On February 8, 2008, theKane County Farm Bureau willbe hosting its seventh annualFood Check-Out “Challenge,” aShopping Spree to benefit localfood pantries, at the BataviaJewel-Osco. Invited to competeare 43rd District State Repres-entative Ruth Munson of Elginand Circuit Judge Patricia P.Golden. They will race throughthe aisles to restock the shelvesof the local food pantries.

According to committeechairman Steve Pitstick ofMaple Park, both contestantswill be asked to represent a foodpantry of their choosing. “All ofthe groceries collected duringthe five minute spree are pur-chased by the Farm Bureau anddonated to the respective

pantries,” said Pitstick. “Pastshoppers have included StateSenators Chris Lauzen, SteveRauschenberger, John Millner,Linda Holmes and MikeNoland; State RepresentativesLinda Chapa-LaVia, PatLindner, and Tim Schmitz; cur-rent and former County BoardChairs Karen McConnaughayand Mike McCoy and Kane

County State’s Attorney JohnBarsanti,” he added.

Food Check-Out Day ismarked every year as the daywhen most Americans haveearned enough disposableincome to pay for all the foodthey eat – both at home andaway from home – for the entireyear. In the past few years, theaverage American earned

enough incomein only 37 daysto pay for allthe food con-sumed in oneyear. Typically,c o n s u m e r sspend just 10percent of theird i s p o s a b l eannual incomeon food. Thislow number is

thanks to the efficient efforts byAmerica’s farmers and ranchers,who work hard every day to pro-vide a safe, abundant and afford-able food supply.

VOL. 73 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2008

Kane County FarmerKane County Farmer

CALENDAROF EVENTS

February 1-2Farmland ProtectionConference, ElginCommunity CollegeFebruary 3-9National Food Check-OutWeekFebruary 5Board of Directors, 7:30 p.m.February 6National Food Check-Out DayFebruary 8Food Check-Out Challenge,10:30 am, Batavia JewelFebruary 11Water Testing Kits AvailableThrough 2/22February 11Lunches to LegislatorsFebruary 15Scholarship ApplicationsDue to the Kane CountyFarm BureauFebruary 15Governmental AffairsLeadership ConferenceRegistration DueFebruary 18Farmland Protection Sessionat DeKalb Co. Farm Bureau,7 p.m.February 19French Riviera DepartureMeeting, 6:30 p.m.February 25Water Testing Kits to bereturnedFebruary 26 & 27Governmental AffairsLeadership ConferenceFebruary 26-March 2Young Leaders Ag IndustryTour, Puerto RicoFebruary 28-March 10Vietnam Market Study TourMarch 4SPROUTS Meeting forVolunteers, 6:30 p.m. atSalerno’s

All meetings are at the Farm Bureau, 2N710Randall Rd., St. Charles, unless otherwise noted.

FEBRUARY SPECIAL

Bacon!Just in time to make your

sweetheart breakfast in bed –the special for February is a 21/2-pound box of bacon.There is nothing better thanthe aroma of smoked baconwafting through the house inthe morning. This is apple-wood double smoked bacon,delicious for breakfast or on aBLT sandwich for an easylunch. Each box will sell for$12.00 to M or A+ members,and $13.00 to A members.Enjoy!

Food Check-Out Challenge scheduled

Past Food Check-Out Challengecontestants have helped to stockthe shelves of local food pantrieswith over $10,000 in groceriesover the past six years. Included inthe list of public officials that haveparticipated is State Repres-entative Tim Schmitz (R-Batavia),shown in this 2005 Kane CountyFarmer file photo. The contestantsfor the Seventh Annual ShoppingSpree on February 8, 2008, are43rd District State RepresentativeRuth Munson of Elgin and CircuitJudge Patricia P. Golden.

Kane County FarmBureau honored by AFBF

American Farm BureauFederation (AFBF) PresidentBob Stallman of Texas present-ed a “County Activities ofExcellence Award” to the KaneCounty Farm Bureau duringAFBF’s Annual Meeting in NewOrleans, January 12-16. Theaward was one of only 5 pre-sented nationally in it category –Education and AgriculturalPromotion, and one of only 20programs in all recognized bythe national organization.

Kane County Farm Bureaureceived this award for its Redor Green Raffle in 2007. TheFoundation sponsored programfeatured a raffle, with a twist.Raffle tickets were sold to win arestored antique Farmall tractoror a new John Deere ridingmower. Both the Farmall tractorand the John Deere ridingmower were on display at festi-vals, fairs and parades to drawattention to the raffle. The draw-ing was held during the finalday of the Farm Bureau’s

Touch-A-Tractor event in 2007,with the winner having tochoose his prize. With nearly1,600 tickets sold, $14,000 wasraised for scholarships, localFFA chapters and Ag-in-the-Classroom programs. Both farmand non-farm, rural and subur-ban were attracted to the boththe Touch-A-Tractor event andthe raffle.

To promote the event tocounty and state Farm Bureaus,Kane County Farm Bureau vol-unteers attended the AFBF’s89th Annual Meeting in NewOrleans. In addition to staffing aRed or Green Raffle display atthe New Orleans ConventionCenter. The group lodged in theFrench Quarter near BourbonStreet, toured Louisiana agricul-ture sites, saw sites includingthe famed Garden District andthe aftermath of HurricanesKatrina and Rita and sampledthe unique Cajun and Creoleinfluence cuisine that helpedmake the city world famous.

The Kane County Farm Bureau was honored by the American FarmBureau Federation (AFBF) for it’s 2007 outstanding program inEducation and Agricultural Promotion, the Red or Green Tractor Raffle.Shown discussing the program from a display at the New OrleansConvention Center are, (l-r) Bonnie and Joe White of Elburn and BobGehrke of Elgin. The 89th Annual Meeting of the AFBF, America’slargest organization of farmers and ranchers, was held in New OrleansJanuary 12-16.

Scenes from New Orleans: Kane County Farm Bureau membersfound time for touring after the AFBF annual meeting including ataste of gumbo, jambalaya, blue crab and alligator sausage at theBayou Barn (left). At the last tour stop (below) members (l-r) GeneFeldott, Suzi Myers, Bob Gehrke, Joe White, Alan Volpp, BonnieWhite, Rhonda Lenkaitis and Albert Lenkaitis Jr. gathered atop theMississippi River levee to watch a cargo ship, (background) godownriver toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Look inside this issue for more New Orleans area photos.

Spring Market Outlook Breakfast

Monday, March 10, 7:45 a.m.Papa G’s Restaurant,

Route 47 ElburnGuest SpeakerMr. Joe Victor

V.P. – Marketing, AllendaleCommodities

An in-depth look at 2008commodity markets

from a recognized andrespected industry expert.$7 for Kane County Farm

Bureau “Farmer” members$12 for “Associate”

and other county FarmBureau members

$15 for non-members

French Riviera TourDeparture MeetingTuesday, February 19,

@ 6:30 p.m.You will receive your traveldocuments at this meeting.Please call Merry Pitstick at(630) 584-8660 if you are

unable to attend.

