Source: Northern Illinois Food Bank’s The Full PlateThe perfect metaphor for life

is a garden. A garden provides asmall area in which nature andhumans come together andgrow items essential for sustain-ing life. Dig the ground, plant aseed, let the rain fall, and within

months, the garden gives back. Northern Illinois Food Bank

provides food for over 71,000people each week thanks toyour support. We understand thecrucial role a garden plays inmaking sure enough fresh foodis provided to neighbors inneed. This is why the focus onexpanding community gardenswithin our service area is beingexplored through ourAmeriCorps VISTA program. Northern Illinois Food

Bank’s mission of solvinghunger is getting a significantboost from 11 young profession-als who are currently serving thecommunity as AmeriCorpsVISTA members. As part oftheir one year term of service,the VISTA members are aidingthe Food Bank by focusing inthe areas of capacity building,communications, communityengagement, community gar-dens, senior hunger programsand volunteer development. Shelbi Ball is leading the

charge as the CommunityGarden Coordinator.

For her part, Shelbiresearched methods currentlybeing used at different foodbanks and member agencies

known for their community gar-dens. She is also speaking withneighbors in need about whatmethod would be most effectiveto them and what they wouldlike to see grown.

The model Shelbi is focus-ing on encourages food pantryrecipients to participate ingrowing their own food within acommunity garden settingwhere they will receive educa-tion from University of IllinoisMaster Gardeners and dieteticguidance from local healthdepartment staff. Her model dis-plays creativity and sustainabil-ity while focusing on the healthof our hungry neighbors.

“There is more to communi-ty gardens than just gardening,”Shelbi said. “Gardening issomething that can reallyimprove your health both physi-cally and mentally.” Shelbi recently received the

Governor’s Volunteer ServiceAward in the AmeriCorps cate-gory. This award recognizesindividual volunteers to high-light the importance of volun-teerism and community servicein the state of Illinois. Shelbi’s career goal is to

work for a non-profit that

improves health outcomes inlow-income communities. Theexperience she gains from beingpart of the Food Bank is a realstepping stone to her future asshe is learning how a nonprofitruns, but also is working withthe population she wants tohelp. Plus, there are some otherperks to her role.

“Since starting this job, Ihave had the best cucumber ever

grown from a community gar-den,” she said.EDITOR’S NOTE: Northern

Illinois Food Bank is currentlyrecruiting 11 AmeriCorpsVISTAs for fiscal year 2017. Forinformation, visit www.nationalservice.gov and search under theprograms tab or contact GloriaSanders at 630-443-6910 ext.147 or gsanders@northernilfoodbank.org.

Looking for somewhere tospend a fun night with thewhole family this summer?Head to Summer Nights atBrookfield Zoo just outsideChicago from 4 to 9 p.m. onFridays and Saturdays, June 17through Aug. 13.Kane County Farm Bureau

will be back at the zoo again onSaturday, Aug 6th from 4-9pm.Farm Bureau volunteers fromKane County will be on hand toshare information about the areafarmers and to answer yourquestions about how your foodis grown. Enjoy activities for allages, including live entertain-ment, a kid’s stage, food, beerand wine gardens, and a laserlight show at the end of theevening.Summer Nights features

themed roaming performersfrom 5 to 9 p.m., including

Mardi Gras, renaissance, andpirates. Fun kids’ entertainmenton the East Mall kids’ stagestarts at 6:00 p.m. and will feature music, magic, juggling

displays, acrobatics, and cre-ative storytelling. At 7 p.m., livebands will play on the zoo’sEast Mall main stage, playingan extensive combination ofcovers and original material. Zoo-goers can stroll through

the zoo’s 216 acres of beautifullandscapes and see the zoo and

animals in a whole new light.An array of dining options andbeer and wine gardens will offerguests a unique selection ofscrumptious food and beverageitems. The Summer Nights dis-

counted price also includes achoice of one of the followingin-park attractions:Butterflies!, Dolphins in

Action, The Carousel, HamillFamily Play Zoo, HamillFamily Wild Encounters, MotorSafari, and Stingray Bay.Kane County Farm Bureau is

proud to partner with theBrookfield Zoo through theFood for Thought regionaladvertising campaign and theSummer Nights at the zoo isused as a way to reach out toconsumers. You’ll feel FarmBureau’s presence during theeight-week event through Ag in

the Classroom activities, funIllinois food facts, and farm-themed peek boards.Zoo members attend free,

while nonmembers can attend

by paying $15.95 for adults and$10.95 for children ages 3 to 11.

For more information, visitwww.ilfb.org/summerfun.

Enhance the quality of life for member families;Promote agriculture, farms & food; and,

Advocate good stewardship of our land and resources.

VOL. 81 NO. 7 JULY 2016

KCFB greets visitors at Brookfield Zoo’s ‘Summer Nights’

KCFB Young Farmer volunteers met hundreds of families at the“Summer Nights” event at Brookfield Zoo on Saturday, June 18th.Families played a farm trivia game and asked questions about Illinoisagriculture. Pictured left to right are Young Farmers Dale Pitstick,Joe Gorenz and Trent Pierson. KCFB volunteers return to the zoo onAugust 6th.

July Featured Product

Pork ChopsOur featured product for the month of July is Inboden’s Meats

delicious seasoned pork chops. Each 5 lb. box comes in 8 oz. or 10oz. and boneless and bone-in varieties. Each chop comes in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. Just thaw, cut it open and pour it out onyour grill for a perfectly seasoned, thick, juicy pork chop everytime. Price is $25 per box for KCFB members, $22.50 for plusmembers and $29 for non-members. It’s a Farm Bureau memberfavorite! Available at Kane County Farm Bureau, Randall Roadand Oak Street in St. Charles.

DATES TO REMEMBER

JulyJuly 4Office Closed/IndependenceDay July 6John Buck Memorial Golf Outing, Marengo July 7Nominating Committees,6:30pmBoard of Directors, 7:30pmJuly 12Master Gardener’s IDEAGarden, 9-11 July 18Fair Set-up, Young Farmers,6:00pmJuly 20-24Kane County FairJuly 21Ag Committee, County BoardConference Room, 10amJuly 26IFB President’s Conference,NormalJuly 27IFB Farm Incomes andInnovations ConferenceJuly 28IFB District 1&2 Young FarmerDiscussion meet, Rockford

Finding a new method for produce

IFB Farm Income &Innovations ConferenceIllinois Farm Bureau mem-

bers, staff, farmers, and agri-business professionals are invitedto attend the 2016 Farm Incomeand Innovation Conference, heldJuly 27, 2016 at theBloomington-Normal MarriottHotel and Conference Center.The conference, formerly

known as the annual IllinoisFarm Bureau CommoditiesConference, will feature twogeneral sessions and multiplebreakouts that focus on topicstraditionally included in theCommodities Conference, butwill also include new topicswhich focus on technology andemphasize farm innovation.General Session I will be

“The Revolution in GroceryShopping,” presented by DavidFikes, Vice President,Consumer/Community Affairsand Communications for theFood Marketing Institute (FMI).FMI is the trade association forsupermarkets and grocerystores. FMI’s “Trends 2016”

report is being released in Juneand is the most current informa-tion in the industry regardingfood trends and consumptiondevelopments industrywide.This report will frame a discus-sion on what consumers areinterested in and where theindustry is headed.General Session II will focus

on drones and precision agricul-ture, and will be presented byChad Colby, the general manag-er for Central Illinois Ag. Whenit comes to drone use in agricul-ture, Mr. Colby is widely con-sidered the industry’s leadingexpert. He will update the con-ference on how the industry ischanging and how the use oftechnology and drones willshape the future landscape ofagriculture.Register by July 15. The con-

ference is open to all FarmBureau members, staff, andother agricultural professionals.Call Kane County Farm Bureauat 630-584-8660 to register.

It’s Peach Order time! Order form on page 8.

