
members: Associate members,
20%; Voting members, 30%; PLUS
members, 40%. Advance payment
requested. Ads due by the 15th of
every month for the next issue. No
advertising (classified or display)
for financial or insurance services
will be accepted. Call 630584-8660.
FOR SALE
1972 JD 4,000 Farm Tractor,
1,727 hours, 148 loader, full 3
point and much more $15,000;
1800 Watt Generator PTO driven, on trailer $225; Craftsman
12 inch Radial Arm Saw $125
Call: W - 630-365-9191, H - 630557- 2711
Affordable Hutchinson Drive
Over Grain Pit, 4 years old,
$8,500. Call: 847 436 2538
Vintage DeWalt 12” Radial Arm
Saw, Model GP-39, 2HP Single
Phase, one owner, Excellent
working condition, extra blades
and DeWalt table included. $350
or offer. Vintage Wood Lathe –
Craftsman 54” 1/4 HP, Set of 8
Craftsman wood handle knives
original box, Set of 8 plain wood
handle knives original box,
Original Instruction Book, Work
Bench Magazine and table
included. $225 or offer. Call: 815341-7182
USED BUT NICE – 4 Bridgestone
Dueler HT Tires P26570R17 $25
ea. OBO; 2 Trailer Tires with rims,
ST20575D15 $35 ea OBO; 1 14’
Behlen Green H.D. Gate $95
OBO; 1 Overhead Gas Heater
28,000 BTU $275 OBO; 4 Metal
Wheels for a Paypec Silo Loader
$600 OBO— Ask for Mark. Call:
331-642 4818
2011 JD 625F hydra-flex platform
head, F/A, CM, single point hookup, high dam, stubble lights, no
auger damage, low acres, good
condition, $23,500 OBO. Call:
630-878-1726
SERVICES
Jim Verhaeghe & Sons, Inc. –
Tree removal, tree trimming, &
stump grinding. Backhoe work &
Tile Lines. Fully insured – Free
Estimates – Jim Verhaeghe Sr.
Call: 847 334 5730
Farm site demolition & clean up.
New horse barns with underground utilities and earthwork.
Drainage tiles, pasture mowing,
spraying, new seeding, inter
seeding & fence installation. We
follow SIU Plant & Soil Science
Practices. 10% discount for Farm
Bureau members, 5% if you mention this add! Berning Earthwork
Inc., Tom Berning 630-330-9970,
BerningEarthWorks@comcast.
net; Galusha Farms, Steve
Berning, 630-878-6350, steve@
GalushaFarm.com. Call: 630330-9970
WANTED
Will pick up for free unwanted or
old snowmobiles. Also buying
older Polaris snowmobiles 1977
& 1978 TXL & 1979 TX’s. Call
Jon – 630-254-9446.
Want to buy vintage & used tools
Call Chris, 630 550 7182
Help Wanted: Clerical/customer
service entry level East-side
St. Charles. M-F hours to fit your
schedule. Perfect for homemaker
or student. Call Bob, 630377-7797.
“Helping to keep America Picked up for 45 years”
PAGE 8
KANE COUNTY FARMER
Plan a day in the country
Letters of appreciation
It’s the perfect time of year to
take the entire family outdoors!
This fall, spend a day at your
local apple orchard or pumpkin
farm! Pick apples, go for a
hay ride or choose the perfect
pumpkin for your Halloween
Jack-O-Lantern. Visit www.
bountyofkane.org for a list of
direct farm markets and farmer’s
markets in Kane County.
from KCFB Foundation
scholars and 4-Hers
E
ach year hundreds of Kane County youth participate in livestock
judging and sales at the Kane County Fair through their 4-H
chapters. Kane County Farm Bureau strongly supports their efforts
and the leadership and discipline these activities build. Below are
just a few of the notes of thanks received from 4H members this year.
Many notes of thanks have come from KCFB Foundation scholarship recipients for the 2015-16 school year. The cards were
addressed to the KCFB Foundation, but the sentiments expressed
are really for you, the members who support college scholarships
and classroom education.
Scan the QR code to visit our farm
market directory and enjoy an
autumn day on the farm.
Visit KCFB at Primrose Park Farm
Frolic–September 27, 11am-3pm
The Kane County Farm
Bureau Ag in the Classroom program will take the show on the
road Sunday, Sept. 27 at the
Primrose Park Farm Frolic.
Members of the KCFB Women’s
Committee will be on hand making dragonflies out of corn husks
and decorating them with water
colors. They’ll have an “I SPY”
bottle to see how many of the
items depicting the many uses of
corn kids can find floating in a
bottle full of corn kernels. Take a
shot at winning a prize by guessing how many kernels of corn are
in the jar. Plus lots of corn fun
facts. The Farm Frolic has
dozens of fun activities for kids.
Primrose Park Farm is a
1930s era working farm operated by the St. Charles Park
District and located at 5N726
Crane Road in St. Charles. Call
630-513-4370 or visit www.
primroseparkfarm.com for more
information.
What’s new in the COUNTRY agencies?
St. Charles Agency, Bob Effner,
Agency Manager
BOBBI BOBSTON has been
named the Financial Representative of the Month for June
2015 in the St. Charles/Elgin
Agency, as announced by
Agency Manager, Robert J.
Effner, Sr., CLF ®, LUTCF.
Bobbi has provided tangible
plans for addressing the immediate and long term insurance
and financial security needs of
her clients through COUNTRY
Financial’s diverse products and
services: Auto, Farm, Home,
Life/Disability/Health/
Annuities/Long Term Care,
Retirement Planning, Business
and Investments. Let Bobbi’s
expertise help you! You may
contact Bobbi at her office,
2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles
or by phone/email/website:
630-485-5155, bobbi.boston@
countryfinancial,
country
financial.com/bobbi.boston.