As we flip the calendar toFebruary, spring inches

closer. As farmers, you’re antic-ipating the season of planting.But here at your association,we’re in the midst of our busiestand most important season. Themeeting season. And just likethe neighbor down the road whorelies on your help with choreswhile the family is away onvacation, lend a hand at hayingor harvest or a myriad of otherways that farmers help oneanother, we also could use yourhelp. But for us, its more than aconvenience, it’s a necessity.

As a membership organiza-tion, we seek to provide information about farms andagriculture to members and thepublic, to build member benefit

and discount programs to retainmembers and to treat all ourmembers with dignity andrespect. Those are all things thatassociation staff can and shoulddo. As a Public Policy organiza-tion, however, our mission ismore difficult to achieve, andindeed is impossible without thehelp of members like you.

Over the last few years, wehave built strong relationshipswith our elected officials througha variety of avenues. Providingthem with lunches on FoodCheck-Out Day, and engagingthem in shopping sprees that ben-efit local food pantries are exam-ples in this month’s Farmer.Both programs have been verysuccessful. By establishing abond and dialogue with public

officials, we open the door whenan ear is needed on an importantissue. Similarly, the addition ofour Touch-A-Tractor OpenHouse in 2005 proved the needfor a Farm-City event to help oururban members (and non-mem-bers) learn more about wheretheir food comes from, and meetthe people who produce it.

But these programs, and oth-ers like them, need volunteers.Sometimes it’s a few hours ofyour time, others it’s lendingfarm equipment that otherwisewould be sitting in a machineshed. But always – it is for alegitimate purpose – advancingthe understanding of yourindustry and way of life to theother 98% of the population thatdoes not farm.

As you read this month’sFarmer (and for the farmers inour audience, the nextCultivator) I hope that you willfind member benefits that saveyou money and programs thatmake your farm more prof-itable. But I also implore you tolook for ways that you can con-

You receive the KaneCounty Farmer because youare a Farm Bureau member. Ifyou are a farm operator orowner, you benefit from alocal, state and national organ-ization committed to agricul-ture and your way of life.

If you do not have directties to farming, your member-ship helps promote local farmsand farming, encourage wiseuse of our limited naturalresources and preserve farm-land and our agricultural her-itage while allowing you toenjoy COUNTRY insuranceand the many other benefits ofone of Illinois’ premier mem-bership organizations.

We appreciate your mem-bership and continued supportand we welcome your com-ments on the content of theFarmer. We encourage you tomake recommendations aboutfarm, home, food, naturalresource, renewable energy oragricultural heritage and histo-ry related topics for inclusionin future issues of the Farmer.

PAGE 2 KANE COUNTY FARMER FEBRUARY 2008

Farm Bureau Board AttendanceSept. 2007 – August 2008

SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JLY AUG

R. Biddle X X X XB Collins * X X X XC. Collins X X X X XB. Engel X X X XG. Feldott X X X XG. Gaitsch X X XR. Gehrke X X X X XM. Kenyon X X X X XW. Kuipers X X X XD. Lehrer X X X XA Lenkaitis, Jr. X X XM. Pitstick X X XW. Schneider X X X XA. Volpp X X XJ. White X X X X X

* Attending the Farm Bureau Leaders to Washington program

TO YOURPROSPEROUS FUTURE

By Steve Arnold, Manager

Kane County FarmerKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

PUBLISHED MONTHLY

Steven J. Arnold, Editor

Merry Pitstick, Executive AssistantSuzi Myers, Ag Literacy Coordinator

Elizabeth Dawson, Membership SecretaryTracy Windett, Information Director

Audre Pack, Training Specialist

OFFICE: Randall Rd. between Routes 64 & 38Address: 2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles • PHONE: 630-584-8660

info@kanecfb.com www.kanecfb.com

OFFICE HOURS: 8:30-5:00 Monday though Friday

(USPS No. 289700)POSTMASTER: Mail form 3579 to

2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

Second Class Postage • Paid to St. Charles, IL 60174Year Subscription: $2.00

n DISTRICT 1Aurora, Sugar Grove,Big Rock Twnshp.Gene FeldottRt. 3, Box 425Aurora, IL 60506630-892-2197Mike Pitstick919 Abbey Ct.Sugar Grove, IL 60554630-878-3975Donna Lehrer7S027 Jericho RoadBig Rock, IL 60511630-556-3476n DISTRICT 2Kaneville, Blackberry,Gen./Bat. Twnshp.Bill Collins1125 Lewis RoadGeneva, IL 60134630-232-2043Wade Kuipers1N318 Watson RoadMaple Park, IL 60151815-827-5200

Joe WhiteSecretary-Treasurer47W727 Main St. Rd.Elburn, IL 60119630-557-2517n DISTRICT 3Virgil, Campton,St. Charles Twnshp.Robert Biddle4N566 Whirlaway Dr.Elburn, IL 60119630-365-9374Chris CollinsP.O. Box 62Wasco, IL 60183630-513-5833Al Lenkaitis, Jr.6N352 Fair Oaks Dr.St. Charles, IL 60174630-561-9514n DISTRICT 4Burlington, PlatoElgin Twnshp.Alan Volpp9N728 Peplow Rd.Hampshire, IL 60140847-683-3681

Mike KenyonVice President1250 E. Main St.South Elgin, IL 60177847-741-1818Robert GehrkePresident12N860 Route 20Elgin, IL 60123847-697-2538n DISTRICT 5Hampshire, Rutland,Dundee Twnshp.Beth Engel15N638 Walker RoadHampshire, IL 60140847-683-3482Gerald Gaitsch10613 Brittany Ave.Huntley, IL 60142847-669-2003Wayne Schneider402 S. 5th StreetWest Dundee, IL 60118847-428-3350

tribute to keeping agriculturestrong in Kane County. Ourorganization’s program of workis volunteer based and is donewith the basic idea that spread-

ing “our” word will help usprosper in the future. If youdesire a prosperous future, a callto our office to volunteer wouldbe in order.

Young Farmers from the county braved the snow, wind and cold onDecember 15 to gather at the Kane County Farm Bureau for a briefcommittee meeting followed by a Euchre Tournament. The YoungFarmers planned their next social outing, a Bowling Night and FFAAcquaintance Program in January, elected to send two representativesto the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders “Ag Industry Tour” inPuerto Rico, and registered for an early February Young FarmersConference in Springfield.

Upcoming events for Young Farmers include the set-up of a FarmAnimal Zoo at AgDays and Touch-A-Tractor in March and the IllinoisFarm Bureau’s Youth Conference for FFA members in Springfield in April.

Young Farmer activities are open to members 18-35 years of ageand focus on education, leadership development, organized competi-tive events and acquaintance programs. For more information onYoung Farmer programs, contact Steve Arnold at 630-584-8660.

Young Farmers

Help us –Remind legislators of food’s affordability

Volunteers from KaneCounty Farm Bureau and theKane County Corn Growerswill fan out across the region onFebruary 11 to remind legisla-tors of the affordable food pro-vided by America’s farmers.This activity is part of the larg-er, nationwide Food Check-OutWeek coordinated by theAmerican Farm BureauFederation. Food Check-OutDay marks the day by which theaverage American has earnedenough disposable income topay for his or her family’s foodsupply for the entire year. Thatday consistently fall in the firstor second week of Februaryeach year.

