Carroll County Farm Bureau

By Chastity Welch, Farm Bureau Manager

Next week is already the Carroll County Fair. Where has summer gone? This will be our fifth year of co-sponsoring the Children’s Farm at the fair. We will be there on Wednesday, August 10 from noon until 7 p.m.; Thursday and Friday from 4:30-7:30 p.m., and Saturday from noon until 5 p.m. The Young Leaders will be hosting a Pedal Pull near the hospitality tent on Saturday. Registration will start at 12:30 p.m. with the pull at 1 p.m.

New this year the Young Leaders along with the 4-H will be sponsoring our first ever Ag Olympics. So far registration has been quite slow which is expected the first year. Once everyone sees how much fun we are having they will be sure to sign up next year. There will be six crazy and fun games with prizes going to the first 3 teams in each age division.

As you see here in the paper, this year was a record year for the Young Leader Harvest for All. We are fortunate enough to have a great group of upcoming leaders in our county. They are ambitious, have a vision, and are looking out for the industry and society. And better yet they put up with me! We have also increased the number of Young Leaders involved in the county which will benefit us all down the road. They thank you for all of your support that you give them.

Illinois farmers are always looking for opportunities to support agriculture education. Even though Newsweek’s blog listing earlier this summer indicated that four degrees in food production made the list of the “20 Most Useless Degrees” that doesn’t stop farmers from taking the future of agriculture in their own hands. The writer of the listing implies that there is too little job growth or money earned in the fields of horticulture (No. 2), agriculture (No. 3), nutrition (No. 10), and animal science (No. 20) to justify a degree.

Fortunately, Illinois farmers look beyond negative job outlooks and continue to support classes for future farmers, veterinarians, and nutritionists. That’s why farmers across the state have created Illinois Farm Bureau Policy #9, Higher Education. In part, it reads:

We will support:

1. Retention and enhancement of agricultural curriculum and research at institutions of higher learning.
2. A coordinated long-range plan developed by the state institutions of higher learning to maintain quality agricultural education and research facilities.
3. Continued efforts to recover principal and interest from persons who have defaulted on their government-backed guaranteed student loans.
4. Student loan programs
5. Co-curricular agricultural organizations, which allow hands-on experience for students to further develop their leadership skills. Organizations such as these help to foster our next generation of agriculture leaders.

Agriculture education helps students continue farming’s commitment to growing healthy food and caring for animals, despite casual job predictions. Farmers show their support by creating grassroots policies like the one above. To learn more about how policies are created or to read the entire Policy #9, call our office, or visit www.ilfb.org.

Farm Bureau Classifieds

Carroll County Farm Bureau members can place up to two (2) free classified ads per week, with a limit of 250 characters per ad (not including spaces). Ads are limited to personal or farm items for sale/wanted to buy, or farm labor or services available or wanted. No ads for the sale or rental of real estate, garage sales, or commercial businesses will be accepted. To place an ad, call the Farm Bureau office at (815) 244-3001 by noon Friday to get your ad in the following week's paper.

FS: 1997 27 ft 5th wheel camper, Dutchman Royal. 1 slide out 8ft, very clean. $6,250 OBO Thomson area (563)212-8089

FS: Boat Motor, 1989 Evinrude-50 HP, Runs good. Comes with: 2 (6 gallon) Gas Tanks, 2 props, and controls $650.00 Please call (563)212-3032 cell phone

FS: 1979 Harley Davidson XLS Sportster, 1000CC, runs good and well kept. $2,200 815-291-7862

FS: Baldwin Electric Organ that works. Moving must sell $50 815-291-7862

FS: 1986 16 ft. Star Craft Boat with live well, deep hull boat has a 1989 – 45 hp marina motor with power trim, boat has a 1983 shoreline trailer with it, has 13” tires, 815-631-2581

FS: 6 ft. slate pool table and accessories, $125 obo, 27” color tv with remote and corner stand, $35, ph 815-493-9981

FS: RADA Cutlery- 100% Guaranteed & made in USA available locally from representative Linda Eads 815-244-9539 Large assortment of Knives-Gift Sets- Cookbooks-Soy Candles-Stone Cookware & Packaged Appetizer, dessert & etc. Mixes. Call for a new Catalog. *All proceeds go to Missions.

FS: Sturdy dog house $30 815-493-9023

FS: Happy Hens Healthy Eggs- Multi Colored will deliver 815-275-2806

FS: Rose of Sharon bushes 2-3 feet tall $3 each 815-493-9981

FS: 30 fishing rods and reels, spinning ultra lite spin casting. Assorted fishing and boating items-priced to sell. 815-493-9981

FS: Pool items- Pump, filter, ladder, solar cover, etc. 815-493-2921

FS: Big Big Man Recliner. Was $900 new, asking $450. Reason for sale is redecorating. 815-864-2603

FS: All are Tiffany lamps. 1 large hanging $150 each. Small hanging $125 each. 2 table lamps $150 each. All like new 815-864-2603

FS: Smokercraft boat 16ft deep haul, $800. 24in Huffy Purple Bike, $40. 20in Mongoose Bike, $40. Big Trampoline, $90. Queen Ann coffee table & 2 end tables of solid wood, $250. 4ft across entertainment center $60. 815-684-5419