Enhance the quality of life for member families; Promote agriculture, farms & food; and, Advocate good stewardship of our land and resources. VOL. 81 NO. 8 AUGUST 2016 Educators discover importance of Agriculture By Susie Thompson waterways have on transporting and educated our group on the their lesson plans to incorporate on this session and hearing the On Tuesday morning, June goods around the country. The hydroponic process. The green - the agricultural knowledge and unique takeaways each educator 28th, 2016, ten instructors from group learned that barges take house is powered by solar ener - experiences they gained had was truly eye opening. a wide range of educational approximately 1 1/2 miles to gy, and uses rain water as their throughout the week. Sitting in (continued on page 3) institutes gathered together for a come to a complete halt, and it main source to hydrate the four day long seminar, known as takes the crew 2-3 hours to tomato plants in the greenhouse. Photos, top to bottom: Summer Ag Institute II (SAI II). unload the barge and send it Mighty Vine has begun to build Susie Thompson Summer Ag Institutes are back on the water, a very strate - a second 7.5 acre greenhouse, Mighty Vine in Rochelle supports the fight designed for educators who are gic and rigorous process. From identical to their current facility, for hunger at the Northern Illinois Food looking to expand their Morris the group travelled to the which will be completed this Bank. The teachers in KCFB’s SAI II get the curriculum to include one of our Northern Illinois Food Bank in fall. Mighty Vine takes great opportunity to tour both as part of the nation’s largest industries: agri - Geneva. Here our group attend - pride in exclusively stocking “Hungry Planet” curriculum, earning culture. The theme for 2016 ed a workshop where we learned their product in local grocery graduate credits or CPDU’s for their atten - SAI II was “Hungry Planet.” devastating facts about hunger stores. “The best food is grown dence. They even got the chance to see Participants gathered at the right here in Kane County. closest to home,” stated Mighty Vine donating some of their toma - Kane County Farm Bureau on According to the National Murphy. From Rochelle, the toes to the Tuesday to learn about the School Lunch Program, 69 Kane group headed towards Northern Illinois growing world population and County schools have 50% or Waterman, where the Monsanto Food Bank. decreasing resources available more children receiving free or Research Plant is located. Our to feed nine billion people by reduced priced meals – that’s group visited various parts of The Teachers in the year 2050. With diminishing 57% of total schools in our the operation, from the ento - SAI II take a closer means to produce enough food, county. More than 129,000 mology room (where various look at the corn agriculturalists have been work - meals were served to hungry insects are grown and studied) crop at the ing on innovative strategies to children and families at 30 to the greenhouses where crops Monsanto Re - generate more food using fewer unique sites around Kane are monitored and studied for search facility in resources. These teachers County during the 2015-2016 research. Finally, our van trav - Waterman. At the ranged from kindergarten and school year. As a group, we were elled to our last destination: research facility, college level, to librarians and able to discuss with the work - Feed My Starving Children in the scientists test high school counselors. While shop presenter our personal Aurora. FMSC is a non-profit the resistance of seeds to certain diseases in corn crops. there may have been a diverse experiences with NIFB pro - organization committed to feed - group of educators gathered grams and how their impact has ing malnourished children together, all ten had one thing in greatly contributed to feeding across the globe. In just two common: furthering their edu - our growing planet. hours, we helped package over cation in agriculture to share Thursday morning our group 110 boxes, which held almost with their students. loaded up to head to our first 4,000 meals! In just a couple Tuesday included presenta - site of the day: Mighty Vine. weeks, these meals will be tions from Illinois Ag in the Located in Rochelle, this hydro - delivered to famished children Classroom Education Specialist ponic tomato farm had over in Burkina Faso, a country Brad Banning, as well as from 100,000 plants in their 7.5 acre located in West Africa. our very own Suzi Myers. These greenhouse – that’s larger than To wrap up an eventful week, thought provoking lessons pro - five football fields combined! all ten participants gathered vided participants with the basic Mighty Vine Vice-President together with KCFB AG background knowledge on Danny Murphy gave us a