BY HANNAH SPANGLER
Illinois Farm Bureau’s Adopt-A-Legislator program continues to serve as a vital link between urban lawmakers and rural communities.
Christina Nourie, IFB’s northeast legislative coordinator, said ten county Farm Bureaus met with their adopted legislators throughout the spring and summer to discuss important issues such as the farm economy, the Family Farm Preservation Act (FFPA) and a possible energy bill with legislators ahead of the Oct. 14 veto session.
“These visits have helped legislators become much more familiar with the issues facing agriculture,” Nourie told FarmWeek. “Thank you to all of the county farm bureaus who reached out to their adopted legislators this year. Your efforts to strengthen these valuable connections have not gone unnoticed.”
Rep. Nabeela Syed has become a co-sponsor of the FFPA as a result of her growing relationship with the Henry County Farm Bureau. This is the second consecutive year the county has been able to participate in a county and district visit with Syed.
Coming from an urban district with very few farms, Syed, D-Palatine, said she views the Adopt-A-Legislator program as a valuable learning opportunity, helping her understand how legislation may impact farmers, their families and rural communities. She added that the program has connected her with people she can turn to when agricultural-related issues arise in the House.
“It strengthens my resolve in some of these matters, where it makes it easier for me to advocate for something when I know very tangibly how it might be impacting people beyond my district,” Syed said.
To help her gain a deeper understanding of farming, the Henry County Farm Bureau launched a project called “Nabeela’s Acre.” Henry CFB Vice President Brian Corkill set aside one acre of crops for Syed to follow as a virtual farmer. She visited the site in the spring to learn about the planting process, input costs and overall management. Throughout the growing season, Corkill has sent her regular video updates showing the work being done on the acre.
Sadie Asher, a Henry CFB board member, was the creative mind behind adding a “Flat Nabeela” to the adopt an acre experience. The small cardboard cutout of Syed often joins in on various farming activities. From riding in a combine to sitting in a helicopter used for cover crop seeding, Flat Nabeela helps Syed visualize the daily realities of farm life from afar.
“I care deeply about representing the interests of my district. But it is tough, as a legislator, you have to be careful about how you're impacting people across the street and what might be going on outside of your neck of the woods,” Syed said. “Henry County Farm Bureau has very much helped me in that process.”
With harvest season underway, Nourie encouraged county farm bureaus to schedule fall farm visits with their adopted legislators and begin planning for outreach during IFB’s Annual Meeting in December. She also shared recaps from spring and summer visits, highlighting the variety of ways counties have built meaningful relationships through the Adopt-A-Legislator program so far this year.
Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau
Members of the Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau were invited by their adopted legislator, Rep. Terra Costa Howard, D-Glen Ellyn, to visit the College of DuPage horticulture department and Glenbard East High School. During their tour of the high school, the farmers saw improvements to the school as well as advancements in their environmental science and FFA programs. Members toured the high school a few years ago with Rep. Costa Howard when the FFA program was newly created. Since then, farmers from Cass and Morgan counties have been able to connect with suburban students and discuss potential careers in agriculture with them.
Champaign County Farm Bureau
In the spring, Champaign County Farm Bureau welcomed Rep. Hoan Huynh, D-Chicago, for his first Adopt-A-Legislator farm tour. Along with Huynh’s staff, they discussed legislative issues over lunch and paid a visit to the Hortin family’s farm to learn about spring planting. Sen. Paul Faraci, D-Champaign, also joined the group for a tour of Total Grain Marketing. The county farm bureau shared on social media this day was a reminder of “how important it is to connect our leaders with the people who grow and raise the food we all depend on.”
Edgar County Farm Bureau
The Edgar County Farm Bureau had two visits with Sen. Mike Porfirio this year. In the spring, Porfirio, D-Bridgeview, participated in a planting tour and tractor ride on a family farm. He also visited a Pioneer Seed processing facility and sheep farm, and had lunch with several Edgar County farmers.
Toward the end of summer, Edgar County Farm Bureau members traveled north to visit Porfirio’s district and learn more about his community. The group toured the Bridgeview Community Center and Wintrust Sports Complex, and also visited Prairie Materials to gain insight into local concrete operations.
Fayette County Farm Bureau
This summer, the Fayette County Farm Bureau spent a day touring the district of its newly adopted legislator, Sen. Graciela Guzman, D-Chicago. The group met Guzman over lunch at a Salvadoran restaurant, where they were joined by neighboring Sen. Omar Aquino, D-Chicago. In the afternoon, the tour included stops at a local food pantry, a city high school’s agricultural program, and Global Gardens, an urban farm that provides gardening opportunities and fresh produce to the diverse neighborhoods in Guzman’s district.
Ford-Iroquois County Farm Bureau
The Ford-Iroquois County Farm Bureau hosted its adopted legislator, Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel, D-Crest Hill, for a summer visit. She was joined by Sen. Chris Balkema, R-Channahon, and Rep. Jason Bunting, R-Emington. The group toured Heritage FS, Inc. in Gilman, where Cappel learned about the science and care involved in applying herbicides and soil nutrients to farm fields. They also visited One Earth Energy in Gibson City, where Cappel learned about the ethanol production process and the company’s carbon capture expansion project.
Mason County Farm Bureau
Adopted legislator Rep. Harry Benton, D-Plainfield, paid a visit to Mason County in May. Benton, a co-sponsor of the FFPA, participated in a ride-along at Matt and Courtney Sandidge’s farm. He also toured Hodgson’s Produce and Greenhouse, and wrapped up the day learning about conservation practices at the Gilson family farm. “We appreciate his interest in agriculture and support of Illinois family farms,” posted Mason CFB on social media.
McLean County Farm Bureau
Adopted legislator Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet, participated in two visits with the McLean County Farm Bureau this year. During the county’s fall visit to Jones’ district, members spent the day visiting numerous important community spots and learning about many upcoming projects. Tour stops included a library, police station, South Suburban College’s recycling center and the grand opening of a new grocery store.
Jones also visited the county this summer, during the McLean County Fair. Joined by students in the Calumet City Youth Program and local farmers, Jones was able to take a tour of the fair. McLean County Farm Bureau has one of the longest-running Adopt-a-Legislator partnerships.
Menard County Farm Bureau
Members of the Menard County Farm Bureau traveled to the West Side of Chicago in June to co-host “Beef Up the Block,” a community block party, with their adopted legislator, state Rep. Camille Lilly, D-Chicago, and Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park. Menard County farmers grilled farm-fresh beef and gave Lilly’s constituents a chance to meet people behind Illinois agriculture. The event aimed to build connections between urban residents and rural producers while highlighting the importance of local food systems.
LaSalle County Farm Bureau
Sen. Lakesia Collins, D-Chicago, brought student interns along for her Adopt-a-Legislator visit to LaSalle County in July. The group toured the LaSalle County Fairgrounds and got a firsthand look at 4-H fair life, where kids were showing cows, chickens and other livestock. LaSalle County Farm Bureau President David Isermann and Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader Chair Stephen Riskedal also joined her during the visit. “Everyone from LaSalle County Farm Bureau, I mean it when I say you all touch so many lives in Illinois with the vital work you do,” Collins shared on social media. “I am so lucky to consider you all like family.”
Content for this story was provided by FarmWeekNow.com.