Kane County Farm Bureauvolunteers, armed with FoodCheck Out Day tote bags,Heavenly Ham boxed lunches,Farm Bureau policy books andreams of farm and food factswill visit with State legislatorsand their staff in district offices,

and the offices of our U.S.Senators in Chicago. It’s a pro-gram we call “Lunches toLegislators.” Eldon Gould,Director of the USDA’s RiskManagement Agency inWashington D.C. and a formervolunteer for the program, jok-ingly called it “meals on wheelsfor legislators.” After deliveringlunches in 2004 to the office ofthen Speaker of the HouseDennis Hastert, Gould reportedthat “the initiative was a hit withthe nearly ten staffers in SpeakerHastert’s office and probablyone of the rare occasions wherean interest group comes in aspirit of good will, not seeking alegislative solution or audienceto address an issue.”

Kane County Farm BureauPresident Bob Gehrke of Elgin,along with Government AffairsCommittee Chairman StevePitstick of Maple Park, will trav-el to the Chicago offices ofSenators Richard Durbin and

Barack Obama where they willpresent the “care packages” to 40staffers of our U.S. Senators. Asone would expect, farm interestsand farmers are relatively rare inthe Chicago high rises where theSenators’ offices are located. Butmore volunteers are needed forthis annual program, which alsosends volunteers to see sevenlocal State Representatives,seven State Senators and ourCounty Board Chairman.

To volunteer to assist withthis program, contact the KaneCounty Farm Bureau at 630584-8660. Volunteers will beinvited to a mid-morning brief-ing on February 11 and provid-ed with refreshments, a lunch toshare with their chosen legisla-tor along with lunches for legis-lators and their office staff andall the materials necessary toextend goodwill on the part ofour association and our industry.

You’ll learn how to packyour parachute and land on tar-get with hot topics that impactyour operation.

“When Agriculture WorksTogether, The Sky’s the Limit”is the theme for the IllinoisFarm Bureau’s GovernmentalAffairs Leadership Conference(GALC). The 2008 conferenceis scheduled for Feb. 26-27 atthe Crowne Plaza in Springfield.

Two days of general sessionsand workshops are designed tohelp Illinois Farm Bureau mem-bers learn how to work together,gain leadership skills, connectwith decision-makers and pro-vide rewards for themselves,their farming operations andagriculture.

The opening session willaddress Illinois’ fiscal healthand business climate with TomJohnson (Taxpayers’ Federationof Illinois) and Ralph Martire(Center for Tax and BudgetAccountability) providing areview of the current climate inIllinois and what some of the

potential influences are today.GALC workshop sessions

will focus on a number of issuesincluding assessments, ruralhealth care, wildlife, mineralissues, transportation issues,water use, the farm bill, and leg-islative issue updates, just toname a few.

New this year, you’ll seefirsthand what happens whenhundreds of farmers, just likeyou, jump together on issuesduring the statewide LegislativeReception on Tuesday evening.Attendees will also have theopportunity to visit severalexhibits relating to policy issuesand programs, organizationaltools for the membership, andaffiliate information.

The cost of the conference is$50 for Monday only, $30 forTuesday only, or $70 for bothdays (a savings of $10). To reg-ister for the conference or toobtain additional information,contact the Kane County FarmBureau, 630-584-8660, or visitwww.ilfb.org.

IFB Governmental AffairsLeadership Conference

Happy Valentine’s Day!Be careful of labels on dairy

products. Labels such as “BST-free” (bovine somatotropinfree), “hormone-free,” “antibi-otic free,” and pesticide-free”are misleading. ALL milk con-tains hormones and BST,because these are naturally pro-duced by cows. “Antibiotic-free” and “pesticide-free” aremisleading also, becauseprocessed milk is tested multi-ple times to be free of these sub-stances. If you see misleadinglabels, report them to the IllinoisDepartment of Agriculture sothis agency can take action.

What a strange winter wehave been having! There was alot of snow and then bitter coldand strong winds beforeChristmas. Then we had aSpring-like thaw until finallyback to January cold. Do not let

the “abnormal” weather worryyou. Remember the old saying:A normal year is the average often abnormal ones.

I recently read that meat ther-mometers need to be calibratedbefore they are used. To cali-brate the thermometer, place itin a glass of ice water. It shouldread 32°. For safety wheneveryou cook meat, you should use ameat thermometer and test thatmeat has cooked to the propertemperature. If your thermome-ter reads low, for example say itreads 22° instead of 32°, thenyour meat will be 10° warmerthan you read. Your meat will besafe to eat, but may be slightlyoverdone and dry. However ifyour thermometer reads high,for example say it reads 40°instead of 32°, this could bedangerous. You could test yourmeat and believe it is done;

however, it would actually be 8°lower than a safe temperature. Itis important to calibrate yourmeat thermometer and makecareful note of the adjustment, ifyou are unable to slide the scaleflange permanently.

During the winter, many peo-ple start making soups andstews regularly. Did you knowthat an easy way to thicken soupor stew is to stir in a handful ofinstant potatoes? The smallamount you add will just thick-en the liquid without becominglumpy: it will not make a batchof mashed potatoes.

Here is an easy and deliciousred meal for Valentine’s Day.

Aunt Irene’s Swiss Steak1 to 3 lbs Swiss steakSalt, pepper, and flour2 cans of tomatoes1 envelope dry onion soup mix1 Tbsp. vinegar1 Tbsp. sugar

Pound the steak with salt,pepper, and flour. Fry in oil untilbrown. Drain off the grease.Add the remaining ingredients,cover, and simmer on the stoveor in the oven for 30 – 60 min-utes, until steak is tender. Servewith rice.

FEBRUARY 2008 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 3

Need More Cash? We Can Help.The day-to-day cash needs of running a

profitable family business are very demanding.

At 1st Farm Credit Services, we understand that

“one size fits all” doesn’t work when it comes to

operating loans. That’s why we offer operating

loan programs designed to fit the way you

produce and market.

Whether you borrow a lump sum or want to enjoy

a line of credit for greater freedom in adapting

to changing conditions, we’re ready to work

with you.

Call 1st Farm Credit Services today if you want

to get your hands on some cash in no time.

If you can imagine it, we can make it happen.

1-800-766-3276Sycamore

Women’s CornerBy Louise Johnson

Women’s Committee Chair

Over 2000 Kane Countyfourth grade students will visitMooseheart, March 18-20, aspart of the Farm Bureau’s 24thannual Ag Days program. Onceagain, we are looking for volun-teers to help with this Women’sCommittee sponsored event.

During their visit toMooseheart, students will hear ascore of presentations on agricul-tural topics, see livestock and farmmachinery and receive gift bagswith farm-related lessons, activi-

ties and favors. This programrequires dozens of volunteers tosee that the events go smoothly.

Please consider being a partof this great tradition by volun-teering your time (and perhapsin the process, learn somethingyou did not know about agricul-ture). You need not volunteerevery day, all day, but wheneveryou may be available. Contactthe Farm Bureau today at 630-584-8660 for specific dates andtimes volunteers are needed.

We need your help!

Your help is needed during the following times:Stuffing bags for Ag Days. This will take place at the

Farm Bureau. Pizza will be provided)Thursday, March 13 4:00-approx. 7:00 p.m.

