Kane

County Farm Bureau

Since 1912

Association. Today, the IAAAis one of a kind. It is the onlyCPA firm in existence formed asa cooperative and specializingin agribusiness.

There were compelling rea-sons for the IAA to set up anauditing service. Laws underwhich cooperatives operate arerather complex, and auditorsworking only with cooperativesquickly develop into specialists inhandling this type of accounting.Today, the Auditing Associationis recognized nationwide for itsagribusiness expertise.

Louis L. Emmerson was theIllinois Secretary of State whenthe certificate to certify thatIllinois Agricultural Co-Operatives Association wasdeclared a legally organizedCorporation under the laws ofthe State of Illinois on May 31,1924. Beginning with a Boardof Directors of five, the follow-ing were selected to serve theAssociation for the first year ofits corporate existence:

President Henry McGough,Maple Park; Vice President L.P.McMillen, Rock Falls; O.B.Goble, Charleston; George L.Potter, Pontiac & H.J. Shafer,Illiopolis, Executive Committee

The Illinois AgriculturalAssociation recommended Mr.George A. Fox for RecordingSecretary and Mr. R.A. Cowlesfor Treasurer. The IAA ServiceCompany continues today withthe oversight of the Association.

The first task of the newBoard in 1924 was to employ amanager. Mr. George Wickerwas employed as the first man-ager. The first two permanentemployees were Mr. Ringer andMr. King. Mr. Ringer served theNorthern tier while Mr. Kingserved clients in the Springfieldarea. The starting salary for afield auditor at that time was inthe $3-$4,000 per year range

plus travel expenses. By 1925,the need to establish branchoffices throughout the State wasconsidered. The advantage ineconomy of having examiners

placed at convenient pointsthroughout the State wasendorsed and the next fieldoffice was located in Galesburg,Illinois. Over the next 85 years,district offices were set up toreduce travel for the auditors aswell as minimize travelexpense. Today, technology hasreplaced most of those districtoffices. The field staff is able todo much of the audit electroni-cally and reduce the number ofdays traveling to the client’soffice. This saves time andmoney. It has also helped in theretention of field staff. Theheavy amount of travel requiredhas always been a huge issuewith employee retention.

The office was originallylocated on the 12th floor of 608

South Dearborn Street in theCity of Chicago. From 1947 to1959, Illinois Farm Bureau andits affiliates were headquarteredin a 12-story building just north

of the Loop at 43 East OhioStreet in Chicago. That addressis now the location of the ESPNSports Bar.

In 1959, Illinois FarmBureau and its affiliates movedto Bloomington and thenopened the new building at1701 Towanda in 1961 to muchlocal fanfare. Our temporaryheadquarters while the TowandaAvenue building was beingcompleted was on the IllinoisWesleyan University Campus inthe old Fred Young Fieldhouse,which was built and financed byIllinois Farm Bureau and itsaffiliated companies.

The Auditing Associationcalled the lower level of theIAA Building “home” for thenext 45 years. In August 2005,

the Association moved theiroffice from the IAA Building tothe current location at 318Susan Drive, Normal, Illinois.

This new location on SusanDrive provided easier accessibil-ity to clients visiting the office,especially during tax seasonwhen there is a higher volume ofclients visiting the building.

According to the original by-laws the IAAA’s purpose wasstated as:

“Section 1. The IllinoisAgricultural CooperativeAssociation is formed to be anon-profit cooperative agricul-tural association without capitalstock, the members of which shallbe composed of cooperativeassociations, farm bureaus, andother agricultural associations.Its purpose shall be to promotethe general welfare of its mem-bers, to furnish an auditing andaccounting service together witha general business advisory serv-ice, to cooperate with otherorganization for the furtheranceof mutual interest, to have andexercise all the powers necessaryand proper to carry into effect thepurpose as above stated.”

Stock was later issued to allstockholders.

The first annual meeting ofthe Association was held at theStudents Union Building, StateUniversity, Urbana, Illinois onJanuary 14, 1925. By the end of1925 there were 162 membersutilizing the services of theAssociation.

In addition to providing pro-fessional accounting and audit-ing services to our stockholders,IAAA has always been recog-nized as a leader in cooperativetaxation. The Association con-tinues to work with the IRS toprepare returns and to securedeductions and immunities towhich cooperatives are entitled

By Virginia Lowery, IAAAEDITOR’S NOTE: The following

is part of a series on the historyof the Kane County FarmBureau, Illinois Farm Bureau,and its affiliates. KCFB, (origi-nally known as the Kane CountyFarm Improvement Assoc ia tion),filed Articles of Incorpor ationwhich were approved by the Stateof Illinois on December 31,1912. Each month the KaneCounty Farmer will focus on theissues, events, services and peo-ple that built this organizationover the past 100 years. Ms.Lowery’s sources for this articleinclude the IFB brochure,Glimpses of a Rich History, FarmBureau in Illinois by John J.Lacey, Improving the EconomicWell-Being of Agriculture: AHistory of the IFB by Dan Leifel,IAA Annual Reports 1923-1925and IAAA Minute Books.

Illinois Farm Bureau got itsfinancial feet on the groundearly in 1920 and shortly after-wards realized there were manyunfulfilled needs in rural Illinoisway beyond teaching farmers touse science to improve soil pro-ductivity.

Soon afterwards the IllinoisAgricultural Association estab-lished its first and now oldestaffiliate to help farmers and thecounty Farm Bureaus with theiraccounting and tax needs. TheIllinois Agricultural Co-Operatives Association as it wasoriginally named, was estab-lished in 1924. IAAA was reor-ganized July 13, 1931 as theIllinois Agricultural Auditing

VOL. 78 NO. 5 MAY 2013

Illinois Agricultural Auditing Association, IFB’s oldest affiliate

DATES TO REMEMBERMay

2Board of Directors, 7:30 pm8Women’s Committee, 9:15 am14-15Defensive Driving – Noonto 4pm27Memorial Day – Office Closed

(continued on page 2)

HamburgersTo celebrate National

Hamburger Month, the specialof the month for May isHamburgers. This special features 20 quarter-pound burgers. Each box is $15.50for plus members and $16.50for A and MM members.Available at Kane CountyFarm Bureau, Randall Rd. andOak Street in St. Charles, onlyin May or while supply lasts.

MAYSPECIAL

Henry McGough of Maple Park, Kane County Farm Bureau Presidentin 1920, became the first President of the Illinois Agricultural Co-Operatives Association (now IAAA) in 1924. A plaque honoringMcGough’s service will soon accompany a white oak to be planted inthe parkway near the KCFB office. A tree will be planted for each of the

six past andpresent IAAD i r e c t o r sfrom KaneCounty.

The Kane County FarmBureau Foundation Board hasawarded its $1,500 President’sScholarship to Morgan Bollech.The honor was reserved for thesenior among this year’s 31 appli-cants with the most outstandingcombination of scholastics, activ-ities, goals and ACT score.

In high school, Morgan hasheld several officer positions inher FFA Chapter, was captain ofthe Academic Bowl team, andwas an international qualifier inFuture Problem Solvers. Honorsshe garnered while includeIllinois FFA State Degree recip-ient, Kane County 4-H Top Teen

Award and Kyle MitchellMemorial Top Dairy BowlAward.

Morgan owns Guernsey andHolstein cattle and works on hergrandparents’ dairy farm inHampshire. She has been astrong advocate of the dairyindustry and has deliveredspeeches across the country onrelated topics. Morgan plans to pursue a degree in biochemistryat Nort hern Illinois Univer sity.Ultimately she hopes to obtain amaster’s degree from theUniversity of Wisconsin Schoolof Pharmacy in pursuit of acareer developing new and

improved treatments for largeanimals. Morgan is the daughter

of Keith Bollech and CarolynKriegel-Bollech of Kingston.

