Franklin County Farm Bureau News

From Gay Bowlin – Franklin County Farm Bureau Manger 

BENTON – Our FB Act Appreciation Dinner last Tuesday evening at the Benton Elks was well attended and the food was amazing. Kevin Semlow, Director of State Legislation from the Illinois Farm Bureau came and spoke letting everyone know what is going on in the state and in Washington. He was very informative and everyone enjoyed hearing what he had to say.

A special thanks goes out to the Elks Club and everyone that helped to serve and to cook the great meal and also to all of our sponsors for the evening – Franklin County COUNTRY Financial Representatives, Consolidated Grain and Barge, Southern FS, Dow-DuPont and Farm Credit Services.

Franklin County Young Leaders Pork Loin Sale

JUST IN TIME FOR EASTER DINNER

FRANKLIN COUNTY FARM BUREAU YOUNG LEADERS

ARE TAKING ORDERS FOR SMOKED PORK LOIN.

READY FOR PICK-UP ON MARCH 28 & 29 –

½ LOIN – $35             FULL LOIN – $50

SEE A FCFB YOUNG LEADER OR CALL (618) 435-3616

Orders must be in by March 21

(ALL PROFIT WILL BE USED FOR COUNTY SCHOLARSHIPS)

The Foundation Scholarship and the Young Leaders Scholarships are available to anyone attending a post-secondary school to study in an agriculture related field.  All applicants must be a resident of Illinois and must be a Franklin County Farm Bureau Member or dependent in good standing.

The Foundation and the Young Leaders will both award scholarships based on: Academic performance and honors, rank in class, ACT/SAT score, community involvement, demonstrating an interest in agriculture and/or agribusiness, character and personality, maturity, intellectual interest, moral character and demonstration of leadership skills.

Applications must be returned to the Franklin County Farm Bureau no later than April 5, 2018 to be eligible for consideration for the 2018 scholarships.

Applications are available now and can be picked up the at the Franklin County Farm Bureau Building at 1210 Highway 14 West in Benton send to you by email. Call the office at (618) 435-3616 if you have any questions.

Farmers and ranchers still have time to be counted in the 2017 Census of Agriculture, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Although the first deadline has just passed, NASS will continue to accept Census information through the spring to get a complete and accurate picture of American agriculture that represents all farmers and ranchers.

“We thank everyone who has completed their Census to date. We currently have a return rate of just over 40 percent of the 3 million Census questionnaires mailed last fall,” said NASS Administrator Hubert Hamer. “A lot is at stake if producers are not represented in this data. Census data have and will continue to influence important decisions for American agriculture. The data will affect every operation and every farming community at some point, whether it be through farm policy, disaster relief, insurance or loan programs, infrastructure improvements, or agribusiness setup. There is accuracy and strength in numbers, which is why NASS is committed to giving producers every opportunity to respond.”

Federal law mandates that everyone who received the 2017 Census of Agriculture questionnaire complete it and return it even if not currently farming. NASS will continue to follow-up with producers through the spring with mailings, phone calls, and personal visits. To avoid these additional contacts, farmers and ranchers are encouraged to complete their Census either online at www.agcounts.usda.gov or by mail as soon as possible. Responding online saves time by skipping sections that do not apply and automatically calculating totals. The online questionnaire is accessible on desktops, laptops, and mobile devices.

For more information about the 2017 Census of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov. For questions or assistance filling out the Census, call toll-free (888) 424-7828.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.