Congratulations, Bobbi!
Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,
Agency Manager
Brandon Kopf, Financial
Representative with the Aurora
Agency, is our Financial
Representative of the Month for
July, 2015. Brandon began his
career
with
COUNTRY
Financial in June of 2005 and
services clients out of his office
located at: 450 W. Galena Blvd,
Aurora, 60506 (630) 801-0946.
Brandon’s professionalism and
vast knowledge of auto, home,
life, commercial and financial
products make him a great person to do business with.
Congratulations, Brandon!
Recruiters of the Month
630-485-5155.
representative with COUNKane County Farm Bureau
Candy has been a financial
TRY® since June 2006. He
honors the person or persons
representative with since July
who sign the most members into
serves clients from his office at
2000. She serves clients from
our organization. This month,
1750 Grandstand Place, Ste. 20,
we have a three-way
Elgin, and may be
tie! Congrats to Bobbi
reached at 847-742Boston,
Candy
0001.
Hanslik and Luke
Luke Fawkes was
Fawkes, who each
the first to respond to
signed three new
our email trivia quesmembers.
tion tie-breaker and
Bobbi has been a
receives two tickets to
financial representaCharlestowne Movie
Bobbi Boston
Candy Hanslik
Luke Fawkes
tive with COUNTRY®
Theater.
Financial since October 2004.
her office at 302 East State St,
Thank you all for your conShe serves clients from her
Geneva, and may be reached at
tinued support of Kane County
office at 2N710 Randall Rd, St.
630-762-1329.
Farm Bureau and congratulaCharles, and may be reached at
Luke has been a financial
tions on your success!
Farm, Food
& Fuel briefs
—––––—––—
—––––––——
Thank you for sponsoring the Grand Champion Bantam
Cockerel Award. I won with my Buff Brahma chicken named Ian.
I enjoy raising chickens and showing at the fair. Thanks for supporting the 4-H program.
Sincerely, Ashley Werner (Elgin)
Thank you for supporting 4-H and donating the Grand
Champion plaque I received. I really appreciate it.
Jacie Panek (Batavia)
Thank you for supporting my goat showmanship plaque. It is people like you that keep 4-H going and a great thing. Thank you again.
Sincerely, Ashleigh Wackerlin (Hinckley)
Thank you so much for the scholarship I received from your
organization. I am very much appreciative. This will help me pay
for school at Augustana College. Now that I have graduated high
school, college is feeling more and more real and I am so excited!
Thank you very much!
Sincerely, Alyssa Mish (Elgin)
I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for your generosity
in the form of a scholarship for my next academic year.
I know choices about scholarship recipients are made with thoughtful
and purposeful consideration, and I am flattered to have been chosen.
I just finished my junior year studying Agricultural
Communications, and I have no doubts about the degree I am pursuing! I changed my major several times the first few semesters at
Illinois, but once I discovered Ag Com, it was a no-brainer. As a person with an agricultural background and interests and strengths in
writing and communicating, this degree is perfect for me. I always
knew that I wanted to pursue a career path that would allow me to
use knowledge about agriculture to work toward ending hunger and
poverty in the world, but I thought my weakness in science would
likely inhibit me from that. The opportunities and education I have
received from classes at Illinois have disproved that theory several
times over. I am so grateful for all I have learned and will continue
to learn in the following semesters about writing and communicating specifically about agriculture and the environment.
I hope you know how much of an impact this scholarship has.
The benefit for me is twofold. Firstly, the financial support, obviously, is a relief and makes the loan payback after I graduate seem
less daunting, and I am so thankful for that! Secondly, and perhaps
more lasting, is the knowledge that people like you find value in
what I hope to accomplish. It is tremendously encouraging and it is
unlikely that I will forget it any time soon.
Thank you for all that you do!
Sincerely, Kelsey Gould (Elburn)
My lifelong dream of attending the University of Illinois is moving forward, thanks to your support and generosity. Since being
named a recipient of the Mary K. Heckel-Blickle Memorial
Scholarship my dream is becoming a reality. This award has given
me the opportunity to learn skills that will give me the ability to
serve an industry that has given me so much. While attending the
University of Illinois I will be earning a degree in Animal Science
with a pre-veterinary concentration and a minor in nutrition. I
would like to thank you for your support in my further education.
Sincerely, Alex Rowe (Maroa)
Thank you for awarding me a scholarship again this year.
This scholarship has helped me so much with paying for my college
education.
Sincerely, Michael Long
CATTLE HERD GROWING
The U.S. cow-calf industry
will grow by over 3 million
head in the next four to six
years, according to a report
released Monday by Rabobank,
an agribusiness research firm
that monitors and evaluates
global agricultural markets.
FUEL PRICES
Source: USA Today
Big vehicles, like pickups
and SUVs, are flying off car lots
as gasoline prices remain low.
The price of West Texas crude
oil is half what it was a year ago.
SEPTEMBER 2015
KCFB Information Director Ryan Klassy presented an Illinois Farm
Families sign to Stevi Steorts of Theis Farms in Maple Park. The signs are
part of a Farm Bureau program to showcase Kane County farms and the
families that run them. Nearly all (97%) of Illinois Farms are family owned
and many have been for generations. There are a limited number of signs
still available to KCFB farmer members. Call 630-584-8660 to inquire.
Your Farm Bureau membership means
Value