Morgan Bollech, winner of the 2013 President’s Scholarship, received acertificate and congratulations from KCFB Vice President WayneSchneider at the KCFB Foundation scholarship ceremony in April.

Bollech receives President’s Scholarship

Read more about scholarship winners on pages 3 and 6. Don’t miss Summer Ag Institute – see page 4

mittee met to discuss advertisingplacement and timing.

Directors reviewed commu-nity service plans for Touch-A-Tractor and Ag Literacy pro-grams including the SpringProgram of Reading Outreachto Urban Teachers and Students(SPROUTS).

A summary of recent KCFBGovernmental Affairs activitieswas provided by committeechair Wayne Schneider.Membership & P.R. CommitteeChair Beth Engel provideddetails on a 100th AnniversaryPlat Book and asked directorsfor input on the 2013 Harvestfor ALL program. Harvest forALL contributions were report-ed including those by payroll-deduction through the UnitedWay. Discussion was also hadon a Membership Drive andSummer “Centennial Picnic”planned for June 22.Recommendations from the100th Annual Meeting Commit -tee were shared as well. TheAnnual Meeting has been set forSeptember 13, 2013 at NorthernIllinois Food Bank.

A “Meet the Buyers” event isbeing planned for Kane Countyspecialty crop growers for thisNovember. Details will be print-ed in the Kane County Farmer.

Business items included dis-cussion of sponsorship of “ATaste That Matters”, a NorthernIllinois Food Bank Fundraiseron May 9. Directors approvedplacement of an ad in the pro-gram booklet recognizing AgDays meal sponsors for theirsupport of KCFB’s MillionMeal Challenge.

Lastly, directors learned theSt. Charles Tree Commissionwill present Kane County FarmBureau a “Stewardship Award”for its Centennial Grove projecton Arbor Day, April 26 at 4 pmat Lincoln Park in St. Charles.

Information and correspon-dence was circulated including:GrowMark second quarterfinancial report; Illinois NutrientResearch & Education Council2013 projects; IFB tagline andbranding focus group reports;IFB Strength With AdvisoryTeams (SWAT) reports; Food forThought Committee meetingminutes; John Duerr, congratu-lations on receiving the St.Charles Tree Commission’sStewardship Award; IllinoisTreasurer Dan Rutherford,thanks for opportunity to partic-ipate in KCFB Food CheckoutChallenge Shopping Spree; SuziMyers for KCFB Board’s sup-port of Ag Days.

April 4The April meeting of the

Kane County Board ofDirectors began with commentsfrom Mark VanKerkhoff,Director of Kane CountyDevelopment and CommunityServices Department, whoreviewed proposed F and F-2text amendments on interimspecial uses. Bob Effner,Agency Manager of the COUN-TRY Financial St. Charles/Elgin Office addressed theboard and confirmed plans forCountry to participate at the 8thAnnual Touch-A-Tractor. Effnerdiscussed plans for a Countryand KCFB sponsored estateplanning seminar on April 9.Dave Horras, Territory Managerat Conserv FS delivered a reporton stock revolvement and fueland fertilizer prices.

In the President’s report, JoeWhite reported that 31 applica-

tions were received for KCFBFoundation scholarships, with 26selected for awards. Two applica-tions have been received forKCFB Foundation internships.

Manager Steve Arnold pro-vided a membership report, aswell as an IAA Board Executivesummary and calendar of KCFBupcoming events. Directorsreceived Winner’s Choice RaffleTickets to sell on behalf of theFoundation. Arnold confirmedthat a $1000 payment recentlywent to the Living Well CancerResearch Center, as approved bythe board. He also updated direc-tors on IFB tagline and brandingdevelopment. Arnold thankeddirectors for their assistance withsetup for Touch-A-Tractor. Heprovided feedback from teacherswho attended the recently com-pleted KCFB Ag Days expo.

The following reports weredelivered: Farmland Protection

Commission, Zoning Board ofAppeals, IL 47 Corridor StudyGroup (Joe White) andRegional Planning Commissionreport (Steve Arnold).

Directors discussed “Farmedwetland” drainage issues withUS Army Corps of Engineersand a Union/Virgil Ditches &East Branch Kishwaukee RiverWatershed meeting on April 10at DeKalb CFB.

Joe White provided a reportfrom the District 1 President’sand Manager’s meeting inMarch. Drainage issues, FB ACT(Agricultural Contact Team), aDynamic Director workshop,and finance issues were dis-cussed. Directors approved anomination for the IFB EagleAward for Excellence. KCFB haspledged $2,500 to “Food forThought” for an ag promotionalcampaign and activities coordi-nated by IFB. In March, the com-

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2013

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLYSteven J. Arnold, Editor

Suzi Myers, Ag Literacy CoordinatorElizabeth Dawson, Membership Secretary

Audre Pack, Training SpecialistRyan Klassy, Information Director

Perry Hazelwood, Building & Grounds

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.

Gene Feldott8S696 Barnes Rd.Aurora, IL 60506630-892-2197

Jeff Bornemann4S985 Dugan Rd.Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-466-1626

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

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

Bill Collins1125 Lewis Rd.Geneva, IL 60134630-232-2043

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

Al Lenkaitis, Jr.6N352 Fair Oaks Dr.St. Charles, IL 60174630-561-9514

■ DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.

Alan Volpp9N728 Peplow Rd.Hampshire, IL 60140847-683-3681

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.

Beth Engel15N638 Walker RoadHampshire, IL 60140847-683-3482

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

Wayne SchneiderVice President721 Lindsay LaneWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-3350

KANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU BOARD ATTENDANCEOCTOBER 2012 THRU SEPTEMBER 2013

OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG. SEP.J. BORNEMANN X X X X X X X C. BRADLEY X X X X X X X F. CARLSON X X X X X X X B. COLLINS X X X X X X C. COLLINS X X X X X X B. ENGEL X X X X X X X G. FELDOTT X X X X X X X G. GAITSCH X X X X X M. KENYON X X X X X X K. KETTLEKAMP X X X X X X D. LEHRER X X X X X A. LENKAITIS JR. X X X X W. SCHNEIDER X X X X X X A. VOLPP X X X X X X J. WHITE X X X X X X X

KCFB Board Meeting review

You receive the Kane CountyFarmer because you are a FarmBureau member. If you are afarm operator or owner, you ben-efit from a local, state andnational organization committedto agriculture and your way of life.

If you do not have direct tiesto farming, your membershiphelps promote local farms andfarming, encourage wise use ofour limited natural resources andpreserve 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 heritageand history related topics forinclusion in future issues of theFarmer.

Celebrating 20 years – thank you for your loyalty

Free NH3 online safety trainingPlanning on using anhydrous

ammonia this Spring? Sure, youknow how to properly apply it,but too often busyschedules andt h r e a t e n i n gweather lead toshortcuts and agreater risk of injury to you oryour family.

Recent investigation inIllinois shows the leading causesof anhydrous accidents are oper-

ator failure, such as not handlinghoses, not maintaining safetydevices on tool bars, and not

securing the tanksduring transporta-tion. Illinois FarmBureau wants tochange this trend.

Illinois Farm Bureau joinedIllinois Fertilizer and ChemicalAssociation, Illinois Depart -ment of Agricul ture, and IllinoisCorn Growers Association to

develop a web-based anhydrousammonia training program forfarmers, families, and employ-ees.

The program takes 30-45minutes to complete and fea-tures five modules:• properties of ammonia,• personal protective equip-ment,

• transportation of ammonia toand from the field,

• the safe hookup of ammoniatanks in the field, and

• emergency response andfirst-aid procedures.Anyone can sign up, any time

of day. The training can be doneall at once, or you can return atany time and pick up where youleft off. After completing thetraining, you can take a knowl-edge assessment to determineyour understanding of the mate-rial and print a certificate ofcompletion for your records.