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER JULY 2016

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLYSteven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorAudre Pack, Training Specialist

Elizabeth Polovin, Member Services CoordinatorKristi Van Oost, Development & Program CoordinatorCarolyn Gehrke, Interim Communications ConsultantValerie Johnson, Administrative & Program Assistant

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

PHONE: 630-584-8660info@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 60174Year Subscription: $2.00

■ DISTRICT 1Aurora, Sugar Grove,Big Rock Twnshp.

Nan Long11461 E. County Line Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511815-693-7214

Donna Lehrer7S027 Jericho Rd.Big Rock, IL 60511630-556-3476

William KeckP.O. Box 281Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-4668

■ DISTRICT 2Kaneville, Blackberry,Gen./Bat. Twnshp.

Bill Collins1125 Lewis Rd.Geneva, IL 60134630-484-6852

Karl Kettelkamp0S860 Rowe Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-365-2713

Joe WhitePresident47W727 Main St. Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-557-2517

■ DISTRICT 3Virgil, Campton,St. Charles Twnshp.

Frank Carlson104 Sumac CourtSt. Charles, IL 60174630-513-9980

Chris Collins1143 AndersonElburn, IL 60119630-934-4642

Dale Pitstick128 N Hadsall St.Genoa, IL 60135630-816-0223

■ DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.

Beth Gehrke12N860 US Hwy. 20Elgin, IL 60124847-697-2538

Mike KenyonSecretary/Treasurer1250 E. Main St.South Elgin, IL 60177847-741-1818

Craig Bradley37W791 Orchard LaneElgin, IL 60124847-888-2380

■ DISTRICT 5Hampshire, Rutland,Dundee Twnshp.

Joe Engel516 Sawgrass Ln.Hampshire, IL 60140847-347-5561

Gerald Gaitsch10613 Brittany Ave.Huntley, IL 60142847-669-2003

Wayne SchneiderVice President721 Lindsay LaneWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-0488

You receive the Kane CountyFarmer because you are a FarmBureau member. If you are a farmoperator or owner, you benefitfrom a local, state and nationalorganization committed to agri-culture and your way of life. If you do not have direct ties

to farming, your membershiphelps promote local farms andfarming, encourages wise use ofour limited natural resources andpreserves farmland and our agri-cultural heritage while allowingyou to enjoy COUNTRY insur-ance and the many other benefitsof one of Illinois’ premier mem-bership organizations. We appreciate your member-

ship and continued support andwe welcome your comments onthe content of the Farmer. Weencourage you to make recom-mendations about farm, home,food, natural resource, renewableenergy or agricultural heritage andhistory related topics for inclusionin future issues of the Farmer.

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEOCTOBER 2015 THRU SEPTEMBER 2016

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG. SEP.C. BRADLEY X X X X X X X X X F. CARLSON X X X X X X B. COLLINS X X X X X X X X X C. COLLINS X X X X X X X X J. ENGEL X X X X X X X X G. GAITSCH X X X X X X X X X B. GEHRKE X X X X X X X X X W. KECK X X X X X X X X X M. KENYON X X X X X X X X X K. KETTLEKAMP X X X X X X X X D. LEHRER X X X X X X X X N. LONG X X X X X X X X D. PITSTICK X X X X X X X W. SCHNEIDER X X X X X X X X X J. WHITE X X X X X X X X X

KCFB Board ReviewJune 7

The June meeting of the KaneCounty Farm Bureau Board of

Directors was called to order at7:30 p.m. Directors reported onseveral topics and events. Two

guests attended the meeting –Matt Tansley and Janice Hill,Kane County Planners. Theygave an update on the Food HubFeasibility study following theannual meetings of the KaneCounty Farm Bureau FOUNDA-TION and Kane County FarmBureau, USDA Local FoodProgram and Food to MarketChallenge grants.Committee Reports were

delivered, including a 2016Harvest for ALL contributionsreport. Due to fading, damages,and cost of replacement forexisting 4’x4’ signs, newHarvest for ALL signs will be18”x24” aluminum signs. FoodFor Thought CommitteeChairman, Bob Gehrke, provid-ed the Board an update on theSummer Nights campaign atBrookfield Zoo. The event willfeature farm/food information atstrategic locations in the zoo.The information booth will benear a beer garden, live music,and laser light show; and featurethemed peek boards and a farmtrivia wheel. The Dairy breakfastwill be held at the Drendel farm,Saturday, June 18 from 6-11am. Joe White delivered the

Foundation Committee report.He stated that the John BuckMemorial Golf outing will beheld July 6 at Crystal Woodsgold course, and then gave areport on contributions made tothe FOUNDATION. He alsoannounced that June 18 is thegrand opening of the St. LouisScience center.Farm Bureau Manager, Steve

Arnold then delivered theManager’s Report. Arnold men-tioned that a farm location wasneeded for the 2016 HarvestPicnic. He also stated that theFarm Bureau summer intern,Susie Thompson will start onJune 20, and a CommunicationCoordinator position for KCFBwas still available. In AITC news, AITC

Summer Ag Institute II is sched-uled for June 28-July 2, and theNational AITC Conference willbe June 21-24 in Arizona. Thereare two foursomes registered forthe Ag in the Classroom golfouting on June 9 in Pontiac.Correspondence was circu-

On Saturday, June18th, Dale and LindaDrendel hosted aDairy Breakfast andFarm Tour at theirdairy farm inHampshire, in coop-eration with theKishwaukee DairyHerd ImprovementAssociation.

They invited the public totour their farm, watch theirdairy cows being milked,and provided a heartybreakfast consisting of

pancakes, sausage, apple-sauce, cheese, milk, coffee,and, of course, ice cream.

Guests got to see firsthandhow Holstein dairy cows aremilked in a modern parlor.

lated including: Erin Gaitsch –thank you for the Scholarship,KCFB Foundation; WilliamKuipers, thank you for theGeneral Ag Scholarship, KCFBFoundation; Ellen Kamps,thank you for the gift in recog-

nition of website development;Living Well Cancer ResourceCenter, thank you for the BridgeWalk sponsorship; to JaniceHill, Kane County, in support ofUSDA grant application; to

(continued on page 7)

Dairy breakfast

Donations of $50 or more eligible for FOOD > Forward yard sign to recognize participation

Checks may be made payable to the local food pantry of your choice, Northern IllinoisFood Bank or KCFB Foundation-Harvest for ALL. Donations without a local food pantrydesignee will be donated to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Donations of $100 or moreeligible for an 18x24” aluminum Harvest for ALL field sign.

by Steve ArnoldSince its beginnings as a con-

cept, Kane County Farm Bureauhas been involved with theCounty of Kane in studying thefeasibility of locating a food hubin Kane County. The impetusfor the study came from a keyrecommendation in the 2013Kane County Health ImpactAssessment, that being, “KaneCounty should work withNorthern Illinois Food Bank(NIFB) and Kane County FarmBureau to study the feasibility oflocating a food hub.”A food hub manages the

aggregation, distribution, pro-cessing, and marketing ofsource-identified food productsprimarily from local and region-al farms and producers. Doing sohelps them to satisfy wholesale,retail, and institutional demand. Seeing potential opportunity

to expand the market for ourmember’s products, as well asoptions for bringing new andbeginning farmers into theindustry or back to the farm, theFarm Bureau provided $5,000 toassist with Phase 1 of the study.Phase 1 concentrated on MarketAssessment, evaluating the localdemand and local production ofcrops and other farm productsthat could benefit from theestablishment of a food hub. Itwas conducted by New VentureAdvisors of Chicago.Phase 2 of the study concen-

trated on health equity strategiesand was funded by grants fromthe Centers for Disease Control,the American PlanningAssociation and Kane CountyHealth Department. In a reportto the Kane County Board

Committee of the Whole onApril 22 that concluded Phase 2,the consultants recommendedthat “Kane County should workwith partners to establish an8,000-square-foot food hubwithin the county.”Work now moves on to the

third and final phase, whichincludes farmer readiness andgood agricultural practicestraining, operator identification,business planning and fundrais-ing. Based on research conduct-ed by the consultants, the foodhub could generate $3.4 millionin annual sales.While establishment of a food

hub is not yet guaranteed, theseresults move us one step clos-er to helping meet local andregional food demand withproduction from local farms.The establishment of a localfood hub has potential toopen up new opportunities forlocal farms and farmers,including business enterprisesto bring sons and daughters intoexisting farm operations. When Government at most

levels and in many places seems

to be inordinately preoccupiedwith establishing new regula-tions and generating new rev-enue, we are fortunate the herein Kane County to have a localgovernment walks the talk of itssupport for farms, farmers andagricultural land uses. The cur-rent food hub feasibility study ispart of a larger legacy of supportfor agricultural land uses thatincludes Farmland Protection,farmland drainage assistance, alocal farm and food productionordinance and establishment ofa County Board Committeedevoted to agricultural issues. The future of farming in

Kane County looks bright!