Leading groups of studentsthrough exhibits at Mooseheart Fieldhouse

Tuesday, March 18 8:30 a.m.-approx. 2:00 p.m.Wednesday, March 19 8:30 a.m.-approx. 2:00 p.m.Thursday, March 20 8:30 a.m.-approx. 2:00 p.m.

During the 2007 Ag DaysProgram, Women’s Com-mittee member NancyMeyer showed studentsmany things they usehave agricultural ingredi-ents. Ag Days is a greatopportunity to show stu-dents farm equipment,teach students theimportance of agricultureand provide agriculturallessons and activities.The Kane County Farm

Bureau and Ag Literacy coordi-nator Suzi Myers are excited tointroduce a new opportunity tobring agriculture into class-rooms this spring.

Through SPROUTS, orSpring Program of ReadingOutreach to Urban Teachers andStudents, volunteers will read adesignated book about agricul-ture to third graders. The volun-teer will leave the book with theclass as well as a follow-upactivity for the teacher to use.

SPROUTS will take placeApril 2, 3 and 4. To make thisprogram a success, we are nowlooking for volunteers to read tothe students.

Kane County Farm Bureauwill host an informational meet-ing for volunteers on Tuesday,March 4 at 6:30 p.m. atSalerno’s in St. Charles, toreview the book and learn tipsfor involving students in discus-sion. All members are invitedand no experience is necessary.

Preliminary plans call forvolunteers to spend about 20minutes in the classroom, read-ing and discussing a pre-selectedbook before leaving a secondbook withi the classroom to helpthe school build its library ofbooks about agriculture.

SPROUTS will help educate3rd grade students about agri-culture before they are invited toKane County Farm Bureau’s AgDays as part of the 4th gradecurriculum. In addition, the pro-

gram will help spread the wordabout Ag in the Classroomresources, interest teachers inincorporating agriculture cur-riculum and create goodwill forthe farming community. Wehope you will join us to makethis program a success.

For more information, sendthe form below to the KaneCounty Farm Bureau, 2N710Randall Road in St. Charles orcall the office at (630) 584-8660.

Help spring reading program SPROUT!Attend informational meeting March 4 at Salerno’s in St. Charles

Help make SPROUTS a success.Please check all that apply.

____ Please contact me to tell me more information.____ Please reserve a spot for me at the March 4 meeting.____ I’d like to volunteer to read to a classroom.

Name ________________________________________________Address ______________________________________________City__________________________St______Zip _____________Phone (_________)_____________________________________

Clip and return to Kane County Farm Bureau2N710 Randall Rd., St. Charles, IL 60174

along the Gulf Coast where theysaw blue crabs being unloadedand weighed and sampled.See the full story on page 1.

AFBF meetingattendees

Send in yourfavoriterecipes!

The Kane County FarmBureau Women’s Committee islooking for recipes to add totheir 2008 Favorite Fruit &Vegetable Recipes Brochure.Each recipe must include the useof fresh fruits and fresh vegeta-bles available in Kane County.Please note that recipes may notbe included if they are dupli-cates or have appeared in recentprints of the brochure. Recipescan be mailed to the KaneCounty Farm Bureau office,2N710 Randall Road, St.Charles, IL 60174. If you haveany questions, call Kane CountyFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660.

Above: Cajun cuisine includinggumbo, jambalaya, blue craband alligator sausage at theBayou Barn.Right: During a day of NewOrleans area agricultural tours fol-lowing the AFBF annual meeting,members from Kane County FarmBureau visited a shrimping andseafood operation in the bayous

My birthday is in February,just a few days before

Valentine’s Day. When I was lit-tle, my mom would make agigantic heart out of red crepepaper and white paper doilies onthe big front window in our liv-ing room. She would outline aheart shape with the doilies andtwist stripes out of the crepepaper to fill in the heart. Withmy birthday so close toValentine’s Day, I thought thiswas one more celebration forme!

Valentine’s Day has always

been one of my favorite holi-days. It started out that waywhen I was younger because ofthe red and pink decorations Ithought were for my birthday.Now, I still love the holiday forthe cute decorations but also forthe spring things stores intro-duce around this time. It’salways great to see glimpses offuture warm-weather thingswhen the weather is still coldand gray.

Some people thinkValentine’s Day is a commercialholiday, one only about selling

cards and candy and flowers. Ithink it is more than just that.Valentine’s Day is a time toshow not only others that welove them but to show ourselvesa little love as well. Sign up forthat new class you have wantedto take. Read a great book,watch your favorite DVD, orsimply do nothing at all andenjoy the peace and quiet.

I think Valentine’s Day is atime when we can reflect on ourpersonal strengths and positivequalities that make us uniqueand lovable to other people.Most importantly, though, weshould love ourselves for thosesame qualities!

Really, though, who wouldturn down chocolate or flowers?I wouldn’t! I know my momdoesn’t turn them down either.

She gets flowers from me inFebruary, on my birthday.

PAGE 4 KANE COUNTY FARMER FEBRUARY 2008

MAKE YOUR HEART HAPPYBy Tracy Windett

Beef store is now open! Sat. 9-4 or by appointment

100% hormone free beef.Selling individual cuts. Buy as little or as much as you want.

Mark & Linda Schramer, Owners8N840 Lakin Road, Maple Park

815.895.4691 • 1-877-FOR-FDBASample Packs make great gifts!

The Kane County FarmBureau and Kane/DuPage Soiland Water Conservation Districtare cooperating again to offer awater-testing program inFebruary 2008. A high qualitywater supply is vital for fami-lies, and this program helps pro-vide peace of mind and identi-fies potential problem areas forhomeowners of Kane County.

The program works simplyas follows:Step 1. Monday, February 11– Friday, February 22, 2008

Pick up water test kits fromthe Kane County Farm Bureau,8:30-5:00 p.m. or from theKane/DuPage Soil and WaterConservation District, 8:00-4:30p.m., Monday through Friday.Payment is due for each test kitat this time.Step 2. Sunday, February 24,2008

Collect the water sample.Step 3. Monday, February 25,2008

Return the water sample tothe Farm Bureau or Kane/DuPage Soil and Water Con-servation District.

Costs vary for the programdepending on which tests youwish to have performed on yourwater. Three different kits areavailable:A. Basic Package (NitratePackage) – $45.00

The basic package tests fornitrate, nitrite, ammonia, chlo-ride, sulfate, soluble phospho-rus, silica and specific conduc-tivity.B. Pesticide Screen – $70.00

A pesticide screen will indi-cate the presence of triazine her-bicides, lasso, dual or harness.C. Volatile OrganicChemicals – $75.00

The third kit tests for 46 dif-ferent volatile organic chemi-cals.D. Metals – $90.00

The fourth kit tests for 23different metals.

More detailed samplinginstructions will be included ineach kit, and additional informa-tion on how each test can helpyou is provided at the FarmBureau or Kane/DuPage Soiland Water Conservation’sDistrict offices. Testing will beperformed by HeidelburgCollege Water QualityLaboratory in Tiffin, Ohio, a cer-tified lab that has been national-ly recognized for its work intesting rivers and lakes. We areable to provide these deeply dis-counted testing fees because weare providing the laboratory abulk number to be tested. Pleasecall the Kane County FarmBureau at 630-584-8660 if youwould like additional informa-tion or have any questions.