This online training is foreveryone. It’s free, effective, andfits into any schedule. This pro-gram is possible thanks to a grantfrom the Nutrient Research andEducation Council.

Illinois Farm Bureau joins others to offer free,

online anhydrous ammoniasafety training for farmers

under the law. The AuditingAssociation continues to workto protect the exempt status ofthe County Farm Bureaus.

The Auditing Association wasdirectly affected by the warissues of the early 40’s. Three ofour permanent field auditorswere called into service, while agreat many that were on a tempo-rary basis, training for a perma-nent position likewise answeredthe call to colors. Two of our sen-ior auditors also left the organi-zation to accept positions con-nected more directly with the wareffort. This together with theshortage of men, particularlyexperienced men, who were will-ing to travel, placed a severe bur-den upon the men that wereavailable to us as field auditors.

The same situation appliedwith almost equal force to officeemployees, particularly experi-enced statistical typists. At theout-break of the war theAuditing Association wasamply equipped with typewrit-ers designed for statistical use.One-third of those machineswere sold to the governmentwhich necessitated our opera-tion with a third less typewritersand consequently about half asmany typists. In previous years

we were able to rent typewritersfor a few months during thepeak season and consequentlyemployed from eight to ten sta-tistical typists. At that time, nomachines were available forrent and as a result we had fourstatistical typists compared witheight or ten in previous years.

Today, we continue toremain fully staffed with qualityprofessional field staff. Weencourage all professional staffto obtain their CPA designationand we provide ample continu-ing education credits to prepareour staff for the challenges ofthe ever changing rules and reg-ulations facing our industry.Our goal is to continue to pro-vide all stockholders with thenecessary reports and returns ona timely basis to meet theirexpectations and requirements.

The Auditing As soc iation hasdeep roots in Kane County. TheKane County Farm Bureauholds two shares of Preferredand one share of Common stockin the Audit -ing Associa -tion. Certif -icate #9 wasissued toKane Countyin 1936.

IAAA(continued from page 1)

(continuedon page 4)

IAAA’s original office at 608 S. Dearborn in Chicago.

Kane County Farm Bureaumembers are invited to the

Centennial Picnic on Friday,June 21st. Help us celebrate 100

years in the community andenjoy a pig-roast and all thefixin’s at Kane County FarmBureau.

The evening event will start at4:30pm. Bring your own bever-age or enjoy iced tea and lemon-ade compliments of the KCFBPR and Mem ber ship Committee.Kids will enjoy games and inflat-able activities. Lawn games willbe on-hand foradults. Limitedseating will beavailable – soplease bring yourlawn chairs.

Advanced reser-vations are requiredby submitting theform below alongwith your reserva-tion fee of $5 perperson or $15 perhousehold (imme-diate family), orRSVP by phone at630-584-8660. At

the door, your deposit will bereturned, or, you can choose tojoin in the Harvest for ALLMillion Meal Challenge bydonating your deposit to help thelocal food pantry of your choice.

The 2013 Winner’s ChoiceRaffle prize – a 1921 FordModel T Huckster ProduceTruck – will be on display. Itwas once used to haul and dis-

play food – so help us bringback its glory days! Bring non-perishable food items to “Fill aFord with Food”. Donationswill benefit a local food pantryand help reach our Million MealChallenge goal – the equivalentof one million meals providedin cumulative hunger relief bythe end of this, our centennialyear!

MAY 2013 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

The 2013 Harvest for ALLhunger relief effort has begun!Hundreds of visitors at the 8thAnnual Touch-A-Tractor atKCFB helped push the associa-tion closer to its Million MealChallenge goal by contributing380 pounds of non-perishablefood items and hundreds in cashdonations at this year’s event. Agenerous KCFB member fromLaFox recently added Harvestfor ALL to his payroll-deduc-

tions through his employer andthe ATT/United Way’s Emp -loyee Giving Campaign.

One of every eight people inNorthern Illinois faces hunger.Farm Bureau members areencouraged to help out in what-ever way they can – crop pro-ceeds, in-kind or cash donations.Help us reach the equivalent ofmore than 1 million meals pro-vided in cumulative hungerrelief to local food pantries.

Million Meal Challenge

Touch-A-Tractor visitorsadded to the communityfeel of the event by bring-ing in much-needed fooditems and cash donationsto fight local hunger. Brenton Bartelt, a senior at

Dundee Crown High School inCarpentersville, hasbeen named the recip-ient of the 2013 JohnBuck MemorialScholarship. TheKCFB Foun dationBoard of Directorsselected Brenton from31 applicants in aseven county area.Brenton’s parents areJonathan and Kristine Bartelt.

This fall, Brenton will attend

the University of Illinois to pur-sue a degree in Technical

Systems Management.He hopes to one dayhelp farmers best uti-lize the availableresources and technol-ogy for maximum per-formance in theiroperations. Brentonearned an appreciationfor the field watchingthe implementation of

a robotic milking system at thecentennial farm owned by his

grandparents and uncle. There,he gained farming experience bybaling hay, working with live-stock and operating equipment.

Brenton has earned academichonors including NationalHonor Society, Illinois StateScholar and DCHS SuperHonor Roll. He was also captainof the golf team and co-captainof the lacrosse club, in additionto several honors in the highschool band and jazz band.

The John Buck Memorial

Brenton Bartelt

Buck Scholarship goes to Dundee senior

The Kane County FarmBureau Foundation Boardnamed Cynthia Roberg ofMaple Park the recipient of the$1,250 Chuck SwansonMemorial Scholar ship. Cynthiais the daughter of Matthew andMarianne Roberg.

Cynthia is finishing her junioryear at Blackburn College with apre-veterinary biology major.There, she is a student senaterepresentative and is a memberof the pre-Health ProfessionsClub. Cynthia has made thehonor roll for four consecutive

years. She has shown and caredfor horses, currently showinghorses on the paint horse circuit.She has shadowed veterinariansat the Kendall Road EquineHospital and Illinois EquineField Services and volunteered ata horse breeding farm in St.Charles. Her career goal is tobecome a large animal vet.

The Chuck SwansonMemorial Scholarship wasestablished by the family andfriends of the former FarmBureau Director and long-timevolunteer to provide awards for

students residing in KaneCounty pursuing a degree in anagriculture-related career field.

Swanson Scholarship awarded

Cynthia Roberg

DefensiveDriving

There’s still time to sign upfor the 55 Alive Mature DrivingProgram set for Tuesday andWednesday, May 14 and 15 atthe Kane County Farm Bureau.The eight-hour class runs fromnoon to 4:00 p.m. each day. Bothsessions must be completed. $12per person for AARP membersand $14 for non-members(payable the first day) to coverthe cost of materials. Call 630-584-8660 to register. Attendeesmust be licensed drivers and pre-registration is required.

KCFB Centennial Picnic set for June

Kane County Farm Bureau Centennial Picnic

Number attending ___________ Names _________________________________

______________________________, _________________________________

______________________________, _________________________________

Phone _____________________________ Amount enclosed ________________Reservation deposit required: $5/person or $15/household (immediate family)

Your deposit will be returned upon arrival, or you may donate it to the local food pantry ofyour choice through Kane County Farm Bureau’s Harvest for ALL Million Meal Challenge.