Source: Northern Illinois Food Bank’s The Full PlateOne in five children in north-

ern Illinois is at risk of hunger,and making sure these kids haveaccess to nutritious foodsthrough out the year is a commu-nity effort. When the school year ends,

so do the free and reduced-priceschool lunches that provide sus-tenance to children in need eachschool day. For these boys andgirls, summer isn’t much fun ifthey’re hungry and their parentsare struggling to stretch theirbudgets to provide as many as 10extra meals each week per child. Your support helps Northern

Illinois Food Bank fill this gapthrough the Summer MealsProgram, which provides break-fast, lunch, and snacks at morethan 11 sites across northern

Illinois. Last year, more than288,000 meals were servedthrough the program at parks,churches, schools, libraries, and other sites throughout thecommunity. To help provide hungry kids

with good this summer, TysonFoods, Inc. is teaming up with theNorthern Illinois Food Bank tosponsor a 5 Million MealsChallenge. Tyson Foods, Inc. willmatch gifts up to a total of$100,000 to ensure that kids inneed have a healthy and happysummer. This means that every $1can provide $16 worth of food. Kane County Farm Bureau

supports this program throughdonations made to the Harvestfor ALL Program. You too cancontribute by joining in the pro-gram to help feed families inneed.

Young Farmers picturedfrom left to right: CarolynGehrke, Sarah Lenkaitis,Andy Lenkaitis, Joe White,Nick Conro, Michael Long,Todd Wilcox (speaker forthe evening), WayneGehrke, Chase Borne -mann, Alex Klein, KristiVan Oost, Trent Pierson,Cody Pitstick, TysonDollinger, Heather Pierson,Joe Gorenz, and DalePitstick.

Kane CountyFAIR

July 20-24Summer fun for everyone!

JULY 2016 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

Beef store is now open! By appointment only

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

815.895.4691Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park Sample Packs make great gifts!

Grandstand Schedule of Events Wednesday Closed Thursday, 6 pm Charro Rodeo Friday, 7:30 pm Championship Bull Riding Saturday, 2 pm & 7 pm Championship Bull Riding Sunday, 2pm & 7pm Smash Em Bash Em Demolition Derby

New Harvest for ALLsigns are sprouting upin farmer’s fieldsHarvest for ALL has a new

look and can be seen on displayon rural roads in Kane County.Harvest for ALL signs recognizefarmers who have donated a por-tion of their crops or cash tolocal food pantries of thedonor’s choosing. These new signs were

designed so that they will notfade. Kane County Farm Bureauhopes that farmers will be proudto display their signs to try andhelp spread the word on how to

provide hunger relief in KaneCounty.Harvest for ALL is a Kane

County Farm Bureau FOUN-DATION community serviceprogram, and provides anavenue to contribute to localhunger relief efforts.Harvest for ALL encourages

local farmers, Farm Bureaumembers, and consumers to sup-port hunger relief efforts. Notonly farmers can benefit localfood pantries, you can too...

Here’s How• Make a taxdeductible mone-tary donation to theKane County FarmBureau addressed toHarvest for ALL.• Volunteer yourtime or communitygroup to help out inlocal food pantries.

Young Farmers meet for summer BBQThe Young Farmers Annual

BBQ took place on June 6th atthe home of John and LaurenBiddle in Elburn Illinois. Therethe young farmers enjoyed apot-luck style dinner with porkchops as the main dish.Chairman Heather Piersoncalled the meeting to orderaround 6:30pm. The first topicof discussion was the CountyExchange taking place August5-6 in McHenry County. Thisevent is a way for all of the

young farmer groups fromDistrict one to meet in oneplace. New Harvest for ALLsigns were also on the agendafor discussion. The new signswill be smaller and have aslightly updated design. Discussion then led to an

update on the Food Hub andFeasibility grant, followed byinformation on the District 1&2Discussion Meet and Agri-quizBowl. This year’s discussionmeets is going to be held on July

28th at Winnebago FarmBureau. The Discussion meet isa chance for young farmers topartake in an active discussionwith other competitors on pre-decided topics which are relatedto the agriculture industry. TheAgri-quiz Bowl is being held onAugust 16th at the Illinois StateFair. The Agri-quiz Bowl is ateam event where the YoungFarmers from across the statecan test their knowledge on var-ious facets of the agricultural

The Kane County Farm Bureau Young Farmers gath-ered recently for their annual Summer BBQ. John andLauren Biddle hosted the gathering at their farm home-stead in Elburn. Summer event plans were finalizedand new committee members had a chance to learnwhat Young Farmers is all about – community service,education, and leadership building opportunities.

Todd Wilcox of COUNTRY Financial spokeabout retirement planning, and gave anoverview of various retirement options.Other discussion topics consisted of theDistrict 1&2 Discussion meet, the Agri-QuizBowl, the IFB Farm Income and InnovationsConference, and county fair activities.

5 Million Meals Challenge

industry. The last few things onthe agenda were the youngfarmers’ participation in KaneCounty Farm Bureau’s closestapproaching events; The DairyBreakfast and the Kane countyfair. It was decided that theYoung Farmers would onceagain volunteer their time atboth of these events.

After the meeting, the groupenjoyed their meal while listen-ing to Todd Wilcox, a localCOUNTRY Financial represen-tative. Todd spoke to the groupabout the different options forretirement planning and gave anoverview of various retirementoptions, for both employed andself-employed persons.

Food Hub moves forward

Matt Tansley presents duringJune’s Kane County Board meet-ing on the Food Hub Feasibilitystudy.

Summer is here with all thespecial outdoor activities to

share with family and friends. Itis a season of relaxed schedules,enough daylight hours to enjoythe outdoors after work, and ourlong awaited vacations. We are lucky enough to live

in the Fox River valley withaccess not only to the river for afloat down it, but also the bikepaths, forest preserves, park dis-tricts and quaint towns withriver walks.When I grew up, I was not

allowed to go into “that dirtyriver.” We would go to theisland by Elgin to see the ducks,but no getting in the water.Thinking about those happytimes with my Dad, I don’trecall seeing any birds otherthan mallard ducks. Then came the cleaning up if

the Fox, thanks to some vision-aries that realized dumping ofwaste from factories and suchwas polluting our river (imaginethat). These folks were the pred-ecessors to the Friends of the

Fox, who are dedicated to keep-ing this resource clean today. What a difference those peo-

ple made to our river ... todaywe see walker, runners, fisher-men, boaters, bikers and, yes,birdwatchers along the River.No longer are we limited to

mallard ducks, but we can nowfind egrets, great blue herons,canada geese, various duckspecies and even bald eagles, toname a few. What a sight to see... a bald eagle soaring above thewater.So, if you, like me, enjoy all

the wonders and beauty of ourriver, you will also try to keep itclean. One way to accomplishthis, as mentioned on Friends ofthe Fox website, is to keepstorm drains clean. Anythingthat goes down these grates inthe street does not get treated; itjust goes into the river. So besure you don’t throw things likecigarette butts, gum, oil, or such

in them. Even keeping leavesout of them helps, as they tendto clog up the drain and causetannin build up in the river.The Mighty Fox has come a

long way from the dirty, pollut-ed Fox I grew up by; we can alltake part in keeping it that way. If you need a respite from the

heat, our local park districts andforest preserves have naturecenters, butterfly houses, muse-ums, and much more with lotsof activities for the family. Youcan get a Passport at many of

these places that list availableresources. The neat thing aboutthis passport is that when youvisit, you get that pagestamped...such fun. It alsoserves as a list of places to visit. This summer I’ve been

banned from my kayak till myshoulder heals, but that doesn’tstop me from enjoying the natu-ral beauty of our Fox RiverValley. Maybe I’ll see you outthere also taking advantage ofsome the activities our area ofKane County possesses.