grand Literacy Coordinator Suzi world hunger, to prepare them tour of the enormous facility, Myers on Friday and presented for the next three days of travel and discovery. On Wednesday, we travelled to Dresden Lock and Dam, Opportunity for Farm Bureau travel located in Morris. We toured the Tournament of Roses Parade – Sunset Strip, Hollywood Walk the heart of central Europe Netherlands, Germany, France facility and learned the impact December 30-January 3, 2017 of Fame, the Farmers Market aboard the exclusively chartered and Switzerland, including 2 This FUN travel experience and much more. river ship the MV Emerald nights in Lucerne. Price varies DATES TO REMEMBER includes many highlights! The tour includes round Belle. per cabin selection. You will have the T trip airfare, round trip Enjoy a complete itinerary Please contact the Kane he airport transfers, with this 11 day trip! County Farm Bureau for more August chance to visit to the Northe float barns and see rn Illinois four nights accom - Destinations include: the information @ 630-584-8660. August 4 Far select floats as they m Bureau modations at the Board of Directors, 7:30pm s are being construct - present Double Tree Hotel August 6 ed. On Rose Parade 2 Torrance! The cost Pokémon Go craze brings Summer Nights at day, watch the fun trave is $2,299.00 per per - Brookfield Zoo parade with top cate - l son, based on double options! visitors to KCFB lawn August 5-6 gory grandstand seats on occupancy. By now we’re sure everyone cal creatures), and digitally bat - Young Farmers Kane- West Colorado, while enjoy - Romantic Rhine and Mosel in the world has heard in some tle with other “trainers.” The Champaign County Exchange ing a boxed lunch! Other high - River Cruise – departure date is way about the new Pokémon game itself is widely popular September 21, 2017 August 11-21 lights include a wonderful tour Go, which has with all age Illinois State Fair, Springfield of greater Los Angeles encom - There is no better way to gone viral to say groups, as you passing: Santa Monica, Bel- experience the Rhine and Mosel the least. The have probably August 16 Air/Beverly Hills, Rodeo Drive, Rivers than by cruising through Ag Day & Young Farmers Quiz game, produced by noticed groups of Bowl at State Fair Nintendo, was children, teens, and August Featured Product released in the young adults, wan - Last day to order Peaches Pork Back Ribs United States on Screenshot dering around August 25 Wednesday, July from Tech Insider downtown areas, The special for August is Meaty Pork Back Ribs. These are Peach Pick Up, 2-6 6th. The smartphone game parks, museums, and other pub - meaty ribs and have been described as a “pork chop on a stick.” allows players to use their lic places with their eyes glued Each 5.5 pound box contains a 2.75 lb. slab and 2 slabs per package phone’s GPS to find and catch to their phones. of uncooked, unseasoned ribs. We are selling each delicious box Pokémon (monster-like mythi - (continued on page 3) $25.00 for members and $23.50 for PLUS members and $28.00 for non-members. Available for the month of August at the Kane County Farm Bureau, Randall Rd. and Oak Street in St. Charles. It’s Peach Order time! Order yours on page 8. PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER AUGUST 2016 KCFB Board Review July 7 Foundation scholarship recipi - heard reports from Kane County PR/Member ship Chair Bill June 21-24 in Arizona. The July meeting of the ent and member of the Young Board, Forest Preserve District, Collins announced the A Young Farmers update was Kane County Farm Bureau Farmers Committee. He is County Ag Committee and Committee’s August 6 promo - provided, including their Board of Directors was called to employed as a Grain Originator Zoning Board of Appeals. tion at the Brookfield Zoo’s upcoming meeting on July 18th, order at 7:30 pm. Michael Long for CHS Elburn. President Joe White reported “Summer Nights” and took the Agri-Quiz Bowl at the of Big Rock made a presenta - Directors deliv - on the pilot “direct- names of volunteers attending. Illinois State Fair, the County tion on his participation in the ered their monthly mail appeals” pro - He also reported on the Harvest exchange (Champaign) and AFA (Agriculture Future of reports and dis - gram of the KCFB for ALL promotion to benefit County Fair activities. America) program visit to cussed past activities Foundation, trial local food pantries. Steve Arnold gave a report on Bolivia, December 27-January including the Dairy memberships for Government Affairs Chair the County Fair to be held on 1. The trip was the capstone to Breakfast at Drendel KCFB Foundation Wayne Schneider discussed July 20-24 and circulated a sign- Michael’s four years of leader - Farm on June 18, the scholarship recipi - County Fair promotions, ideas up sheet for volunteers.