Mail to Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174Checks may be made payable to Kane County Farm Bureau

or charge my ■ Visa ■ MC #______ ______ ______ ______ Exp ____/____

(continued on page 8)

Years ago, I learned of a newoffering by the Kane County

Forest Preserve and Geneva, St.Charles and Aurora Park Districtscalled Kane County CertifiedNaturalists (KCCN) Program. Idecided to enroll and spent thatspring learning about differentaspects of nature...ranging fromrestoration of natural areas, vari-ous habitats of plants and animalsfound in Kane County, geologyof the area, appropriate signageused on public lands, and muchmore. Since that time, I have con-tinued to take “Learn from theExperts” classes and volunteeredmy time at many of the programsoffered to the public by the spon-soring groups.

My life has been so enrichedby this decision to become aKCCN. Not only have I learneda lot, but I have also made somewonderful friends...friends thatshare my love of nature.

Recently, six of us womenflew out to Arizona to spend aweek with a fellow “KCCNer”that has moved out to Arizona.We hiked each day in the beautyof the red rocks of Sedona or atthe South Rim of the GrandCanyon. We marveled at thebeautiful mesas, buttes, andsnow covered mountains. Wecrossed pristine creeks/rivers ...stopping to discover the “quali-ty of the water” by identifying

some of the tiny creatures foundin the water. We also noted eachflower, bird and lizard along thepaths. We even saw elk at theGrand Canyon, something I’dnever seen before. As you canguess, it took us longer than theaverage hiker to finish a trail,but we relished each moment.

Evenings were spent lookingat the stars ... which are beauti-ful out in that area, as not asmany lights to interfere with thesky’s show.

Then there was the food ...cactus fries, elk burgers, Tex-Mex and Native Americanfoods, as well as Prickly PearCactus EVERYTHING fromcandy to hot sauce.

Of course there was thelaughter ... seven women togeth-er equals a good amount oflaughter, especially when lost,enacting a “I’m falling off thecliff” photo, going around thetraffic “round abouts” more thanonce due to confusion or just forthe fun of it, and much more.

So, had I not decided tobecome a “KCCNer”, I wouldhave never met the wonderful peo-ple that have so enriched my life.

If you’d like to become a“KCCNer”, contact any of thesupporting park districts or theKC Forest Preserve and sign up... it might change your life as itdid mine.

Book of the MonthMigrationIn the treetops, in the bushes,There are new songs and colors. The little birds are back!

Above is a stanza from oneof the springtime poems foundin this book of poems capturingthe sights and sounds of achild’s experience with nature.No matter what’s outside theirwindows – city streets or coun-try meadows – kids will be

inspired to explore the worldaround them by looking at thisbook.

Thanks to a request yearsago by Bob Konen and DeanDunn that Kane County FarmBureau start a library of agricul-turally themed books for publicuse, we have an ever growingselection of titles. Feel free tocome in and check out all ourbooks.

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2013

What’s your idea of financial security?®

AG LITERACY CORNERBy Suzi Myers

Outside your Window –A First Book of Nature

by Nicola Davies

Calling all teachers!Summer Ag Institute tour is June 10-14

KCFB’s annual Summer AgInstitute and Kane County agri-cultural tour for teachers isscheduled for June 10-14. Theweeklong course focusing onagriculture offers three graduatecredit hours in cooperation withAurora University, orContinuing ProfessionalDevelopment Units. The tourhelps pre K-12 grade teachersintegrate instruction about thefood and fiber industry intotheir present curriculum.

The course includes fieldtrips to farms and other produc-tion enterprises, agribusinessessuch as food processors,research facilities, retailers, andhorticultural operations. KaneC o u n t yF a r mBureau AgL i t e r a c yCoordin atorSuzi Myerso r g a n i z e sthe tour in

partnership with the KaneCounty Regional Office ofEducation, Aurora University,and local agriculturalists. Call630-584-8660 for more infor-mation or to register.

In this 2010 KCFB file photo, SAI tour participantsare getting information about piglets from EldonGould on his Maple Park farm. Summer AgInstitute 2013 is set for June. Kane County FarmBureau’s annual event for teachers provides aunique perspective on agriculture that inspiresnew agricultural lessons for area school children.

They have been a valuable andloyal customer for many years.

Kane County played animportant role in the history of the Auditing Association. AKane County farmerby the name of JohnWhite Jr. served onour Board ofDirectors for manyyears. Mr. Whiteserved as Secretaryof the AuditingAssociation from1969 to 1974, hewas elected VicePresident of IFB® in

1973 and later became the 11thPresident of IFB® from 1983-1993. Today, Mr. White remainsa friend and loyal supporter ofthe Auditing Association.

The Auditing Associationcongratulates Kane CountyFarm Bureau on their

C e n t e n n i a lH i s t o r yProject. Wecommend themfor their 100years of suc-cessfully ex -ceeding theneeds of thelocal farmerand their mem-bership.

IAAA(continued frompage 2)

You will need:1 c. flour1 tablespoon vegetable oil1 package unsweetened straw-berry Kool-Aid

1/4 cup salt2 tablespoons cream of tartar1 cup waterDirections:Please provide adult supervi-sion. Preheat oven to 350° F(180° Celsius). Mix flour, salt,cream of tartar and Kool-Aid in amedium saucepan. Add waterand oil. Stir over medium heat 3to 5 minutes. When mixtureforms a ball in pan, remove.Knead until smooth. Store in acovered plastic container.

Did you know that most back-yard “barbeques” are really notbarbeques at all?

Grilling is fast cooking overhigh heat, while barbecuinginvolves a slower cookingmethod, over a lower heat.

Grilling is done over a gasflame, or hot coals. Tender cutsof meat are best for this cookingmethod. The quick cooking andthe high heat seal in the juices,creating a juicy piece of meat,but leave the meat on too long,and it will dry out, as with anydry cooking method. Vegetablesand fruits can also be grilled, asthey don’t need a long cookingtime. Peaches and pineapple areparticularly good for grilling; thenatural sugars in the fruitcaramelize over the high heat.When you grill food, you need topay attention to it, so it doesn’tget overcooked. You need to stay

by the grill the whole time.Barbecuing is done over char-

coal or wood, although gas canbe used. The meats usually usedin barbecuing are tougher cutsof meat, such as the beef brisket,or pork ribs. These meats benefitfrom the long, slow cookingprocess, becoming so tenderthat they will just fall off thebone. Since the cooking processis slower, and the heat not ashigh as grilling, barbecue saucecan be brushed onto the meatthroughout the cooking process,forming a delicious glaze on theoutside of the meat. Apple juiceis sometimes sprayed onto themeat to keep it moist and flavor-ful. Damp wood chips added tothe fire add a delicious smokyflavor to the meat.

May has so many celebrations that while you are celebrating with your BBQ’s rememberthat you can grill asparagus, top your steak or burger with salsa, enjoy a wonderful saladprior to dinner and finish with a refreshing strawberry creation.

The National Barbecue Association designates each May to celebrate and promote allthings BBQ. The idea is to promote the flavor, fun and family ties of good barbecue in theirown unique and stylish ways.

National Asparagus Month is the perfect time to try out this delicious vegetable! National Salsa Month was created in 1997 to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Pace Salsa. National Salad Month is to celebrate creative salad recipe ideas and to encourage con-

sumers to eat more leafy greens.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Barbeque • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

MAY 2013 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Congratulations!Beth Kennedy of Geneva!

Beth’s name was chosen fromthe entries received for cor-rectly completing last month’s“Earth Day” Word SearchPuzzle. For her participation,Beth receives a multi-purposefolding tote bag made fromrecycled materials. Thank youBeth, for reading the KaneCounty Farmer and continueto watch each month for moregreat opportunities from theKane County Farm Bureau.