Private well testingprogram offered in Feb.

There’s a lot to love about theKane County Farm Bureau

Conserv FS pays out nearly $1 million in patronage refunds

Conserv FS, an agriculturalcooperative based inWoodstock, Illinois, declaredpatronage refunds of $910,000at its annual meeting inDecember.

“It’s beena good yearfor the coopand we are very excited aboutreturning profits to our patrons,”says General Manager DaveMottet. As a cooperative,Conserv is owned by its cus-tomers. When sufficient profitsare generated by the coop, theyare returned to the owners in theform of patronage.

To be eligible for a refund,patrons must meet two criteria;purchase qualified productsfrom the cooperative and be anactive member of a local FarmBureau. Qualified products thisyear include most fuel products,

grain services as well as manyturf products. Refunds will be50 percent cash and 50 percentstock, as is traditional.

“This years’ patronagerefunds will help reinforce one

of the valuesof buyingfrom the

coop, a return on purchases,”says Mottet. Patronage refundswill be made in time for thecompany’s annual meeting heldat the McHenry County FarmBureau.

This years’ profits from thecoop are a result of strong sales,efficient operations as well asreturn on other investments.Through its affiliation withGROWMARK, Conserv FS hasan investment in NCRA, apetroleum refinery based inKansas. Refinery profitabilityhas been strong which has

resulted in positive returns fromthat investment.

In addition to the patronagerefunds, Conserv FS will beredeeming over $400,000 ofoutstanding stock. Over 1,800shareholders will have stockredeemed. This is part of anaggressive stock revolvementprogram the company under-took in 2007.

For more information aboutpatronage and stock redemp-tions, contact Rod McGaugheyat (815) 334-5919 or MarkMusial at (815) 334-5941.

Conserv FS, Inc is an agri-cultural cooperative based inWoodstock, IL that servesnortheastern Illinois andSoutheastern Wisconsin.Conserv FS is affiliated withGROWMARK, a regional coop-erative serving North America.

Thank your countrycousin for snow days

The school bus once flippedonto its side and another timewas stuck in a snow drift duringmy 10 years of riding the bus toand from school. Most snowdays out here in rural Illinois areidentified when the country kidscan’t get to school, though myclassmates never thanked me forthe unexpected days off.

The bus door landed upwardin the flipping episode. The twoof us kindergartners remainingon the country route climbedout and walked to the nearesthouse unharmed to watch after-noon cartoons until our parents

arrived. The second incidentwas years later. Dad pulled usfrom the snow drift with thetractor and a chain.

Driver’s education coursesshould be divided into chaptersabout city driving and countrydriving in winter. Primarily, thewind out here in rural Illinois isstronger, which means tempera-tures are colder and fluffy snowdrifts easily on the open prairie.

The simplest tasks, includingdriving, become difficult withsnow and high winds. Farmershave the added backache of shov-eling their way to the barnyard,scooping snow from the cattlebunk before feeding, breaking upice in the livestock water tanks,and aiding a stranded motorist inthe drift around the bend.

The last blizzard of the area,nearly 30 years ago, is why myfamily owns a tractor-mountedsnow blower. Mom does notmind its use as long as the drive-way rock isn’t blown along withthe snow. But that inevitably hap-pens and she has been known to

use a Shop-Vac to suck rocksfrom the yard in April.

One of my biggest fearsbesides snakes is riding in avehicle that feels out of control,which happens more often inwinter. I closed my eyes whenDad began to off-road with thefour-wheel drive pickup truck toget my brother and me, the teammanager, to high school basket-ball practice through driftingsnow. Now I have a license andwould rather stay home andwatch the road commissionerplow past our tractor mailbox.

Rural roads drift more easilythan major highways and inter-states because they tend to haveareas of fences, valleys and highroad banks. My parents, wholive near a river bottom, may gohours without a single car driv-ing past the farm on a windy andsnowy day. Instead, someonemay arrive on foot to say theyneed the assistance of a tractorand chain. My parents can onlyhope the pedestrian offers hisshoveling services in the hog lot.

Dan Nillen of Woodstock has joined 1st Farm CreditServices as an senior real estateappraiser.

Nillen will work out of theSycamore branch handling farmand rural real estate appraisals.He is a SRA member of theAppraisal Institute and a statecertified general appraiser, with

more than 22 years of experi-ence in appraisals.

Nillen will also assist clientswith real estate transactions andfeasibility studies. He can bereached at (800) 766-3276.

He has a degree in biologyand lives in Woodstock with hiswife, Dee.

1st Farm Credit Services

leads the industry in agricultureloans, risk management prod-ucts and various services suchas crop insurance, loan andlease options, as well as agricul-tural real estate appraisals. Thecooperative serves 42 countiesin the northern half of Illinoisthrough its 18 local offices.

Nillen joins 1st Farm Credit Services

Abraham Lincoln was the 16thPresident of the United

States. He is on the penny andthe five-dollar bill. He grew upworking on a pioneer farm andworked as a country lawyer. Hethought that farmers’ interestswere the most important whenhe established the Department ofAgriculture in 1861. In 1862,Lincoln passed the Morrill LandGrant College Act, which donatedland for colleges of agriculture.

The third President ofthe United States, ThomasJefferson, was considered oneof the first agronomists becausehe used fertilizer, crop rotationand contour plowing. He consid-ered agriculture to be one of thefour pillars to the nation’s pros-

perity. ThomasJefferson appearson the nickel.

On the dime isFranklin D.Roosevelt. He wasthe 32nd Presidentof the United States.The Depressioncaused sufferingduring his presiden-

cy, and he created a programthat focused on agriculturalrecovery. In 1938, PresidentRoosevelt passed the AgricultureAdjustment Act of 1938 toassure there would be enoughfood for everyone.

George Washington, the firstUnited States President, appearson the quarter and the dollar bill.He tested over 60 different cropsand practiced crop rotation. At hishome in Mount Vernon, he grewcrops like wheat, corn, potatoes,buckwheat, oats and rye. He alsoinvented a barn for processingwheat and other grains.

Thirty-fifth President John F.Kennedy issued a proclamationto mark 1962 as the U.S.Department of Agriculture

Centennial Year. He alsoincreased federal inspection offood, meat, drugs and poultryand created the United StatesPeace Corps. Peace Corps vol-unteers work with farmers inthird world countries to helpthem improve their diets andincrease their income with farm-ing. President Kennedy is on thehalf-dollar.

Alexander Hamilton, the firstSecretary of the Treasury, is onthe ten-dollar bill. As a clerk for atrading post, he learned aboutthe importance of trade, and hedeveloped a strong economicreasoning. While he was theSecretary of the Treasury, hewanted an economy that includ-ed manufacturing and farming.

Andrew Jackson, the 7thPresident, is on the 20-dollarbill. Of all of his professions,including judge, lawyer, store-keeper and politician, farmingwas his primary source ofincome. At his plantation inTennessee, he planted 200 acresof cotton. Corn, oat and veg-etable crops grew on the rest ofthe land.

• The White House was firstconstructed starting inOctober of 1792.