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER JULY 2016

AG LITERACY CORNER

By Suzi Myers

Book of the monthThis is a simple, colorful

book of fruits and vegetables forchildren to explore on their ownor with an adult. Each word isprinted in all upper case lettersand then again in lower. Theillustrations are bold and color-ful watercolors, typical of LoisEhlert.As I was reading through the

book, I came across a few foodsI wasn’t familiar with, so I wrotethem down to research. Well, theauthor must have realized therewould be questions, because onthe last pages, there is a glossaryof all the foods in the book. Iused said glossary to find outthat xigua is a Chinese word forwatermelon and that these seedare dried and eaten like pumpkinor sunflower seeds.

Thanks to a request years agoby Bob Konen and Dean Dunnthat Kane County Farm Bureaustart a library of agriculturallythemed books for public use, wehave an ever growing selectionof titles. Feel free to come in tobrowse in our library and tocheck out books of interest.

Eating the Alphabet Fruits andVegetables from A to Z

by Lois Ehlert

Purchase Discounted Raging Waves TicketsCelebrate summer break witha visit to our state’s largestwaterpark, Raging Waves inYorkville. Stop into the KaneCounty Farm Bureau to pur-chase individual discountedtickets for just $20. Hurry in,as tickets will be going fast.

Kane County Farm Bureau ispleased to welcome SusieThompson of Maple Park as the2016 summer intern. Susie isthe KCFB Foundation ChuckSwanson Memorial Scholarshipwinner for 2016.After graduating from

Burlington-Central High Schooland attending Joliet JuniorCollege for one year, Susieserved as the 2015-16 StateSecretary for the IllinoisAssociation FFA. She was alsovery active in FFA during highschool, serving as president,vice president, and secretary forSection 6, and as president andsecretary for Burlington-CentralFFA. Susie received numerousawards within FFA, includingTop 10 Illinois FFA SectionPresident, the American FFADegree, Outstanding SeniorFFA member, Most Active FFAmember, and the State FFADegree.Susie was also active in 4-H,

the Joliet Junior CollegeStudent Agriculture AssociationMember, and CHS StudentCouncil.

After her internship is com-pleted, Susie will attend IllinoisState University to obtain adegree in AgricultureEducation. Her goal is to edu-cate her future students on theimportance of agriculture, andexpose them to the wide rangeof careers within the agricultur-al field.Kane County Farm Bureau

FOUNDATION offers intern-ships to qualifying college appli-cants during winter, spring, andsummer breaks. Over the past 25years, the Foundation has pro-vided more than $400,000 inscholarships and internships toarea students studying for acareer in agriculture.

Former FFA StateSecretary is KCFB intern

Susie Thompson of Maple Park isKCFB’s 2016 summer intern.

Trees Forever and its Illinoisaffiliate, the Illinois BufferPartnership, support pollinatorsby planting buffers of nativetrees and shrubs. That supportgrows through a PollinatorHabitat Grant program.Debbie Fluegel, Trees

Forever Illinois field coordina-tor, recently described the grantsand native species’ importanceduring an Illinois Agriculture inthe Classroom county literacycoordinator workshop.Until Sept. 30, Trees Forever

is accepting applications frompublic and private landowners forpollinator habitat grants of up to$1,000 each. Applicants face nominimum size requirement forprospective habitats. Fluegel sug-gested the program’s lack ofacreage requirement makes itideal for schools and churches.Grant recipients are required

to plant native flowering tree,shrub and plant species. Ofthose native species, at leastthree must fall in each of thefollowing categories: early,mid-season and late bloomers,Fluegel explained.“The goal is to have some-

thing blooming from April

through October,” Fluegel said.In addition to providing

funding, Trees Forever can helprecipients locate a seed sourceor nursery that sells eligiblenative species. The organizationalso provides recipients a signfor habitats signifying the areaprotects pollinators even in thewinter.Pollinator habitat plants

overwinter to provide shelter.“Native bees use hollow stemsas cover,” Fluegel noted.Grant recipients will be noti-

fied by Nov. 1. For informationor an application, visit treesforever.org/PollinatorHabitatCons. White flowers and pollinator

habitat seem synonymous,Fluegel said native trees.Including white oaks, willows,linden and hickory, supporthundreds of native pollinatorspecies, which include bees,moths, flies, and beetles.Several hundred pollinatorspecies depend on white oaktrees, according to Fluegel.“Native Beneficial insects areattracted to native plants” shesaid. “Pollinators need shelteras well as food.”

Trees Forever offersPollinator Habitat Grants

Step 1: Choose fruits, vegeta-bles, flavorings, sweeteners, andgarnishes. The lists below areideas – don’t limit yourself.

Fruit: Apple, apricot, banana,blackberry, blueberry, cherry,cranberry, grapefruit, grape,kiwi, lemon, nectarine, orange,peach, pear, persimmon, pineap-ple, plum, pumpkin, raspberry,rhubarb, strawberry, tomato,watermelon.

Vegetable: carrot, beet,spinach, carrots, sweet potato.

Cook root vegetables to softenbefore using them.

Flavorings and Sweeteners:fruit juice, honey, maple syrup,brown sugar, jams/jellies, vanilla,almond extract, cinnamon, nut-meg, ginger, yogurt, lemon juice(helps prevent apple fruit leatherfrom turning dark). Be sure tonot use too much of a liquidingredient, or the mixture will bevery thin and take much longerto dry. If using yogurt, store theleather in the refrigerator.

Garnishes: chopped nuts,coconut, chia seeds, choppeddried fruit.

Step 2: wash, core, and peelfruits and/or vegetables. Peel canstay on fruits like apples andpears. Cut into smaller pieces tofit into blender.

Step 3: Combine ingredientsexcept garnishes in blender andblend until smooth.

Step 4: If you have a fooddehydrator, spread the mixtureevenly to about 1/8 inch. Make

the outer edges a little thicker, asthey will dry faster. Make sure touse parchment paper or the fruitleather inserts that came with thedehydrator – do not use waxedpaper! Dehydrate according todehydrator instructions.

Step 5: If using an oven, pre-heat the oven to 170°F. Line abaking sheet with microwavesafe plastic wrap or parchmentpaper. Spread the mixture evenlybetween 1/8 and 1/4 inch.Ensure that the edges of theplastic wrap or parchment paperdo not fold over onto the mix-ture. Place in oven and checkafter 3 hours. Depending on themixture, it can take up to 8 hoursor longer.

Step 6: Peel leather from theplastic wrap/parchment paper.Roll, wrap in plastic wrap, andstore inthe refrig-erator in as e a l e dcontainer.

JULY 2016 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Compiled by Suzi Myers

Illinois ...

What’s in season?

Crop availability and harvest times vary from

year-to-year, as well

as season-to-season. Here is a list of the fruits and veggies that canbe found in season during the sum

mer right here in Illinois.

