On October 10, 2018, the Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau thanked our local legislators for their support of agriculture. Richard Beuth, Farm Bureau President awarded Senator Steve Stadelman, Senator Dave Syverson, Representative Joe Sosnowski, and Representative John Cabello with the Illinois Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award. We ask all farmers to call and thank their legislators for their support.
Contact Your Legislators
As a member of the County Board, we invite you to contact one of our Farm Bureau Members to spend some time side by side with an agriculturalist and learn first hand what it is like to be a farmer in Boone and Winnebago County area! Choose from a list of various farming enterprises including cattle, grain and dairy goats.
Winnebago and Boone County agriculture is full of many opportunities!
On August 30, the Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau thanked our local legislators for their support of agriculture. Richard Beuth, Farm Bureau President awarded Senator Steve Stadelman, Senator Dave Syverson, Representative Joe Sosnowski, Representative Bob Pritchard, Nate Plautz (accepted award on behalf of Representative Brian Stewart), and Representative Litesa Wallace with the Illinois Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award. Senator Tim Bivins and Representative John Cabello, who were not able to attend, also recieved the award. We ask all farmers to call and thank their legislators for their support.
Representative Maurice West II of the 67th District along with his Chief of Staff, Jeremy Ennis, joined Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau for a tour of the Mitchell Dairy and Grain, LLC on Thursday, April 18th. Special Thank You to John Mitchell and Mitchell Dairy and Grain, LLC for hosting the tour.
On July 18, 2018, Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau Board of Directors and staff welcomed Representative Jonathon Carroll- District 57 to Illinois Farm Bureau's Adopt-a-Legislator program. We enjoyed learning about Rep. Carroll's district; shared concerns and answered questions about Illinois' agricultural industry.
Pictured Left to Right: John Mitchell, Richard Beuth, Rep. Jon Carroll, Julie Newhouse and Ann Marie Cain, WBFB Manager.
Adopt a Legislator
The Illinois Farm Bureau Adopt-A-Legislator® Program was developed in 2001 with the purpose of building long-term personal relationships between urban state legislators and farmers from across the state. The goal of the program is to educate urban legislators about agriculture, our state's largest industry, and rural life, while also helping our members better understand the needs and concerns of an urban district.
Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau directors Brent Pollard and Phillip Raines presented the Illinois Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture Award to our adopted legislator, Representative Jonathon Carroll, 57th District, on Monday, December 17, 2018. Congratulations Representative Carroll!
Thank you to Claretta Farm and the Mueller Family for hosting Rep. Dave Vella for a tour of your dairy operation in Boone County on June 25, 2022.
Check out this short video of Rep. Vella's first time milking a cow!
On July 28, 2017-
Representative Elaine Nekritz, Illinois’ 57th District, joined us for her annual visit with members of our Board of Directors. This year, Elaine traveled from Buffalo Grove to Northern Boone County and Clinton, WI. Our visits included the Van Laar Fruit Farm, Dairyland Seed Research facility and Friendly Franseen Acres. Overall, Elaine continues to enjoy learning more about the agricultural industry. Through this program, Elaine has a better understanding of agriculture and was recognized as the Illinois Farm Bureau Friend of Agriculture. Wishing Elaine the best on her retirement.
Friend of Agriculture
October 2022- Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau members welcomed several Friend of Agriculture endorsement recipients to a breakfast. Brent Pollard - WBFB President, John Mitchell - Legislative Chair & Vice President, Kevin Shedd and Grant Anderson were all on hand for presentations. Thanks to Steve Stadelman for State Senate, Senator Dave Syverson, Jeff Keicher for State Representative, Representative Tony McCombie and Elect Dave Vella for attending. Additional thanks to Rep. Joe Sosnowski for coming by in September.
Friend of Agriculture
September 2020- Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau had a busy week last week visiting with several of our local Friends of Ag. Thank you to Rep. Joe Sosnowski, John M. Cabello, Jeff Keicher
and Sen. Dave Syverson for your work in the General Assembly on behalf of Illinois agriculture.
Rep. Andrew Chesney also stopped by to visit with members of Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau as well as Stephenson County Farm Bureau President, where he was presented with his Friend of Ag award.
Friend of Agriculture
Illinois Farm Bureau’s Friend of Agriculture award is presented to those individual state legislators and senators that have demonstrated a support for Illinois agriculture in Springfield and in Washington. To qualify for the award, the legislator must have at least a 60% voting record with the Illinois Farm Bureau. The awards are made available through the Illinois Farm Bureau “Activator” program.
On October 12, 2021, Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau’s Adopt-a-Legislator, Representative Jonathan Carroll and staff member, Elly Fawcett-Neal joined us at the Claretta Farm to experience the daily operations of a dairy operations. Our trip to the fields for a combine ride was detoured due to the recent rains. However, Rep. Carroll was able to climb into a tractor and made a stop at the Newhouse’s field to discuss cover crop conservation practices. We ended the day, with lunch and a visit to Edwards Orchard in Poplar Grove. Thank you, Representative Jonathan Carroll, for your interest in Illinois agriculture. Thank you, Brent and Amber Mueller, Marshall Newhouse, and Andy Smith for sharing your farm operations with Representative Carroll. (Front row: Gary Greenlee, Julie Newhouse, John Cleland. Back row: Brent Mueller, Elly Fawcett-Neal and Representative Jonathan Carroll)
Farm Bureau
Local Government
Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau's Legislative Team invites our local Legislators to Adopt-An-Acre of corn or soybeans this growing season.
Follow along with one of our local farmers throughout the growing season and see how farmers plant corn or soybeans; manage plant health; harvest; and sell the grain.
Engaging with our Legislators
State Representative Maurice West joined Richard Beuth, Paul Beuth and Jack Roettger out at the Beuth Farm on Thursday, November 4th. Rep. West climbed into the combine to experience this year's corn harvest. Richard and Rep. West discussed the different varieties of corn produced in Illinois; how it is marketed and transported, as well as the impacts of rising input costs. Farm Bureau continues to work with our local, state, and federal legislators to protect and strengthen the agricultural industry.
Winnebago-Boone
Senator Steve Stadelman joined us one late July afternoon at Friendly Franseen Acres for a short tour.
When our local legislators are in session and they can't come to us... we Zoom!
The WBFB Legislative Team engages with our local legislators to discuss local issues within the legislative districts as well as in the agricultural industry.
On April 6, 2022 Rep. Dave Vella met with our Legislative Team for a legislative update.
Local Officials:
Be A Farmer...
For A DAy
Thank you to Ten Men Farms and the Larson Family for hosting Rep. Dave Vella for a tour of your poultry operation on Monday, March 27th. Thank you for sharing your story and showing him how you prepare the eggs to be sold locally.
To see more Adopt-a-Legislator programs across the state, click here.
Legislator Tours
Membership
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