Compiled by Beth Dawson and Suzi Myers

S S T B P S J S M S A X B N K

A G I J A T R N D S H R Z P D

U O U V C R C E L N I R O P S

C D R R H A B A G S E T I U J

E T F M A W S E K R A I G M S

S O S U R B L E Q T U A R D P

S H B C C E T L O U R B A F T

E E P O O R A C I A E L M U P

V R I R A R H F P R A B K A I

I I I N L I X S R S G F W X H

T V M B P E A X N E K C I H C

A L T S S S E L B A T E G E V

L B E V E R A G E S R U B S J

E D E K O M S K Q R E L I S H

R D Q O M Z C Q H M V S H E H

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip ________________________________________________________________________

Telephone __________________________ Email _________________________________ Age_______Please complete and return to the Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 by May 15,2013 for your chance to win a barbeque-themed prize compliments of Kane County Farm Bureau!

ASPARAGUSBARBEQUEBEVERAGESBRISKETCHARCOALCHICKENCORNFRIENDSFRUITGRILLHAMBURGERSHOTDOGSPOTATO CHIPSRELATIVESRELISHRIBSRUBSSALADSSALSASAUCESSHRIMPSMOKEDSTRAWBERRIESVEGETABLES

NationalBarbeque MonthAsparagus MonthEgg MonthHamburger MonthSalad Month

Strawberry Month

Shrimp Day.........................10Brisket Day..........................28BBQ Day..............................31

The merrymunch of MAY

May is ...

• Lexington, NC is known as theBarbecue Capital of the World

• Barbeques have been a WhiteHouse tradition since ThomasJefferson

• Original barbecue sauce, dat-ing back hundreds of years, isvinegar and pepper

• 81% of U.S. households owna grill

• Top three grilling days: 4th ofJuly, Memorial Day, Labor Day

• Northeasterners are thebiggest barbecuers

• Most grilled food items arehamburgers, steaks, chicken,and hot dogs

• An annual barbeque is held formembers of Congress. OnSeptember 12, 2001, the bar-beque was cancelled and theWhite House kitchen used the700 pounds of beef tenderlointo feed the hundreds of rescue

workers who had traveled toWashington after the 9/11attacks.

• Most commonly preferred sidedishes on the grill are corn,potatoes, and other veggies

• Most common barbequeutensils are long handledtongs, forks, long handledspatulas, and grill cleaningbrushes

• Competition barbecuing isone of the hottest hobbies inthe country with hundreds ofcook-offs held throughout all50 states

• The most popular flavors ofbarbecue sauce are hickory,followed by mesquite, honey,and then tomato-based.

• The original barbecue sauce,dating back hundreds ofyears, consisted of vinegarand pepper.

• In the past decade, four differ-ent grilling teams swept thecompetition and claimed theprize for both “Greatest Ribs inAmerica” and “Greatest Saucein America” in the same year.

• Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36thpresident of the United States,hosted the first barbecue atthe White House that featuredTexas-style barbecued ribs.

• The word “barbecue” is nomatch for spell check! Thefamous fare can be written as“Barbeque,” “Barbicue,” “Bar -bi que,” “Bar-B-Cue,” “Bar-B-Que,” “Bar-B-Q,” “BBQ,”“Cue,” and “Q.”

• Smoking, which is a termcommonly used for barbecuerecipes, was first used 6000years ago. It was consideredthe safest (and tastiest) wayto cook the meat.

BBQ facts

BBQ vs. grilling ... and munch more

BBQ regions of AmericaSouthwest: • Dominated by barbequed beef. • Rubs are commonlyfound in Southwest BBQ

Eastern US:• Main BBQ meat is pork, which is usually sliced or chopped up• Sauce is usually thin, vinegary and peppery

Appalachian Region:• Pork is the main meat and is usually shredded withsauce poured over it • Sweeter sauce made withmolasses, tomatoes and peppers is used • Cornbread

and/or coleslaw are served with the BBQ

Midwest Region:• Pork and beef are used for barbeques • Sauces are mild,

sweeter, tomato based sauces • Baked beans, coleslaw, or fries areserved with BBQ • Beef and pork ribs are very popular in this region

Strawberry playdough activity

Why did the tomato blush?...It saw the salad dressing!What’s red and hot? Summa Strawberry!What did the strawberry say tothe other strawberry? If you weren’t so sweet wewouldn’t be in this jam!

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2013

N o l a nAnderson is a jun-ior at SouthernIllinois Univer sity,where he is pursu-ing a degree in

plant and soil science. He hasworked on the SIUC farm andmade the Dean’s List his freshmanyear. Nolan worked with his fatherin his farming operation from ayoung age. Last summer he was anintern at Advanced Crop Care Inc.where he scouted farm fieldsthrough every stage of the growingprocess and provided advice ongrowing a quality crop. Nolan’sparents are Mark and HeidiAnderson of Hampshire.

Jason LeeBiddle will gradu-ate from KanelandHigh School inMay and head forthe University ofIllinois this fall to

study Crop Science. Jason partici-pated in soccer and FFA in highschool. He made the honor roll allfour years, was awarded the FFAGreenhand Award and earnedscholastic/academic honors threeyears in a row. His communityservice activities include missiontrips in Aurora, Indiana, SouthDakota. Jason plans to use his edu-cation to enhance the success ofhis family’s grain farm. Jason’sparents are Roger and TheresaBiddle of Maple Park.

A career as anequine veterinarianis the aspiration ofMarissa Chapa ofMaple Park. Thedaughter of Bruceand Angela Stastny,

she will attend Black Hawk Collegeand pursue a pre-veterinary degree.Marissa has worked with horses onher family’s farm and has takenclasses in animal science and vet-erinary technology classes atBurlington High. Marissa was amember of student council and hasbeen an active 4-H and FFA mem-ber. She won numerous awardsshowing horses at the Kane CountyFair and Illinois State Fair.

Nicole Collinsplans to pursue adegree in athletictraining at theUniversity of Wis -cons in-S teven’sPoint. During her

career at Geneva High, Nicole wasa member of student council, theStudent Athletic Trainer’s Club,and was on the soccer team. Shehas been active in 4-H, earning aJunior Leadership Award andgrand and reserve champion hon-ors in first aid and foods. Nicole’scommunity service includes serv-ing her church on the peer min-istry team and on mission trips.Nicole is the daughter of Bill andKaren Collins of Geneva.

Mitch Dienst iscurrently a fresh-man at WaubonseeC o m m u n i t yCollege. He servesas President of the

Lincoln Highway 4-H Chapter, isa 4-H Ambassador and works part-time at Midwest Groundcovers.He credits his experiences work-ing with his dad for making himthe person he is today and instill-ing a desire to become a farmer.After acquiring his associate’sdegree, Mitch plans to attendWestern Illinois University for adegree in agriculture business anda minor in agriculture technology.Mitch’s parents are Mike and LisaDienst of Maple Park.

After graduatingfrom Hamp shireHigh School,Michael Dumoulinwill attend ElginC o m m u n i t yCollege and then

pursue a degree in TechnicalSystems Management at theUniversity of Illinois. He will usehis education to enhance his fami-ly’s farming operation. Michaeldeveloped an interest in agricultureworking on projects to improve thefarm, planting and harvesting corn,and caring for pigs. He was on thehigh school basketball and base-ball teams, took part in 4-H, wasnamed to National Honor Society,and earned the President’sExcellence Award. Michael par-ents are Mike and Kam Dumoulinof Hampshire.

Pat Dumoulin isa sophomore atElgin CommunityCollege, where hemade the Dean’sList. He considershimself fortunate to

have grown up on his family’s far-row to finish hog farm, feed mill,grain farm and composting opera-tion. There, he has participated in allaspects of the family business,including operating equipment anddoing routine maintenance. Patplans to major in Technical SystemsManagement at the University ofIllinois after completing his generalstudies at ECC. Pat is the son ofMike and Kam Dumoulin ofHampshire.

