WINNEBAGO-BOONE FARM BUREAU

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Mission Statement

Be the voice, resource, and advocate for farm families and agriculture,
while promoting stewardship for today and future generations.

Grain Bin Safety/Rescue Course- Saturday, July 26th
The Winnebago-Boone Young Leaders is hosting a three-hour Grain Bin Safety/Rescue course for farm families on Saturday, July 26th from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (lunch included) at the Farm Bureau building located at 1925 S Meridian Road, Rockford, IL. The course will be taught by Stateline Farm Rescue which was founded to fulfill the need for farm and agricultural rescue training in the Upper Midwest, and is based in the Wisconsin-Illinois stateline area. Each member of their highly-trained instructor team has many years of fire and rescue experience, and each is currently active in fire service. In addition, these instructors have all either worked on or owned their own farm operation; and each has excellent working knowledge of modern farm equipment, along with the hazards involved with dangerous farm occupations.

The Stateline Farm Rescue Grain Bin Safety/Rescue course is designed to give you knowledge of grain bin design and structure, as well as the dangers involved in working with and around these structures. Grain handling equipment and grain movement are also covered. Hands-on training utilizing their custom-built grain bin entrapment simulator will follow the classroom portion of the course.

This is a free course; however, seats are limited. To reserve your seats, please contact the office at 815-962-0653.

Defensive Driving Course- October 21-22, 2014
The Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau is sponsoring a Defensive Driving course on October 21st and 22nd. The class will be held at the Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau Building located at 1925 S Meridian Road, Rockford, IL. The course is open to any Farm Bureau member, especially those members that are 55 years and older and COUNTRY Financial insured.

Classes start at 10 a.m. and will conclude at approximately 3 p.m. each day. The registration fee is $18.00 per person which covers the cost of the course materials and the presenter. The Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau will provide a free lunch on both days.

Those completing the course are eligible to receive a discount on their auto insurance, but they must attend both days to qualify for the discount. An examination is NOT required to complete the course or receive certification.

Advanced reservations are required and the class size is limited to 25 people. Act now to take advantage of this cost-saving traffic safety program. Call the Farm Bureau office at 815-962-0653 to make a reservation or for more information. Reservations will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. Registration fee is due by October 13th.

ASK A FARMER!

Do you have questions about agriculture and wish to know the answer? Here is your chance!

Q: When a farmer does crop dusting, does he do it or does his brother/hired guy?
A: The Farmer generally hires an outside source or company to spray (crop dusting) for them due to requirements for licenses, insurance and experience.- Cody

Q: What percentage of crops grown and sold in Boone County are organic? GMOs and non-GMOs?
A: "Short answer is no one knows... The most recent USDA Ag Census data lists Boone county as having 137,000 acres in farmland in 2007. While it may look like it, not all acres are corn and soybean fields. Of the acres planted in 2007, 59% were planted to field corn, 24% to soybeans, 3.5% to alfalfa and other forage (mainly used to feed cows, horses, and other ruminants), and 2% to wheat. The remaining acres are a diverse mix such as nursery trees, fruits, vegetables, and pasture for animals.

Seed that has been developed with a genetically modified organism (GMO) is most often found in corn and soybean seed varieties. Farmers do not have any wheat GMO seed varieties that they can buy. Most of the fruit and vegetable production is produced for local food markets and is mainly organic and non-GMO.

So that leaves corn and soybeans. I have grown both GMO and non-GMO varieties. What I plant depends on; seed variety yield, the weeds and insects that I find in my fields, and market prices. I sell my grain to two local elevators. One contracts directly with farmers to raise specific varieties of corn and soybeans depending on what a buyer such as a food processor wants. The grain buyer at that elevator estimated about 90% of the soybean seed varieties grown in the local area are GMO and 80% of the corn.

Working through the math, a good estimate would be about 70% of the farm land acres in Boone County are grown using a GMO seed variety."- Ken

Q: Why do honeybees make honey?
A: Honey bees make honey to feed the hive and store enough to get through the winter. If there is extra, that is what the beekeeper. -Phillip

Q: What starts their (honey bees) honeycomb?
A: When honey bees eat nectar and honey, they secrete wax on their abdomen (same as people grow hair). They use this wax to build the honeycomb. TRIVIA: 1 pound of honeycomb will support 24 pounds of honey. -Phillip

Agricultural Security & Terrorism Awareness

In January 2013, the Winnebago Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) in partnership with Win-Bur-Sew Fire Department hosted an information meeting on “Agricultural Security & Terrorism”. The presentation was given by Steffan Nass, Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator- FBI’s Springfield Division.