V T G O D F S B E A S E C U T T E L H M

R N X J U B P U L J E D J C B K S S U Z

S E V E N K I Q B R I Y V A D M I L K V

J E W D S L N F A H R T J B X D P J U M

N S I O Q A A Q T U R A C A A U M D V S

E O G R L S C O E B E P M R H C A E P B

G A L R R F H P G A B O R E P P E P L O

G Z P E A E I E E R E T P L D N Z A T U

P O Z P M P B L V B U A B W O M C A T H

L Q A Y L R E P U X L T R I N K M C B O

A K O L J E E S S A B O N S B O T E R C

N N J O X W C T G A C O P E T U A Z O T

T V H U X Y M Y A M R M R I R N A K L P

E L I F W Z V R W W C R C N M X T X U B

I L O C C O R B J D I A I I V Y Y L W Y

B Y J F Y Y N Z F E O P R P O C E F X Z

F H F S R O J B S S D L W R Z E B H J I

Y X V I L U D W V G X F T M O I B K I R

J P S E Q I I L C D D I R Y P T S T F F

Q S M L S Y Q T M L K R D E I Q O K G I

APPLEBEANBLACKBERRIESBLUEBERRIESBROCCOLICARROTCAULIFLOWEREGGPLANTFRUITGRAPESLETTUCEMELONONIONPEACHPEPPERPLUMPOTATORADISHRASPBERRIESRHUBARBSPINACHTOMATOTURNIPVEGETABLEWATERMELON

Name _______________________________________________________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________________________

City______________________________________________ State ______ Zip_____________________Return to: Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St Charles, IL 60174 by July 15, 2016

to be entered in our drawing to win a market basket with vegetable-related items.

CongratulationsVanessa Baron. Vanessa’sname was chosen from theentries received for correctlycompleting last month’s“Dairy” word search. For herparticipation, she received adairy cow jar set complimentsof Kane County Farm Bureau.Thank you, Vanessa, for read-ing the Kane County Farmerand continue to watch eachmonth for a chance to win aprize!

Fruits & Vegetables

• Arrive at the market when itopens to find the best selec-tion and freshest produce.

• Bring your own canvas shop-ping bag or basket fromhome.

• Buy something you haven’ttried before. The Farmers’Market is the perfect place tolearn about new foods.Vendors will be happy toadvise you on how to selectand prepare it.

• Put a cooler in your car tokeep food items cool on thetrip home.

• Make sure to ask vendorsquestions when you see unfa-miliar produce. Vendors andfarmers love to share theirknowledge and can even giveyou recipes and cooking tips.

• Wear walking shoes and dressappropriately for the weather.

• Go with an open mind – don’tmake a plan until after you see

what’s there.• If you can, write down what’s

available. Then, think aboutwhat you can do with the pro-duce once you are home. Afteryou have a plan or recipe,return to the market and makeyour purchases.

Farmer’s Market shopping tips

It is true that Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn, and swine, but Illinois produces alarge variety of other crops as well. Illinois’ fertile soil also allows farmers toproduce a number of fruits and vegetables. Some of the top fruit and vegetablecrops in Illinois are apples, peaches, sweet corn, snap beans, and pumpkins.In fact, Illinois is the leading state in pumpkin production, growing twice asmany in the year 2012 than California, the second ranked state. A record16,200 acres of pumpkins were farmed in out great state in the year 2012.

Our state outranks all others in pumpkin production for several reasons.Pumpkins grow very well in the particular climate that Illinois has, as well asthe specific soil type that most of our state has.

Fruit or vegetable -- do you know the difference?Did you know that many of

the foods we refer to as vegeta-bles are actually fruits?

By botanical definition, a fruitis the seed-bearing structure thatdevelops from the ovary of aflowering plant. Vegetables areall other plant parts withoutseeds, including roots, leaves,and stems. When deciphering

between a fruit and a vegetable,the first question to ask is if theitem has seeds. If yes, it isbotanically a fruit.

There are many more fruitsthat are mistaken as vegetablesthan there are vegetables mistak-en as fruit. The vegetable that ismost commonly mistaken for afruit is rhubarb.

Here is a list of “vegetables”that are actually fruits:

Avocado • BeansCorn Kernels • Cucumbers

Grains • NutsOlives • Peapods • Peppers

Pumpkins • SquashSunflower Seeds • Tomatoes

Zucchini

Making fruit or vegetable leather

NationalIce Cream MonthBlueberry Month

Third Sunday in July –Ice Cream Day

July 3 – Eat Beans DayJuly 4 – Caesar Salad Day

July 7– Strawberry Sundae DayJuly 12 – Pecan Pie DayJuly 25 – Hot Fudge

Sundae Day

July is:

The 16th Annual John BuckMemorial Golf Outing will beheld on Wednesday, July 6 atCrystal Woods Golf Club inWoodstock. All proceeds benefit the John

Buck Scholarship fund, which isdistributed to the Kane CountyFarm Bureau FOUNDATION,as well as scholarship programsof the Midwest Golf CourseSuperintendents Association andthe Northwest Golf CourseSuperintendents Association.

The KCFB FOUNDATIONJohn Buck MemorialScholarship, funded through thegolf outing, is awarded annuallyto student(s) seeking highereducation in agriculture related

fields. For 2016, LukeDunteman of Elburn was award-ed the $1000 John BuckMemorial Scholarship adminis-tered by the KCFB Foundation.Past recipients include:

Ihope you are having a won-derful summer!For your outdoor cooking

this summer, when you mari-nate meat and vegetables,always put a teaspoon or so ofhoney or corn syrup in the mari-nade. While the marinade soaksinto the food, the honey helpssome of the marinade to “stick”on the outside of the items foradditional flavor.

Here are some facts abouthoney:• If honey crystalizes, just heatit a little until the honey isliquid again.

• To tell if you are buying purehoney with no additives, turnthe jar upside-down. Thereshould be only one large bub-ble moving to the top.

• Did you know that purehoney never spoils?

According to NationalGeographic, honey has beenfound in Egyptian pyramidsthat is “still perfectly edible.”They have an interesting arti-cle at http://www.nationalgeographic.com.au/history/honey-in-the-pyramids.aspxHave a Happy Fourth! Here

is an easy recipe for young children to make for July 4thparties. Red, White, and Blue Dessert1 pkg. blue-colored gelatinWhipped topping (This can bereal whipped cream, orthawed frozen-type, or pre-pared package-type)

Strawberries, cleaned andhulled (Slice, if desired.)Make the gelatin according

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER JULY 2016

“Helping to keep America Picked up for 45 years”

Zimmerman Recycling, Inc.

301 Industrial Drive, DeKalb

(815) 756.8600

FOR SALE

Alfalfa grass hay – large 3x3x8and 3x4x8 bales – 1st, 2nd, and3rd cuttings. Nutrient contentavailable upon request. Call:847-436-2538

Portable Hutchinson Drive OverGrain Pit, 4 years old, $8,500.Call: 847 436 2538

SERVICES

Jim Verhaeghe & Sons, Inc. –Tree removal, tree trimming, &stump grinding. Backhoe work &Tile Lines. Fully insured – FreeEstimates – Jim Verhaeghe Sr.Call: 847 334 5730

Farm site demolition & clean up.New horse barns with under-ground utilities and earthwork.Drainage tiles, pasture mowing,spraying, new seeding, interseeding & fence installation. Wefollow SIU Plant & Soil SciencePractices. 10% discount for FarmBureau members, 5% if you men-tion this add! Berning EarthworkInc., Tom Berning 630-330-9970,BerningEarthWorks@comcast.net; Galusha Farms: SteveBerning, 630-878-6350, steve@GalushaFarm.com. Call: 630-330-9970

Tree Pruning & Removal inNorth/Central Kane & DupageCounties – www.ArborJoe.com –ISA Certifed Arborist Joe. Call:224 789 8773

WANTED

Will pick up for free unwanted orold snowmobiles. Weed mow-ing,Bobcat work, deliveries ofblack dirt/topsoil, sand, lime-stone, gravel,or anything elseyou need hauled in or out,sodand seeding, call Jon @ J.P.Rippinger: 630-254-9446

Want to buy vintage & used toolsCall Chris, 630 550 7182

CLASSIFIED AD RATESClassified advertising rates: 20cents per word/$20 minimum (60words or less). DISCOUNTS formembers: Associate members,20%; Voting members, 30%; PLUSmembers, 40%. Advance paymentrequested. Ads due by the 15th ofevery month for the next issue. Noadvertising (classified or display)for financial or insurance serviceswill be accepted. Call 630-584-8660.