• The White House has 132rooms, 35 bathrooms, and6 different levels. There are412 doors, 147 windows,28 fireplaces, 8 staircases,and 3 elevators.

• It takes 570 gallons of paintto cover the outside sur-face of the White House.

• There are five full-timechefs in the White House.They help to serve dinner to up to 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres toover 1,000 guests at any time.

• There have been 42 presidents, but only 17 of them have occupiedthe Oval Office. President William Howard Taft, the 27th president,was the first.

• In 1785, George Washington brought the first mules to America toplow his fields. He also built a 16-sided barn. This was an unusualbuilding, and Washington used it to process foods and reducewastes inside of it.

• Jefferson invented the moldboard for plows that farmers used in 1793.• Abraham Lincoln created the Department of Agriculture and Land

Grant Colleges in 1862.• Presidents Bill Clinton and George Herbert Walker Bush have

teamed together to form Hurricane Katrina and tsunami aid funds.

FEBRUARY 2008 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 5

Name ______________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________

City/State/Zip _____________________________________ Telephone (_____) ___________________

Return to Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 by February 12, 2008 for your chance to win a box of Italian Chicken Breasts!

Compiled by Beth Dawson and Tracy Windett

N V Y L T L T N T N A R G A D

Q O N D U R O W O B U S H M Y

M A T T E T U S M O N R O E K

W C J G N N R M Q D M E H H J

N Z K I N E N M A Z G C L R W

C O L I F I A E P N R O N E T

O C X F N D H M K H E O X A F

G H E I I L P S F B W L R G A

W J W S N O E R A E O I E A T

N L O C N I L Y A W H D H N W

B N Z D F E F D I T N G T X C

U N R Q F R A F Q E E E R M H

H O A W M M U K B Z S F A P K

F Q O V S C M H B M I N C A S

R O O S E V E L T D E R L B Q

ADAMSBUSHCARTERCLINTONCOOLIDGEEISENHOWERFORDGRANTJEFFERSONKENNEDYLINCOLNMADISONMCKINLEYMONROENIXONREAGANROOSEVELTTAFTTRUMANWASHINGTON

Congrats!Congratulations to Caryl Norton of St. Charles. Her name was drawn from the entries received for

correctly completing last month’s word search. For Caryl’s participation, she will receive one bag ofCinnamon Glazed Pecans. Thank you for reading the Kane County Farmer, and continue to watch eachmonth for more great opportunities from the Kane County Farm Bureau!

President’s Day word search

Presidential facts you can count on

Presidents, money andagriculture go hand in hand

Presidential CraftsMake a Lincoln Log CabinGather sticks from the yard and glue them onto paper to make log cab-ins. Children can use clear plastic wrap for windows.

Make a pendant to wear for President’s DaySupplies needed:Construction paper – red, white and blueWhite glue or glue stickScissors • Hole punchString or yarn (red, white or blue)A coin: Abe Lincoln is on the penny

Thomas Jefferson is on the nickelFranklin D. Roosevelt is on the dimeGeorge Washington is on the quarter

For each pendant, cut out three stars, one red, one white and one blue.Make sure they are three different sizes. Stack the stars on top of eachother, with the smallest star on top. The white looks best in the middle.Glue the stars together. Glue the coin in the middle of the smallest star.

President’s Day is February 22.President George Washington was born on February 22.

Abraham Lincoln was born on February 12.

In celebration of President’s Day, make a great treat!Crush a graham cracker or vanilla wafer in an individual cup*.

Top with pudding and add cherry pie filling on top.

February is . . .Canned Food MonthNational Hot Breakfast MonthNational Grapefruit MonthSweet Potato Month

February 3National Carrot Cake DayFebruary 5National Chocolate Fondue DayFebruary 6Food Check-Out DayFebruary 9Pizza Pie DayFebruary 14National Crème-FilledChocolates DayFebruary 15National Gumdrop Day

February 16National Almond DayFebruary 17National Indian Pudding DayFebruary 20National Cherry Pie DayFebruary 21National Sticky Bun DayFebruary 23National Banana Bread DayFebruary 24National Tortilla Chip DayFebruary 25National Chocolate-CoveredNuts DayFebruary 27National Strawberry DayFebruary 29 (Leap Day)Surf and Turf Day

T he American Farm BureauFederation’s Conference

was held in New Orleans the12th through the 16th ofJanuary. Kane County FarmBureau’s “Winner’s ChoiceRaffle”, which is done to raisemoney for scholarships andagriculture education, wasdeemed a program of excel-lence. We were able to tell peo-ple from all over the UnitedStates about the program andhow they might implement asimilar program in their area. Itis quite a privilege to have wonthis award and equally reward-ing to speak to others about theidea.

Many exciting things hap-

pened at the conference; discus-sions, classes, awards, andspeeches. Colin Powell gave myfavorite speech. He spoke of hispast experience and then aboutwhat he feels about the UnitedStates today, finding many posi-tives in our world. Then he toldof the four things he felt were themost important issues of the day;energy, education, economics,and the environment. I left theassembly hall thinking aboutthose 4 E’s and how vital they areto our country today.

We also toured around theNew Orleans area a bit. The cityand surrounding area are stillreeling from Katrina; however,progress is being made slowly

but surely. We were able tovisit a citrus nursery andorchard that had been inthe path of the hurricaneand back to business now. Itasted my first Satsuma

orange and was it ever good.They do not look like the perfectoranges we are used to, but suretaste great.

We stopped at an oyster andcrab business. They had justemptied their crab traps andcame in with some beautifulblue crabs. The oysters that weate later that day seemed to tasteeven better once we understoodhow they were harvested.

Once I returned to St. Charles,I found my desk full of names ofinterested teachers and volunteersfor the SPROUTS program. Westill could use more volunteers,so please call if you are interestedin going to a third grade class-room to read an agriculturallyrelated book to the students.Training will take place atSalerno’s in St. Charles on March4th. Please call to let us know ifyou plan to attend the training.

Our Ag Days, March 18th –20th are quickly approachingand we will need help with themalso, as well as the Touch aTractor program the last Fridayand Saturday of March.

As spring approaches, wefind ourselves busy and lookingforward to the greening of ourworld.