Agro-Terrorism is defined as the deliberate introduction, use, or threatened use, of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive agent against one or more components of the food or agriculture sectors, with the goal of causing mortality or morbidity, generating fee, precipitating economic loss, or undermining sector stability and confidence in government.

Here are a few indicators of Agro-Terrorism.

Suspicious persons asking specific questions about a facility or process.

Unauthorized photography of processes in or around facilities or farms.

Possessions of chemicals, biological agents, vaccines, or medication with no apparent purpose

Manuals, communications, or websites pertaining to chemicals or biological agents

Attempts to rent or borrow ag-related equipment for no logical reason or purpose

Thefts of anhydrous ammonia or other fertilizer products

Thefts of livestock

Agricultural Retail Facilities should report any of the following:

Any attempted purchases of pesticides by those not authorized or those without need

ALL security breaches if applicable

Suspicious activity around anhydrous ammonia storage facilities

Suspicious attempts to purchase fertilizer (such as ammonium nitrate, or agricultural use pesticides) by unfamiliar or suspicious persons

Producers and Auction Markets should report any of the following:

Suspicious behavior around farms or ranch operations

Theft of nurse tanks containing agricultural use pesticides or hazardous materials (Report Immediately)

Unusual symptoms or behavior in livestock

Sudden unexplained death or loss in livestock

Severe illness in large numbers of animals

Suspicious illnesses among employees

Aerial Applicators should report any tampering or attempts to purchase or rent aircraft or chemicals.

Suspicious signs and symptoms of illnesses in employees should be reported to your local health department. Health officials should be made aware of the emergency, normal duties and any contact with sick animals that may have led to the illness. Details of contact with feed products, medical supplies, or chemicals that the employee may have had contact with should also be noted.

Suspicious signs and symptoms of illnesses in animals (such as blistering or ruptured blisters around the mouth, nose, teats, or hooves; central nervous system disorders that prevent the animal from rising or walking normally; loss of appetite and conditioning; swelling around the eyes and neck in poultry; dramatic drop in egg or milk production; large number of dead insects, rodents or wildlife; and unusual ticks or maggots) should be reported to your veterinarian.

If a crime is in progress, CALL 9-1-1 immediately. If you have information about a crime, or to report suspicious activity, please contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at (217) 522-9675. The following information is needed:

Your location

What activity is occurring

If a weapon is involved

Location of the activity

Description and license plates of any vehicles involved (make, model, color and direction of travel)

Description of persons (race, age, height, weight)

Your contact information

This information was provided by the Illinois Agro-Security Working Group. The Illinois Agro-Security Working group is a partnership between frontline agricultural industry personnel and local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for the purpose of preventing criminal and terrorist activities in and around Illinois agriculture and food systems. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois Fertilizer Chemical Association, Illinois Pork Producers, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Beef Association, and the United States Department of Agriculture form the Illinois Agro-Security Working Group.

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TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau® is affiliated with the Illinois Farm Bureau®. Illinois Farm Bureau^® is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation^®, a national organization of farmers and ranchers including Farm Bureaus in all 50 states and Puerto Rico, and is responsible for Farm Bureau^® membership and programs within Illinois.

FARM BUREAU^® and FB^® are registered service marks owned by the American Farm Bureau Federation. More information regarding the American Farm Bureau Federation can be found at www.fb.org.

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Our website contains links to other internet sites that are not maintained by us ("Third Party Sites"). These links are provided solely for convenience. We make no warranties or representations about the contents of or any products or services offered by such Third Party Sites. We encourage you to read the terms and conditions of Third Party Sites prior to using them.

The services and member benefits described on this site are available only to members of Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau®. This site is not intended to solicit or encourage membership from non-county residents.

Information provided is for convenience purposes only. You should consult a professional, as applicable, for advice tailored to your particular situation. Any safety information included on this website is not intended as health or engineering advice, and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice on these topics.

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