This fall,Lauren Duntemanof Big Rock will betaking classestoward a degree inbiology at IowaState. Her agricul-

tural experience includes provid-ing medical care and feed for live-stock on her family’s farm andspending many hours helping withfield work and related bookwork.She is currently a senior atKaneland High School, where shehas earned many honors includingIllinois State scholar, National

Honor Society, and High HonorRoll. Her activities included FFA,Student Council, Spanish Club,Drama Club, and Band. Lauren’sparents are William and KariDunteman.

R o b e r tDunteman is pur-suing a degree inagricultural engi-neering at IowaState University. Inhis freshman year

he was named to the Dean’s Listand made the Upstate EightAcademic All-Conference TennisTeam. His ag experience comesfrom assisting with corn and soy-bean harvest on the family farm,as well as working with their com-mercial turf business. He hopes tocombine his experience withknowledge he gains at college toimprove farm machinery and sys-tems to improve agricultural effi-ciency. He is the son of Robert andKelley Dunteman of Elburn.

G r a c eFabrizius, thedaughter of Gerardand Judy Fabriziusof Maple Park, is afreshman at Kish -waukee College.

She hopes to become an agricul-tural engineer to help farmers withthe methods they use to increaseyields, improve farm usage andconserve natural resources. Shehas cared for, shown and riddenhorses for years, and helps on herfamily’s hay farm, including driv-ing the baler and raking hay. Shealso ran a road-side sweet cornstand with her siblings.

Helping withfarm related chores,raising animals, hayand grain crops,have been an inte-gral part of OliviaFabrizius’s life.

She gained a love for animalswhile growing up on a farm thathas been in her family for five gen-erations. She is currently a juniorat Western Illinois University,majoring in agricultural science,and will go on to obtain a pre-vet-erinary degree. She then hopes toown her own clinic or work in anestablished practice. Olivia’s par-ents are Gerard and Judy Fabriziusof Maple Park.

A freshman atthe University ofW i s c o n s i n ,Platteville, TylerFabrizius hopes toone day be a shopmanager for John

Deere. Tyler is the son of Peter andJean Fabrizius of Maple Park. Hegained agricultural experience andknowledge from having grown upon a farm and from participating in4-H. This past summer he was acrop scout for Advanced CropCare, responsible for 20,000 acres.Tyler has raised and shown markethogs for the past ten years. Whileat school, he works on a grain andhog operation, and participates inintramural sports and the AgMechanization Club.

Joe Gorenz isthe son of Ed andAnne Gorenz ofMaple Park. He is afreshman atW a u b o n s e eC o m m u n i t y

College majoring in business. Joeplans to apply his education to runa cost-efficient and successfulfarming operation. He says farm-ing is in his blood and that he hasalways been involved in his fami-ly’s farm. He likes that a farmerneeds to “wear a lot of hats”,including weatherman, mechanic,veterinarian, economist, andplumber. Joe has been an activemember of his local 4-H and FFAChapters.

Kristen Hectorof West Dundeeis an AgriculturalBiological Engin -eer ing student atPurdue University.Caring for a back-

yard garden, watching seeds sheplanted turn into the food sheenjoyed, fostered Kristen’s appre-ciation for agriculture. Her goal isto help provide safe, convenientand nutritious food for a growingworld population by developingnew food products and processes.Her activities at Purdue includeWomen in Engineering Mentor,Society of Women Engineers, andHonors Engineering LivingLearning Community. She madethe Engineering Dean’s list herfreshman year. Kristen’s parentsare Harland and Kathryn Hector.

K a t h e r i n eHorton is an agri-cultural educationmajor at theUniversity ofNebraska-Lincoln.She wants to edu-

cate students about agriculturaltrends and the importance of theindustry. Katherine is the daughterof Scott and Michele Horton of StCharles. Her activities include hercollege’s Meats Judging Team,Board Member of the AmericanJunior Shorthorn Association andIllinois Beef Association JuniorMember. Katherine grew up on oneof the only farms in a largely urbanarea. Her experiences in 4-H helpedher develop into a capable advocatefor agriculture and led her to acareer in Ag education.

Currently in hersecond year as anagribusiness majorat the University ofIllinois, LeahHorton is learningabout the economy

and management of agriculture.She believes in the importance ofmaking American agriculturalproducts competitive in the worldmarket. Leah has been involved inthe raising and showing of beefcattle since she was eight. She isthe Delta Zeta Sorority InternalSocial Chair, a reporter for theHoof and Horn Club and is aJunior Board Member of theIllinois Junior ShorthornAssociation. Leah’s parents areScott and Michele Horton of St.Charles.

A senior atKaneland HighSchool, ErinKettelkamp grewup on a family farmwhere corn, soy-beans, wheat, alfal-

fa and livestock are raised. Herprofessional goal is to become alarge animal veterinarian. In pur-suit of that goal, she will attendclasses at the University ofIllinois. Erin trains and competesin equestrian competitions, showshorses through 4-H, is a memberof National Honors Society andhas participated in 4-H and FrenchClub. She is President of theIllinois Junior Paint Horse Club.Erin is the daughter of Karl andJulie Kettelkamp of Elburn.

Michael Longstudies AgricultureBusiness with afocus on engineer-ing and technologyat the University ofW i s c o n s i n -

Platteville. Michael is a memberof Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternityand is a collegiate FFA Member.He is on the Dean’s List and is aninductee in the Alpha LambdaDelta and Phi Eta Sigma HonorSocieties. He has worked on hisfamily’s corn and soybean farm,and for several years has farmedthirty acres on his own; rentingland, and purchasing seed andinputs. Michael is the son of Johnand Nan Long of Big Rock.

Kayla Meyer ispursuing a master’sdegree in elemen-tary education.Kayla, herself a for-mer Kane CountyFarm Bureau Ag

Literacy intern, hopes to secure aposition as an Ag LiteracyCoordinator, teaching studentsabout the importance of agricul-ture. Kayla completed her bache-lor’s degree in Ag education lastyear and was named to the Dean’sList. She served as the NationalJunior Swine Association CentralRegion Director, is a member ofthe Hoof and Horn Club, and wasthe founder of the Ag EdLeadership Club. Kayla’s parentsare Bryan and Sara Meyer ofHinckley.

K a r i s s aPitstick is an edu-cation major atIllinois StateUniversity. Shewants to combineher love for teach-

ing with her experience in agricul-ture to inform students about theindustry. Karissa has spent a lot oftime with her dad on his hog farmand has become knowledgeableabout the operation. She enjoysshowing pigs and has served as a4-H Ambassador. Karissa is in theStudents Against Child AbuseClub and Kappa Delta Epsilonhonorary education fraternity. Sheis the daughter of David and LisaPitstick of Maple Park.

Agriculture hasbeen a big influ-ence on LanceRowlett’s life. Hisgrandfather intro-duced him to farm-ing and he has

gained experience on dairy opera-tions. Lance is pursuing anagribusiness major with a minor inagriculture education at WesternIllinois University. He believes it’simportant to educate youth aboutagriculture so they can play a rolein feeding the world. One of hisgoals is to manage a John Deeredealership. He is a member ofAlpha Gamma Rho fraternity.Lance’s parents are Timothy andHeather Rowlett of Hampshire.

Larisa Sica hashad a love for ani-mals and since shewas four has wantedto become a veteri-narian. She is takingclasses toward that

goal as an animal science/pre-vet-erinary major at Kansa StateUniversity. Larisa was on the DailyHerald Leadership Team and wasan Illinois 4-H Foundation BoardYouth Representative. She has par-ticipated in Outreach 360 servicetrips to Dominican Republic andhopes to use the skills she learnedthere to provide vet services in for-eign countries. Larisa’s parents areJoseph Sica and Brenda Mattes-Sica of Campton Hills.