PAGE 6 KANE COUNTY FARMER FEBRUARY 2008

FOR SALELarge and small square haybales and wheat straw for sale.Freezer Beef for sale, medication& hormone free, raised fromcrops grown on the farm. Call:847-697-2538

Two Toro S140 snow blowers,need work. One runs, one forparts $50 for both. Call: 847-741-5675

Straw; oats; hay; ear corn; barleystraw, good for natural control ofpond scum. Kenyon Bros. ask forMike – Call: 847-741-1818

Firewood –seasoned oak $90 aface cord, mixed hardwoods $80a face cord — 2 pick up capsmeasuring 76 x 62; one fiberglass ($100) one work cap withthree doors ($225 ) OBO. Call:630 652 6339 cell 847 695 6273home

Dynamite Holistic Supplements.Human, Horse, Cat, Dog, Bird, &exotic animal supplements. Allare holistic & human grade. Noartificial ingredients, & manyingredients are organic. For moreinformation: www.dynamiteonline.com/saramckiness. Call:630 631 2746

Remove Replenish Restore –Exceptional NutritionalSupplements for both people &animals – Be sure & check outthe new Cellular Defense!!! Forinformation go to: http://my.waiora.com/home.php?586103or contact Sara at sara@horselogic.net. Call: 630 631 2746

1992 Crown Victoria – family car,low miles. $3,000 OBO. Call: 847638 2833

SERVICES2007 CSA vegetable subscriptionprogram. Naturally grown, weeklyfarm pick-up or delivery. Web:erehwonfarm.com or call TimFuller. Call: 630-365-3741

Nelson Landscape and Hauling:Bobcat work, pulverized dirt,gravel, sod, and misc. oddjobs.Call: 630-365-2392

Horse Logic – Certified ridinginstructor & trainer – ClassicalDressage & Western – Beginnersare always welcome – travel toyour barn available, & a trip feemay apply. St. Charles, IL 60175.Call: 630 631 2746

WANTEDPart-time job helping with SpecialCensus for Village of CamptonHills. Numerous positions avail-able with salary range from$10.50 to $15.25 per hour. Mustbe 18 years old, pass 30 minutewritten test of basic skills andhave open availability. Contact BillBeith at Village Hall or stop by topick up application. For more info,please visit www.census.gov/rochi/www/emply.html. 630-584-5700

Donations of usable hand tools,fencing, shovels, buckets, foldingchairs, etc. for day to day opera-tions at Garfield Farm Museum.Also free museum calendar ofevents available – Call: 630 5848485

––--–– CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDD AADDSS ––--––

CLASSIFIED ADSKANE COUNTY FARM BUREAU MEMBERS

Classified advertising rates: 20 cents per word/$10 minimum. DIS-COUNTS for members: Associate members, 20%; Voting members,30%; PLUS members, 40%. Payment in advance is requested.Voting members receive limited free classified advertising of farmcommodities and farm equipment. Ads are due by the 15th of everymonth for the next issue. No advertising (classified or display) forfinancial or insurance services will be accepted.Name ________________________________________________Address ______________________________________________City__________________________ State_____ Zip ___________Category: Circle One: For Sale, Wanted, For Rent, Services, Other:________________________________________________Ad copy: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Member No.___________________________________________Phone No. ____________________________________________Complete the above form and mail to: Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174 or fax to (630) 584-0023. Non-member ad rate: payable with ad, $10.00 – 20 word maximum per ad.

AG LITERACY CORNERBy Suzi Myers

In honor of the Food CheckOut Day, we have chosenHungry Planet as our book ofthe month. This is a “photo-graphic study of families fromaround the world, revealingwhat people eat during thecourse of one week. Each fami-ly’s profile includes a detaileddescription of their weekly foodpurchases; photographs of thefamily at home, at market, andin their community; and a por-

trait of the entire family sur-rounded by a week’s worth ofgroceries. To assemble thisremarkable comparison, Menzeland D’Alusisio traveled to 24countries and visited 30 familiesfrom Bhutan and Bosnia toMexico and Mongolia.”

The book even includes somerecipes for ethnic dishes youcould make for your family totry. Stop in and take a look atthis thought provoking book.

Book of the Month

In addition to being second in the nation (behind Alaska) in theproduction of Seafood, Louisiana has a thriving citrus industryalong the Gulf Coast. The Satsumas sampled at a local farm during a post convention tour had the size and appearance of atangerine in the wrapper more suited to a larger citrus like anorange. That makes the fruit amazingly simple to peel and thetaste belies the humble packaging Mother Nature provided. Asyou can tell by the expression on the face of Ag Lit CoordinatorSuzi Myers, these were delicious.

Hungry Planet –What the World Eats

by Peter Menzel and Faith D’Aluisio

KCFB scholarship applications The Kane County Farm

Bureau Foundation hasannounced it is offering severalscholarships to members ordependents of members whowish to pursue higher educationin an agricultural related field.Last year, the Foundationawarded 15 scholarship worthnearly $25,000.

To be eligible for a KaneCounty Farm Bureau generalscholarship, the member ordependent must have been amember in good standing for twoyears. The student must also beplanning an agriculture relatedcareer. A brochure is available toassist students in identifyingthose careers and areas of study.

To obtain an application forthe scholarship, please stop atthe Kane County Farm Bureauoffice at 2N710 Randall Road,St. Charles or call 630-584-8660. Applications are also onthe Kane County Farm Bureauwebsite, www.kanecfb.com.The deadline for the scholarshipis February 15, 2008.Kane County Corn Growersoffers Annual ScholarshipOpportunities

The Kane County CornGrowers will be offering multiplescholarships worth $750 each tostudents whose parents are mem-bers of the Kane County CornGrowers. Applications are due byApril 1, 2008, and are availableat the Kane County Farm Bureau,2N710 Randall Road, St.Charles. The scholarship recipi-ents will be decided at the AprilKane County Corn Growersmeeting, and the scholarship pre-sentations will take place in May.If you have any questions, youmay contact Kane County CornGrowers President Don Young at815-758-2913 or the KaneCounty Farm Bureau at 630-584-8660.Ag scholarship honors JohnDeere dealer

Agriculture and golf wereJohn Buck’s passions.Therefore, it was only fittingthat after his death from cancerin 2001, his family and friendswould keep his legacy alive byoffering educational scholar-ships in those fields. Buck wasthe founder of Buck Brothers,Inc. and J.W. Turf, both ofHampshire, dealers and distrib-utors of John Deere farm equip-ment and golf course mainte-nance equipment, respectively.

Late in 2001, the family of

John Buck established the JohnBuck Memorial Scholarship foragriculture students through theKane County Farm BureauFoundation. An endowment to theFoundation, supplemented by anannual John Buck MemorialOpen golf outing, provides fundsfor $1000 scholarships for highereducation for agriculture students.Any student in Kane, DeKalb,McHenry, Boone, Lake, DuPageor Will County is eligible to apply.The family has established a sim-ilar scholarship program throughthe Midwest Golf CourseSuperintendent’s Association.

Katie Stoll of Elgin receivedthe John Buck MemorialScholarship in the spring of 2007.Stoll used the $1000 award tostudy Animal Science/Pre-Vet atthe University of Illinois.

Applications are now beingaccepted for the John BuckMemorial Scholarship for the2007-08 school year. Applic-ations are available through localcounty Farm Bureau offices, atBuck Brothers, Inc. or J.W. Turfin Hampshire, or by contactingSteve Arnold, Executive Directorof the Kane County Farm BureauFoundation, at 630-584-8660 orvia the Farm Bureau website atwww.kanecfb.com. Applicationdeadline is February 15, 2008.1st FCS Accepting ScholarshipApplications

Scholarship applications arenow available for the 1st FarmCredit Services “At the Heart ofa Growing America” Agri-cultural Scholarship Program.This scholarship is available toHigh School seniors.

Up to 23 individual $1,000scholarships are available to grad-uating high school seniors whohave been accepted into an agricul-ture or agriculture-related curricu-lum at a university, college or com-munity college and either reside orattend high school within 1st FarmCredit Services Territory.

Selection will be based on acombination of academicachievement, community andagricultural youth organizationinvolvement and brief essays.Applications will be judged by apanel of independent agribusi-ness, education, youth and farmorganization leaders.