CLASSIFIED ADS

Master Gardenersannounce Idea Gardenopen house scheduleThe popular Kane County

Master Gardener Idea Gardenwill kick off the summer with anopen house event on Tuesday,June 21 from 9 to 11 a.m.“The 2016 Idea Garden fea-

tures unique combinations offlowers, natives, herbs and veg-etables in several creativedesigns that are easy to replicateat home,” said Sarah Fellerer,Program Coordinator forUniversity of Illinois Extension.“Our Idea Garden has beenmoved to higher ground, butstill resides at the HorticultureResearch Farm on Peck Roadand Route 38. The MasterGardeners broke ground on theupdated plots this spring, andare excited to have visitors seetheir progress.”Among the ideas demon-

strated this year are a vintagevictory garden, pollinator plots,pallet gardening, tomatoesgrown from second generationseeds from space, a patrioticgarden, a color inspirationspace, and a shrub plot. The

Idea Garden houses severalvarieties of tomatoes, peppers,pumpkins, and herbs, as well asnew additions of kiwis andelderberry bushes.Open houses also will be host-

ed from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays,July 12 and August 16. All openhouses include tag sales. TheKane County Master GardenerIdea Garden is located at the cor-ner of Peck Road and Route 38 inSt Charles. Visitors can enter viathe Route 38 driveway. Do you have questions about

your garden, lawn, or trees?Call the University of IllinoisExtension Master GardenerHelp Desk of Kane County at630-584-6166, Monday throughFriday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information on

University of Illinois Extensionprograms, visit web.extension.illinois.edu/dkk/. University ofIllinois Extension provides edu-cational programs and research-based information to helpIllinois residents improve theirquality of life.

Did you know that you canrenew your Kane County FarmBureau membership, view pay-ment history, print a lost mem-bership card, and updateaccount information includingaddress, spouse/depen dents,phone online through our web-site? To do this, simply visit ourwebsite www.kanecfb.com.Click on the Renew Your

Membership link. You will beasked to register using yourKane County Farm Bureaumembership number and createa website username and pass-word. The ability to check yourmembership information any-time online can help preventunwanted membership late fees,and avoid loss of COUNTRYinsurance coverage.

Items sought for county fair‘bucket raffle’ and silent auctionThe Kane County Farm

Bureau Foundation holds anannual ‘FUN’draiser at theCounty fair each year in theform of a bucket raffle andsilent auction. The Kane CountyFair is one of the most widelyattended events in the area,drawing over 100,000 peopleeach year. KCFB Foundation is now

seeking donations of items frombusinesses and individuals allacross Kane County that fair-goers can try to win in the bucketraffle. Bucket Raffles are a sim-ple concept – fairgoers purchase$1.00 tickets and place them inthe bucket of the prize(s) theyhope to win (antiques, gifts, mer-chandise, crafts, etc.). The namesof donors are displayed at the fairfor all to see. Higher value itemsare set aside for a 5 day Silent

Auction at the fair. In addition tothe raffle and silent auction, theKCFB display includes farm ani-mals, agricultural displays andfun activities for kids and adults.All proceeds raised by the

bucket raffle and silent auctiongo towards KCFB Foundation’sto the FOOD > Forward effortto increase local scholarshipsand Ag-in-the-Classroom activi-ties. By donating an item tobusinesses and individuals canreceive FOOD > Forward yardsigns and/or window clings toshow the community their sup-port of local agricultural educa-tion efforts. For 2016, theFoundation awarded over$16,000 in scholarships for col-lege students pursuing careersin agriculture. If you are interested in pro-

viding support for this year’s

bucket raffle and silent auction,or you know of a business orindividual that might have aninterest in donating, please con-tact the KCFB office at (630)584-8660 or feel free to stop byour office with your item(s)!

Women’s CornerBy Louise Johnson

Women’s Committee Chair

What’s newin theCOUNTRYagencies?SAurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency ManagerRyan Mizgate, Financial

Representative with the AuroraAgency, is our FinancialRepresentative of the Month forAugust, 2015. Ryan began hiscareer with COUNTRYFinancial in June of 2014 andservices clients out of his officelocated at 1161 Oak Street,North Aurora, 60542 – (630)907-9485.Ryan’s professionalism,

community involvement andvast knowledge of auto, home,life, commercial and financialproducts make him a great per-son to do business with.Congratulations, Ryan!

Raise scholarship funds at theJohn Buck Memorial Golf Outing

2015 Katie Arndt, Brenton Bartelt,Erik Dunteman, Bridget Halat

2014 Erik Dunteman, TravisHughes, Jonathan Mingl

2013 Brenton Bartelt2012 Tyler Fabrizius2011 Matthew Paulsen2010 Drake Hislop

2009 Chris Paulsen2008 Thomas Alan Warhurst2007 Katie Stoll2006 Dan Hartmann2005 Kirk Meyer2004 Shannon Smith2003 Catherine McDonald2002 Stephanie Stout

to package directions. Put it in aclear bowl or individual clearglasses (regular or stemmed) ofyour desired size. On the day ofthe party, after the gelatin has

“set,” spoon whipped toppingover the gelatin. Then put straw-berries on the top. Yummy,quick, easy, and ready forFourth of July parties!

This Tractor Planter was donatedfor the 2016 Silent Auction andBucket Raffle by Farm Bureaumember Dave Klussendorf ofBatavia. Generous donations ofcraft and specialty items catch theeyes of fair attendees and encour-age foundation donations in theform of raffle tickets.

Dennis McLeod, raffle prizewinner, for enclosing a checkfor $1,718.75.Lastly, directors addressed

the election of directors andofficers. Joe White, Wayne

Schneider and Mike Kenyonwill serve on the executive com-mittee as president, vice-presi-dent and secretary/treasurerrespectively.The meeting was adjourned

at 9:50pm. The next regularlyscheduled meeting will be heldThursday, July 7 at 7:30 pm.

JULY 2016 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

A guide to grocerystore labels

By Kristi Van Oost

Kane County Farm Bureau members receive 10% discount on all service work.

Do you ever stand in the eggsection of your local grocery

store and have an internal conver-sation with yourself about whattype of eggs you should pur-chase? Today, our food productsare branded with more labels thanyou can imagine, from cage-freeeggs, to grass fed beef, it can geta little confusing and hard to fol-low. Here is a simple run-downon some of the common labelsseen on food products today. Certified Angus BeefThis type of label is common-

ly seen on beef products, asAngus beef is known for itsquality and marbling content.While this label is not govern-ment-sanctioned, the USDAworked closely with the Ameri -can Angus Association to form aconcrete definition of certifiedAngus beef. In order to be con-sidered certified Angus, the ani-mal must have 50% of Angusbreed genetics or a hide that is atleast 51% black. Only choicepremium or a higher cut of beefcan be labeled certified Angus. Cage Free This label can be seen on both

chicken meat and eggs. It means

that the birds were not raised incages, and were free to walkaround as they pleased. This labelcertification, however, is notrelated to the location the birdsare raised. The common beliefabout cage free eggs is that thebirds were raised outside, in an“old McDonald”-like farm scene,but that is not really the case. Themost common practice for raisingcage free birds is done using anindoor aviary in which the birdsare allowed roam freely withinthe structure. Hormone-Free/No AddedHormonesThis label has been recently

growing in popularity, and is per-haps one of the most confusinglabels around. Hormones are nat-urally occurring in animals andare required for proper growth, sothe term “hormone-free” isn’texactly true. This label is referringto hormones added to products inaddition to naturally occurringhormones in the animals.Government regulations prohibitthe use of hormones in pork andchicken production; however thislabel is often seen on chicken andpork products anyway.