B r e n tSunderlage hasextensive experi-ence in agriculture,including helpinglocal farmers withhay and straw pro-

duction for the last seven years,working at a game farm hatchingand raising game birds, and work-ing as a licensed herbicide opera-tor for an environmental consult-ing company. He attends SouthernIllinois University, and with hisdegree in plant and soil science heplans to work as an agronomist ora crop production and researchdevelopment specialist. His pastactivities include 4-H, Boy Scoutsand church youth group. Brent isthe son of Gordon and JeanSunderlage of Hampshire.

T he Kane County Farm Bureau Foundation will award nearly$27,000 in scholarships this year to 26 future Ag industry pro-

fessionals. Morgan Bollech was chosen to receive the $1,500President’s Scholarship. The Foundation also administers the$1,000 John Buck Memorial Scholarship, awarded to BrentonBartelt of Carpentersville, and the $1,250 Chuck SwansonMemorial Scholarship, awarded to Cynthia Roberg of Maple Park.

The Foundation was established in 1986 by the Kane CountyFarm Bureau to carry out charitable work in the advancement ofagricultural literacy and preparing students for careers in the agri-culture industry. In its history, it has awarded hundreds of thousandsof dollars in college scholarships and internships.

As a not-for-profit entity, the Foundation solicits and distributesprivate funding for scholarship, education and leadership training,Ag-in-the-Classroom programs, Ag Literacy, charitable activitiesand research. Through the Foundation’s Harvest for ALL hungerrelief effort, Farm Bureau members have donated the equivalent ofover $700,000 to local food pantries since 2009. A Million MealChallenge goal has been set by Farm Bureau volunteers to reachone million meals by December, 2013.

Scholarship recipients were selected from 31 applications sub-mitted. The Foundation Board extends congratulations to theseyoung leaders of tomorrow and best wishes as they pursue their aca-demic studies preparing to become future leaders in America’s mostessential industry, Agriculture.

The following 23 students were selected to receive $1,000 KCFB Foundation Scholarships.

KCFB Foundation scholars announced

Congratulations to all of our scholarship winners

St. Charles/Elgin Agency,Robert J. Effner, Sr., AgencyManager

DOMINICK DAVEROFINANCIAL REPRESENTA-TIVE OF THE MONTH

Dominick Davero has beennamed the Financial Represen -tative of the Month for March2013 in the St. Charles/ElginAgency, as announced byAgency Manager, Robert J.Effner, Sr., CLF®, LUTCF.Dominick has positively

impacted his clients throughauto, farm, home, life, businessand investments. Congrat -ulations to Dominick Davero!

Dominick has been withCOUNTRY® Financial sinceApril 2009. He services hisclients from his office located at151 E. State Rte. 38, Unit C,Elburn and may be reached at:(P) 630-365-9512 or via email:dominick.davero@countryfinancial.com.

Aurora Agency, Kevin Gomes,Agency Manager

Jake Cate, FinancialRepresentative with the AuroraAgency, is our FinancialRepresentative of the Month for

March 2013. Jake began hiscareer with COUNTRY Finan -cial in May of 2011 and servicesclients out of his office located at450 W. Galena Blvd., Aurora,60506 – (630) 801-0946.

In life, we seldom get thewhole story. We interact withhundreds of people each day,without knowing much aboutwho they are.

In one of my favorite shortstories by Jack London, “Sun-dog Trail”, an Indian namedSitka Charley has trouble under-standing the meaning of maga-zine illustrations pinned on the

walls of a trapper’s cabin. Onehas no beginning, and anotherno end. A drawing of a sick girlwith her doctor holds his inter-est, but its meaning eludes him.

The story reads, “‘It is notlife,’ he delivered himself dog-matically. ‘In life little girl dieor get well. Something happenin life. In picture nothing hap-pen. No, I do not understand

pictures.’”I read to two wonderful

groups of inquisitive thirdgraders at GreenmanElementary recently, during ourSPROUTS reading program.Colorful illustrations and modelfarm equipment help us teachthem about the land where theirfood is grown and raised, thejobs farmers do, and the toolsthat they use.

During the Q&A kids willsometimes mention their experi-ence with farming – maybe theirparents or grandparents oncefarmed, but few have muchfirst-hand knowledge. Otherthan that I don’t learn a lotabout their “beginning”. And

the rest of the story? Where andhow will they live, and workand feed their families?Hopefully after our short inter-action and follow up work withtheir teachers, they will knowthat their food comes fromfarms, and that will help shapetheir thinking.

In London’s story, SitkaCharley’s companion asks himto imagine himself peering inthe window of a cabin late atnight, and then imagining laterwhat he had seen. Maybe he’dseen a man writing a letter. Hewould have an image, a slice oflife, like that in the magazineillustrations, for which he didnot have a story for what led to

the letter or what resulted fromthe man having written it.

The scene through the class-room window at GreenmanElementary, or any one of thedozen or so classrooms whereFarm Bureau volunteers read tokids, would have students withhands in the air, ears of corn andmodel tractors being passedaround. That scene stays thesame in my mind – like a pic-ture in a magazine.

But I like to imagine othersnapshots – a boy explaininghow a combine works to a littlebrother or a girl telling her momabout why farmers plow a field.It’s thinking about the rest of thestory that makes it fun goingback to the classroom everyyear to create a new slice of life.

Welcome to the “merry month of May”!Have you attended a Safe

Driver Program recently?Country Financial, and mostother insurance companies, willgive you a discount on your pre-mium when you take a courseevery two or three years. Checkwith your agent and then signup for the course, “55 AliveMature Driving Program,”

being held at the Farm Bureauon May 14th and 15th.

Illinois prohibits driversfrom talking on cell phoneswhile passing through construc-tion areas and school zones. Thelaw is to protect children andconstruction workers from dis-tracted drivers. This law appliesnot only to drivers in a movingvehicle, but also if you areparked for instance near a

school and waiting for yourchildren. Practice safety andsave yourself from a ticket!

This is a lovely time of yearto walk and enjoy the flowers.No mosquitoes yet, or not many,and it is not too hot. Are youhaving trouble with slipperylaces on your new walkingshoes? You can always just dou-ble-knot the laces; however tountie the shoe you must un-knotthe lace. My son-in-law gaveme this trick that really worksfor me! When you are tyingyour laces, go around the looptwice. This discouraged slip-page and the lace can be untiedby just pulling the end.

This spring or summer, ifyou visit a river lock, or drive by

a lock-and-dam you may seeriver barges. Think green whenyou see a barge on a river. Onebarge carries as much as 16 railcars or 70 (!) semitrailer trucks!

For your picnic outings, hereis a recipe for a sandwich fillingyou may not have tried.

Hawaiian Ham Sandwich Spread

1 c. ham, ground1/2 c. crushed pineapple, welldrained

1 T. brown sugar1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Mix well. Refrigerate. Enjoyit on bread of your choice.Remember to keep your sand-wiches cool if you are picnicking.

MAY 2013 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

Beef store is now open! Sat. 9-4 or by appointment

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

Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park

815.895.4691 • 1-877-FOR-FDBASample Packs make great gifts!

Women’s CornerBy Louise Johnson

Women’s Committee Chair

FOR SALE

Farmland, 5.25 acres, 2 mileseast of Maple Park, nestledamong farmland & establishedhomes. Peaceful atmosphere,buildable. Call: 630 513 5511

John Deere 660 hay rake andJohn Deere 3020. Call: 847-464-5120

20 & 40 yard truckloads of kilndried sawdust for animal bed-ding. $150 & $250. First loadfree. Call Tom White, 630 4435353

Farm for sale by owner. 62 acres,56 acres tillable. Near Granartand Chicago Ave. Little Rock,Kendall County. No structures.Call: Paul 630-715-9282 or Nick941-730-8660

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

WANTED

Will pick up for free unwanted orold snowmobiles. Also buyingolder Polaris snowmobiles 1977& 1978 TXL & 1979 TX’s CallJon, 630-254-9446

Want to buy – vintage & usedtools Call Chris, 630 550 7182

Gun buy back for Kane countyresidents only. $50.00 Visa cardfor any gun turned in. Funds pro-vided by The Jennifer C. FlahertyMemorial Fund. Call forProcessing, 815/600-0305. Stateof Illinois Protocol followed.

