Don’t forget this Friday, the 15th, is our Annual Membership Appreciation Breakfast. We will be serving from 6:30-10:30 a.m. There will be pancakes, whole hog sausage, hashbrowns, and eggs. The Board of Directors and Women’s Committee will be busy cooking and COUNTRY Financial will be busy bussing tables and assisting. Don’t forget your postcard as that is your key to enter for door prizes.

This year there is a change to the Carroll County Fair grandstand schedule. There will not be a rodeo this year, which lead to the Young Leaders deciding against doing a sheep rodeo. I have no idea for sure how many years they have done the sheep rodeo, but I want to go out on a limb and say for 15 years! I remember in the early years when they would let whoever signed up ride and the first year I watched it there were some 40 plus kids! Wow did that make for a long show. This year to replace the sheep rodeo, the Young Leaders are teaming up with the 4-H to offer an Ag Olympics. The idea had been kicked around in the past and this year we are going for it.

The Ag Olympics will take place on Thursday, August 11 from 5:30 -7 p.m. in the 4-H Horse Arena. There will be four different age divisions: ages 8-11; 12-14; 15-19; and 20+. Cost is $10 per team, with 4 participants on each team, and entry forms can be picked up at our office, in the fair book, or from the Extension office. There will be six different activities that the teams will compete in. So gather up your friends and come join us for a fun night of zany, crazy games!

We are down to only a few seats left if you have not reserved your seats for the Cubs/Brewers game on Saturday, August 27. We will be in the loge outfield section 206. Cost is $70 for members and $75 for non-members. The game starts at 6:10 p.m. and we will be leaving at 1:45 p.m. So call today and join us for a great game at Miller Park.

Going Local & Your Grassroots Policy

“Buying local” may be the hot, new buzz phrase, but Illinois farmers have supported this concept for decades. These farmers have created promotional efforts, education outreach, and grassroots policies that encourage the consumption and development of fresh and processed foods grown in Illinois. To support local agriculture, Illinois Farm Bureau’s members created policy #63 – Development of New Uses and New Markets. Part of this farmer-driven policy reads:

We will:

Help develop promotional programs for businesses and restaurants that use U.S.-produced commodities in their daily business and support efforts to develop programs which encourage consumption of Illinois-grown farm products.
Support efforts to develop new local marketing points for specialty crops.

Support promoting the use of Illinois-grown produce in Illinois schools and state-funded institutions.

You can learn how consumer trends, like buying local, impact all of Illinois agriculture by attending the Illinois Farm Bureau Commodities Conference, “Local to Global: Knowledge Is Power.” The conference is on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 in Normal. For details or to register, call our office or visit www.ilfb.org.