Farming from afar takes strong teamworkBy Andy Lenkaitis

Traveling across an oceangives one plenty of time to reflect,plan and look forward to whenthey’re back home. I’m fortunateto have a career where I get totravel the globe working withdairy farms and more specifically,manure systems. I never realizedthat poop would take me to sixcontinents and provide me withreasons to follow globaleconomies, politics and even popculture. Don’t worry, sometimes Iget to take the wife with me whenI travel to somewhat make up forthe times I’m away. When I’m notgallivanting around at my “bigboy” job, I spend evenings, week-ends and even a few afternoons(don’t tell my manager) workingwith cows, wrenching on equip-ment or working the fields whilemanaging my family’s 40 cowregistered Red and WhiteHolstein dairy farm.The most important reason I

am able to travel is because of thepeople and support at the homefarm. My wife is on the farm fulltime and handles relief milking,meetings with service providers(veterinarian, nutritionists, etc.),all the daily tasks of breedingdecisions, supply ordering, regis-trations and animal health deci-sions (she occasionally does laun-dry and makes dinner when I’mhome). In addition, our full timeHerdsman/Dairy Manager takescare of daily chores, milking andfeeding a vast majority of the time.Oftentimes the most difficult partis getting updated on daily eventsand having to bite my tongueinstead of asking “Why didn’t youdo this, or did you think aboutthis?” It was a learning curve torealize I couldn’t do everythingmyself or have it done exactly howI wanted, I now know I need toempower people and work withthe decisions and actions that weretaken. If I don’t agree, I need toaddress it in person when I amback home. I’m thankful my wifeand I are good at discussing thingsand generally speaking, we are onthe same page.The second portion about

traveling and farming is beingprepared for anything and every-thing. Driving to Sioux Center,Iowa or flying to Europe pro-

vides plenty of opportunity todevelop plans for anything. Asanyone that has livestock knows;anything is possible and I meananything...equipment breakingdown as you’re boarding a plane,animals getting into places theyshouldn’t be and of course, occa-sional human errors. Having aback-up to critical pieces ofequipment or processes is half ofthe battle, the other half is com-municating the plan with theright people. I’m fortunate I canthink ahead and plan, but I ammore fortunate for the resourcesand friends to properly addressmany situations. I have a groupof good friends who each pos-sess special skills for cow orequipment related situations.Whether I need a back hoe, atruck backs through a building ora few cows decide to fall into 10’deep pit, I know I have people Ican call.Finally, people ask if I’m

crazy for doing what I do. I can’tsay no, after all, manure hastaken me to the Taj Mahal inIndia, Ephesus in Turkey andbeing the only non-French speak-er playing on a hockey team inQuebec. Having a career workingwith large professional farmsacross the globe has given me aunique insight on technology,trends and importance of whatour family dairy does in Illinois.At the same time, having faced

similar challenges of operating adairy – even on a smaller scale,illustrates the challengers a man-ager faces that are far from equip-ment related. I apply the sameprinciples at work and at home ofservice and maintenance, redun-dancy for when something goesdown as well as planning forgrowth and expansion. Theunique background of being afarm kid from the States with afew engineering degrees andhands on experience gives meimmediate credibility with cus-tomers of any size in almost anypart of the world (note – you haveto be at least 50 miles from hometo be an expert, otherwise yourjust the nerdy kid that showedcows at the county fair). I’ve learned to utilize technol-

ogy to keep in touch and monitorthe operation when I can’t bethere in person. I live by my dailyweather reports, weekly cropscouting reports and updatesfrom my wife on what’s happen-ing. I have become a much betterplanner and I’ve found people aregenerally very willing to help ifyou give them a little advancednotice and have a developed plan.We put lists together of smallprojects and timelines that needto be worked on and I try todivide up the workload to differ-ent skillsets among my wife, ourherdsman and my parents. I domy best to get necessary suppliestogether and communicate plansahead of time so everyone has thesame expectations.Overall, I wouldn’t trade what

I do for anything. The excitementof seeing a system you’vedesigned work well or helpingclose a large equipment sale is thesame high as seeing a homebredcow scored excellent during clas-sification or putting the last loadof manure on the field as youempty the lagoon. My Dad hasworked in downtown Chicago forover 40 years and I never under-stood how he did it, but now Iknow why he and mom workedso hard to make it work. I’ve beenemployed for almost 9 years andhave been running the farm for

11/2 years and I don’t plan on quit-ting either one in the foreseeablefuture. It’s difficult to think ofanything more challenging thanfarming, especially dairy farmingfrom a distance but it’s been one

of the most rewarding experi-ences I have done. As long as thewife allows it, I’ll be the guy onthe plane looking at barn plans orreading a copy of the HaymakersHandbook from the aisle seat.

A n d yLenkaitis ofSt. Charles isthe immedi-ate pastchair of theKane CountyFarm BureauY o u n gFarmers andserves as the IFB Young leader’srepresentative from District 1(Kane, DeKalb, Lake, & McHenryCounties). Reprinted fromFarmWeek.

Board meeting(continued from page 2)

The KCFB FOUNDATION offers its sincere appreciation to the fol-lowing for their contributions in response to our April scholarshipfundraising appeal. These donations will allow the Foundation to pro-vide funding to more students wishingto pursue higher education for careersin agriculture. As part of our direct-mail fundraising pilot program, a sec-ond appeal for resources to improveclassroom education about food andfarming will follow in the fall. Wehope you can continue to give generously. Names shown are pledgesreceived from May 16 through June 16, and not previously recognized;Our FOUNDATION is dedicated to providing agriculture based

education for the next generation, and to meeting the challenge ofproviding food for a hungry planet. We look forward to continuingsupport for these scholarships, along with local classrooms andteachers, leadership training, and community youth educationthrough grants to local FFA Chapters and 4-H.

Several KCFB members renewed theirHarvest for ALL hunger relief pledges tothe local food pantry of their choice.Summer is a great time to help your local

food pantry, because families need to provide food in the absence ofschool lunch programs. See the form on page 2, visit www.kanecfb.com to download a participation form or call 630-584-8660.Donor BeneficiaryLouise D. Johnson Northern Illinois Food BankDennis & Beth Engel Burlington/Hampshire Food Pantry

SPROUTS is an in-classroom reading pro-gram with agriculture themed book donationsto public and school libraries, established inmemory of long time member and volunteerBob Konen.

Donor Nancy Bowron • Alyce Konen

Thanks to our donors ...

DonorJoan BasileDavid & Katharine CameronIan NelsonH. David & Lynette WerdinWilliam Keck

Kane CountyFAIRJuly 20-24

Vis the Farm Bureau at the

— Farm Zoo —Wed.-Sat. – noon-8 pm

Sun. – noon-5 pmKids can see and learn

about farm animals

See you there!

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER JULY 2016

Order FreshPeaches

The Kane County Farm Bureau is nowtaking orders for juicy, homegrownPeaches fresh from RendlemanOrchards, a southern Illinois grower.

These delicious peaches are washed, hydrocooled, graded to U.S.#1 Extra, 21/2 inches and up in size, and packaged in a 25 pound waxcoated fancy box with a lid. They are delivered to our office onRandall Road the morning of pickup in a refrigerated truck for fresh-ness and long lasting quality.