HELP WANTED

Friendly Sugar Grove dentaloffice is seeking a part time, longterm receptionist. Prefer mature,detail oriented, responsible,friendly, organized individual tobecome a part of our alreadywonderful team. Please callLaura, 630 466 4511

CLASSIFIED AD RATESClassified advertising rates: 20cents per word/$10 minimum (50word max). DISCOUNTS for mem-bers: 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

Find out more www. kanecfb.com

Each month, Kane CountyFarm Bureau honors the personor persons who sign the mostmembers into our organization.This month we would like tocongratulate Jonathan Gonzalezand Bob Riedel. Jonathan andBob both signed five new mem-bers to be named top recruiter.

Jonathan Gonzalez has beenan agent with COUNTRY’s St.Charles/Elgin Agency sinceMarch 2010. Jonathan servicesclients from his office at 1814Grandstand Place, Elgin, 60123.Jonathan may be reached at847-742-0001.

Bob Riedel has been anagent with COUNTRY’s St.Charles/Elgin Agency since

2003. Bob services clients fromhis office at 501 W Main Street,West Dundee, 60118. Bob maybe reached at 847-428-5768.

As a token of our apprecia-tion, Jonathan and Bob willeach receive two tickets to theCharlestowne Movie Theater.Thank you both for your contin-ued support of the Kane CountyFarm Bureau and congratula-tions on your success.

Recruiter of the Month

What’s new in the COUNTRY agencies?

“Helping to keep America Picked up for 45 years”

A SLICE OF LIFEBy Ryan Klassy, Information Director

R. RiedelJ. Gonzalez

1. Sugar Grove farmer Bruce Nagel brought in a disc, planter,sprayer, combine, grain cart and two tractors so Touch-A-Tractor visitors could see the modern farm machines used inevery stage of the soil preparation, growing and harvestprocess.

2. Tractors, farm animals and a 1921 Model T Truck wereamong the attractions at Touch-A-Tractor, Kane County FarmBureau’s annual community event in April.

4. Pro chainsaw carver Michael Bihlmaier carved a likeness ofthe historic Teeple Barn in Elgin and other farm scenes into amaple on the KCFB lawn. The carving commemorates thechanges that have taken place in Kane County agriculture in the100 years since Kane County Farm Bureau was formed.

4. After learning about the machines used to grow corn manyof the youngsters at Touch-A-Tractor took a turn playing at thekiddie pool filled with two bushels of last year’s crop.

5. Twelve of this year’s 26 KCFB Foundation scholarship recip-ients attended a scholarship ceremony at the conclusion ofTouch-A-Tractor. Read about theseag leaders of tomorrow on page 4.

6. Isaiah Cherney, 7, of Berwyn isthe winner of the FREE Pedal TractorDrawing at Touch-A-Tractor, heldApril 5-7 at Kane County FarmBureau. Congratulations Isaiah! TheFarm Bureau thanks AmericanHobbies and Merchandising of St.Charles and Sales Manager GreggWarren for donating the pedal tractorfor this year’s drawing, which attract-ed hundreds of entries.

Hundreds of familiesenjoyed a day on the lawn

at the Kane County FarmBureau amidst modern farmmachinery and 17 antique trac-tors brought in from all over thecounty. The 8th annual eventhas become a tradition formany locals and the perfectway to welcome spring andlearn about the job farmers do.

KCFB Ag LiteracyCoordinator Suzi Myers waspleased with the turnout. “It’shugely important to help edu-cate people about agriculture,”Myers said. “We have peoplecome from the city of Chicago

for this.” Myers noted, “Youjust don’t get the idea from theroad how big these machinesare. It’s fun to see kids get upon the combine and they feellike they can see the wholeworld.”

Go to kanecfb.comfor more of Myers’comments and footagefrom the event, whichwas featured on “ThisWeek in Agribusiness”with Max Armstrongand Orion Samuelson.

Touch-A-Tractor vis-itors got the first chancefor tickets in the 2013

Winner’s Choice Raffle andchecked out two of the grandprize options – a 1921 FordModel T Huckster ProduceTruck or a John Deere X500riding lawn mower. The draw-ing for the KCFB Foundation

fundraiser will be held later thisyear, on September 13 at theKCFB Centennial Celebration.

Professional tree carverMichael Bihlmaier of Marengomade a return appearance andcarved farm scenes for a tribute

to KCFB’s Centennial as spec-tators looked on. Weekendattendance was estimated ataround 2,000 people. If youmissed this year’s event – put inon your calendar for April2014!

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER MAY 2013

Find out more www.

kanecfb.com

Touch-A-Tractor welcomes thousands to KCFB grounds

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See younext year!

Many volunteers contribute to the success of Touch-A-Tractor. The bringing together of families, the smiles on

the faces of the kids...and the farmers, who are rightly proudof their profession, made it all worthwhile!

Special thanks to the title sponsor of the 8th Annual Touch-A-Tractor, Buck Bros. Inc. of Hampshire. Also providing sup-port for the event through Centennial sponsorships, COUN-TRY Financial, Kane County Cougars and Conserv FS. Farmequipment for the 2013 event, and since its inception, hasbeen generously provided by Bruce Nagel of Sugar Grove.

Kane County Farm Bureau and our Foundation also offerthanks to the following, for making equipment available, fordemonstrations, help with set-up and staffing during the eventand otherwise assisting in the success of this farm-city rela-tions program. Without your help, Touch-A-Tractor wouldnot be possible.

Jeff BornemannCraig & Angie BradleyFrank CarlsonBill CollinsChris CollinsNicole CollinsBeth EngelMike KenyonKarl KettlekampAlbert Lenkaitis Jr.Wayne SchneiderLisa GeislerAlan VolppJoe & Bonnie WhiteBob GehrkeGladys Arnold Ray & Cathy SodomaFlo DangeloLouise JohnsonNancy MeyerPaul & Mary DiehlDavid Marshall

John BiddleAndy LenkaitisSteve SchrammChase BornemannJoe GorenzGrace FabriziusCecilia NassJim NassBurlington Central FFAKaneland FFABuck Bros.Primrose Farm – Kirk

BunkeMooseheart Farms –

Brad KriegelBruce NagelDennis BoyleLes KlecknerCurtis MarschinkeBernice ManessErwin PanzerLeonard Panzer

Mark PossJerry SwansonJJ SwansonKrysie SwansonRobert SwansonCharles WoodruffDave WerdinJim & Deloris O’ConnellHeather RowlettJohn & Nan LongJim ReynoldsPaul NeppermanAmerican Hobbies &

MerchandisingCOUNTRY Financial

representativesKane Dupage Soil &

Water ConservationDistrict

Nutrients for Life

Thank you...

FermilabFarmers

Potluck PicnicSaturday, May 4,

Noon-3pm

RSVP to 630-840-3491

Scholarship provides $1,000 fortuition and fees for a student pur-suing higher education in anagriculture related career field.This marks the twelfth year thescholarship has been awarded. Itis made possible by a generousgift from the family and friendsof John Buck, who establishedthe Buck Brothers, Inc. JohnDeere dealership in Hampshirein 1977. The scholarship is avail-able to any student in the sevencounty service area around theBuck Bros./J.W.Turf John Deeredealership in Hampshire.

Scholarship(continued from page 3)