In 2011, Farm Heroes Told Their Own Tales

We often think of heroes as mysterious and untouchable people. The same can be said about farmers. Unfortunately, the more mysterious farmers are, the more likely people are to misunderstand how and why farmers do things. Today, Illinois Farm Bureau members are leaving behind their secret identities and joining new conversations with consumers.

Talked with Children
Wow! More than ½ million school children learned about farming this year. That's 1 in 4 students! Thanks to lesson plans, teacher training, farmer-classroom pen pals, and thousands of volunteer hours, Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom gave students a factual, curriculum-based look at where their food, fuel, and fiber come from.

Illinois Farm Bureau stepped out of the classroom, too. IFB joined other farm groups in sponsoring the "Farmer's Little Helper" exhibit at the Illinois State Fair. This hands-on experience let tiny tots harvest and market their goods, just like real farmers.

Talked with Teens
Did you know 90% of Illinois students who take agriculture classes don't live on a farm? In fact, three of the largest FFA chapters in the nation are in Chicago. That is why during this year's Illinois Farm Bureau's Youth Education in Agriculture (YEA!) Conference, 450 high school juniors not only learned more about farming, but were also taught how to share what they know with consumers. They created videos with positive messages about today's farmers and farming community.  

Talked with Consumers
This year, Illinois Farm Bureau expanded its Regional Advertising Committees, reaching more consumers with new types of advertising. Using radio, television, and even billboard, IFB filled 85% of Illinois' media markets with messages that farmers care.

IFB teamed up with other farm groups to kick the Illinois Farm Families (IFF) coalition into high gear.  IFF's launched a three-month contest called Farmers Feed Us. It gave away free groceries to two lucky winners and introduced Illinois farmers and a new website, watchusgrow.org, to thousands more. IFF also created a unique program where seven Chicago-area moms visited farmers and wrote about their experiences.

Talked with Agribusinesses
This year, Illinois Farm Bureau narrowed that knowledge gap between farmers and agribusinesses by hosting 130 meetings and farm tours - that's one every three days! IFB shared with agribusiness and food company leaders how farmers care for their animals, concerns about input price, and much more. IFB also created a quarterly newsletter that provides company executives with news and facts about farming's trending topics.