The grower recommends the peaches, which are available in themonth of August, for their sweetness and juicy flavor. The peachesare freestones (easily comes off the pit). If you like to make peach pieor cobbler, or you like to can or freeze peaches, now is the time totake advantage of this once a year offer.

Peaches are highly perishable. They are shipped when they are alittle green so that when they arrive they are not bruised with juicerunning out of the box. The grower recommends that the peaches berefrigerated immediately when you get them unless you are planningto can or freeze them within the next day. Then when you want to usethem, you can take out however many you think you will use in thenext day, let them sit out in a paper sack overnight, and they shouldbe ripe and ready to eat or cook with. Peaches should not be out ofthe refrigerator for more than 24 hours. If they are left out too long,they are very susceptible to mold.

The price for a 25 pound box is $32 (non-member) $30 (member)and $29 (Plus member). PAYMENT IS DUE WITH ORDER. You canorder by filling out the form and sending it in with your check, or callthe Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660 and pay with a Visa, MasterCardor Discover. Pickup will be on Thursday, August 25 from 2-6 p.m. atthe Farm Bureau office, west side of the building.

Quantity:

___________ boxes @ $30.00 Member; $29 Plus Member; $32 Non-member (per 25 lb. box)

Amount Enclosed: $ _____________________________________

Name: ________________________________________________

Telephone Number: ______________________________________

Member Number: _______________________________________Mail to: Kane County Farm Bureau,

2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174 or call 630-584-8660DEADLINE FOR ORDERING IS 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 16

Pickup is at the Farm Bureau on Thursday, August 25 from 2-6 p.m.

Farm Facts & Fun Scavenger HuntWed.–Sun. • 1-3 pm & 5-7 pm

Search the fairgrounds for farm animalstamp locations & answer farm-relatedquestions to complete the “Farm Facts& Fun Scavenger Hunt”! Brave adventurers 10 & under who complete

the challenge can return to the FarmBureau booth for a FREE ice cream cone!

Pick up an entry form at the Farm Bureau displayat the fair (Age categories: 5 and under, 6-8and 9-10).

Commodity Carnival (Sponsored by National 4H Council and CME) Thursday, July 21st and Friday, July 22nd from 12-5pm Kids fill a plastic egg with marbles representing the inputs needed to raise theirown pig. Drop the egg into a giant “plinko board” to see how market forces affectyour investment and see what your profit will be. Prizes include stress ball pigs. Aninteractive game brought to you by the 4-H Council and CME Group.

Country Store Wed. – Sat. Noon – 8 pm • Sunday Noon – 4pmChoose from agricultural themed items that can include farm toys, children’sbooks, farm- themed crafts, Farm Bureau & John Deere logo wear and hats, ag-themed coloring books & more.

Ag in the Classroom activitiesThursday, July 21 from 2-4 p.m. Kids enjoy a FREE, hands-on agri-learning experience brought to you by the KCFB Women’s Committee and KCFB Ag in the Classroom.

Raffles & Silent AuctionThe KCFB Foundation will be conducting our annual Bucket Raffle & Silent Auctionfeaturing a variety of prizes for a price of only $1 per ticket – and great odds ofwinning! All proceeds help advance agricultural education for students of all agesin Kane County.

Daily drawings for Farm Bureau pork chops, chicken breasts, and hamburgers.Enter a KCFB members-only raffle to win a BBQ gas grill.

————— Meet the mascots from 1-3pm! —————Dusty, the Chicago Steel Hockey Mascot, will be making an appearance on the21st and 22nd and Scoopie, the Culvers mascot, will appear the 23rd and 24th.

Proceeds from all Country Store sales and Raffles benefit Kane County Farm BureauFoundation’s agricultural scholarships and Ag-in-the-Classroom programs.

To make room for the 2017Winner’s Choice Tractor Raffle,he KCFB Foundation is offeringone of these two tractors forsale. The best offer received – onone or the other of the tractors –by the conclusion of the KaneCounty Fair on July 24, will beaccepted. The Foundation is alsoseeking a nicely restored antiquetractor to purchase as a GrandPrize option in the 2017 Raffle.To place a bid for either of thesetractors, or offer a tractor forsale, contact Steve Arnold at 630584-8660 or steve@kanecfb.

1953 Farmall Super C, SerialNumber 168154 with 2 pointhitch, drawbar, fenders, lights &PTO shield. New gauges, steer-ing wheel, hood, hydraulic lines

and seat as well as wiring,decals, emblems, knobs andmuffler. All wheels replaced andsandblasted prior to painting.New wheel bearings and shaftseals & bearings. New seals insteering, PTO and wheels. Allsheet metal, castings and pedalssandblasted prior to paint. Grillerepaired, valves ground andhead and water pump checked,radiator cleaned, replaced rings,bearings and resurfaced guide-liners. New tires and tubes allaround.

1947 Farmall Super Ai(Industrial) This tractor waspurchased as an older restora-tion. Has new rear tires, new seatand new steering wheel. Comeswith a 5’ Woods belly mower.

Tractors for sale

The Illinois Department ofAgriculture is encouragingfarmers and agrichemical facili-ties to save their empty agri-chemical containers. TheDepartment announced recentlyit has arranged to recycle them. Beginning at the end of July

and continuing in August, sitesthroughout the State will collectcontainers. The containers willbe recycled to make shippingpallets, fence posts, drainagetubing, plastic lumber and otheruseful products. “This program offers farmers

and agrichemical facilities aconvenient opportunity to dis-

pose of empty pesticide contain-ers and demonstrate their envi-ronmental stewardship,”Agriculture Director RaymondPoe said. “I would encourage

them to gather any containersthat they may have been plan-ning to throw in the garbage andtake them to the nearest collec-tion site.” Metal and household pesti-

cide containers are not eligiblefor the recycling program.

Collection sites will accept onlyhigh-density polyethylene, #2plastic agrichemical containersthat are clean and dry.Participants are responsible forrinsing them and removing allcaps, labels, booklets and foilseals. The program is a cooperative

venture between the IllinoisDepartment of Agriculture,Agriculture ContainerRecycling Council, GROW-MARK, Inc., Illinois Fertilizerand Chemical Association,Container Services Network,Illinois Farm Bureau andUniversity of Illinois Extension.

Free recycling programfor agrichemical containers

8/4 – McHenry County atConserv FS in Marengo8/4 – DeKalb County at

Helena Chemical in Maple Park

St Charles Representative ofthe MonthPAIMA CHITAMBO has

been named the FinancialRepresentative of the Month forMay 2016 in the St. Charles/Elgin Agency, as announced byAgency Manager, Robert J.Effner, Sr., CLF®, LUTCF.Paima has provided tangibleplans for addressing the immedi-ate and long term insurance and

financial security needs of herclients through COUNTRYFinancial’s diverse products andservices. Let Paima’s expertise help

you! Contact her at 2172Blackberry Dr., Unit 100,Geneva 60134, 630-262-1128,pa ima . ch i t ambo@coun t ryfinancial, countryfinancial.com/paima.chitambo. Congrat ulations, Paima!

Whats new at COUNTRY

The DeKalb County SWCDoffice will perform water testingon the water sample collectiondates bellow. The water testingis offered by DeKalb andLaSalle County SWCD officesand the Kane County FarmBureau.This program was designed

to engage farmers in the nutrientand water quality issues facingagriculture by providing infor-

mation on possible nutrientlosses from their productionoperations. Lost nutrients meanlost money, and nutrient levels

in runoff water can vary greatlydepending on the time of yearand the in-field practices.

This free test can help save youmoney and preserve land quality. Water samples need to be at

least eight ounces, placed inclean containers (free of anyresidues/detergents). Testresults will be confidential.For more information and

with any questions, contactDean Johnson at 815-756-3234,ext. 3.

Attention farmers: don’t forget your nutrient loss testing

July 5, August 2, 23 & 30,September 20 & 27 and

October 18 & 25.

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