Applications are due byFebruary 15, 2008. From appli-cations or more information,visit your local 1st Farm CreditServices office, or go online towww.usfarmcredit.com/AboutUs/1st/Scholarships.asp.

Scholarship corner

Happy Valentine’s Day!Happy Valentine’s Day!Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day!Speaking of which – I

thought I would take this oppor-tunity to explore the origins ofValentine’s Day.

There are varying opinions asto the origins of Valentine’s Day.Some say it started with St.Valentine, a Roman who,according to one legend, wasjailed for refusing to give upChristianity. Another legendabout the same St. Valentine isthat he was jailed for secretlyperforming marriages after theyhad been prohibited by ClaudiusII because bachelors made bettersoldiers. In either case, St.Valentine died on February 14,269 A.D. Legend says he left afarewell note for the jailer’sdaughter, whom he had fallenfor, and signed it “From YourValentine.”

Others say it started in thetime of the Roman Empire. Inancient Rome, February 14thwas a holiday to honor Juno, theQueen of the Roman Gods and

Goddesses. She was also knownas the Goddess of women andmarriage.

It was not until the 14th cen-tury that Valentine’s Daybecame definitively associatedwith love. According to onescholar, it was Chaucer whofirst linked St. Valentine’s Daywith romance. In 1381, Chaucerwrote a poem for the engage-ment of England’s Richard IIand Anne of Bohemia.

Over time, Valentine’s Dayevolved and by the 18th century,gift-giving and exchanginghand-made cards had becomecommon in England. Event-ually, cards made of lace, rib-bons and featuring cupids andhearts spread to the Americancolonies. However, the traditionof Valentine’s cards did notbecome widespread in theUnited States until the 1850’s,when Esther Howland beganmass-producing them.

Here are some statistics: Theestimated number of roses pro-

duced for Valentine’s Day in2007 – 214 million; Valentine’sDay ranks No. 1 for holidayflower purchases, capturing36% of holiday transactions and40% of dollar volume; 74% ofValentine’s rose purchases aremade by men; 26% by women;last February, $2.1 billion injewelry was sold; Valentine’sweek generates more candysales than any other holidayweek reaching a volume of$1,011 billion; 85% of allValentine cards are bought bywomen. Half of the U.S. popu-lation celebrates Valentine’sDay by purchasing at least onegreeting card, according toHallmark. And, according to anMSNBC report, Americansspent as much as 13.7 billion forValentine’s Day in 2006.However, approximately one infour Americans do not celebratethe holiday at all, and 15% ofAmerican women (and evenmen) send flowers to them-selves on Valentine’s Day.

I guess this just means peo-ple are willing to go to anylengths just to make their lovedones feel special on Valentine’sDay. At the end of the day, how-ever one chooses to celebrateValentines Day (or not), whatmatters is that people have lovein their hearts all year round.

Many of you may be wrap-ping up winter home improve-ment projects and planning forspring. For inside or out, yourFarm Bureau membership willallow you to save 25% on selectSherwin-William products. Allyou have to do is simply walkinto any of the 2,600 participat-ing Sherwin-Williams stores

nationwide. Show them yourIllinois Farm Bureau member-ship card, and receive a whop-ping 25% off any purchase.*Save on These Designer-QualityProducts: Paints, Brushes &Rollers, Wallpaper, WindowTreatments, Wood Stains,Industrial Paints, Ladders,Marine Paints, Sealants &

FEBRUARY 2008 KANE COUNTY FARMER PAGE 7

MEMBERSHIPMATTERS

By Beth Dawson

Each month, Kane CountyFarm Bureau honors the personor persons who sign the mostmembers into our organization.This month we would like tocongratulate Ted Schuster. Hesigned eleven new members tobe named top recruiter forDecember 2007.

Ted has been an agent withCOUNTRY’s St. CharlesAgency since March 2005. Tedserves clients from his officelocated at 32 Cross St. SugarGrove, IL 60554. You may reachTed at 630-466-9600.

As a token of our apprecia-

tion, Ted will receive a box ofour delicious pork chops. Thankyou, Ted for your continuedsupport of Kane County FarmBureau and congratulations onyour success.

Recruiter of the Month

Ted Schuster

What’s new in theCOUNTRY agencies?St. Charles Agency, RichardBristow, Agency Manager

Chuck Quick has been namedAgent of the Month forDecember 2007 in the St.Charles Agency, as announcedby Agency Manager, RichardBristow. Chuck has been anagent with COUNTRYInsurance & Financial Servicessince 1974. He serves his clientsfrom his office at 822 CentennialDrive in Hampshire. You mayreach him at (847) 683-2100.Aurora Agency, Jackie Meier,Agency Manager

Greg LeBeau has beennamed Agent of the Month forDecember 2007 in the AuroraAgency. Greg began his careerwith COUNTRY Insurance &Financial Services in October1987. He serves his clients fromhis office at 1921 Wilson Street,

Batavia, 60510. You may reachGreg at (630) 406-6900.Elgin/Schaumburg Agency, Jack Smith, Agency Manager

Bernie Gaston has beennamed “Career Agent of theMonth” for December 2007.Bernie has been an agent withCOUNTRY Insurance &Financial Services sinceFebruary 2002. His office islocated at 763 S. Eighth in WestDundee. His phone number is(847) 428-7147.

David Kujawa has beennamed “Employee Agent of theMonth” for December 2007.David has been an agent withCOUNTRY Insurance &Financial Services sinceDecember 2005. His office islocated at 1814 GrandstandPlace, Elgin, 60123. His phonenumber is (847) 742-0001.

What’s Happening?By Merry Pitstick

The University of IllinoisCollege of Veterinary Medicinewill offer the Second AnnualHorseman’s Clinic on Saturday,February 16 in Urbana.

The clinic is designed toincrease education and aware-ness of all horse owners onbasic and in-depth topics per-taining to a horse’s health main-tenance and prevention of dis-ease. The clinic’s speakers willaddress equine first aid, hoof

care, nutrition, pasture manage-ment, and more. Attendees willalso have the opportunity to participate in demonstrationson bandaging, treadmills,endoscopy and more.

All proceeds from this clinicwill benefit the University ofIllinois Student Chapter of theAmerican Association of theEquine Veterinary Practitioners,a non-profit organization.Proceeds will be used to educate

future equine veterinarians.Information and online regis-

tration is available at www.cvm.uiuc.edu/ope/horseclinic/.

If you have any questions,you may call the Kane CountyFarm Bureau at 630-584-8660or you may contact theUniversity of Illinois College ofVeterinary Medicine’s Office ofPublic Engagement at 217-333-2907 or ope@cvm.uiuc.edu.

Horseman’s Clinic offered in Urbana

Horseman’s Corner

By Sara McKiness of Horse Logic

EDITOR’S NOTE: Based in St.Charles, Sara McKiness is aCertified Horse Trainer whohelps riders improve their com-munication with horses withoutpunishment. She graduatedvaledictorian from MeredithManor International EquestrianCenter (MMIEC) where shemajored in teaching and train-ing, and minored in FarrierScience.

What is Dressage? How canit help my horse? Have any ofyou ever asked yourself eitherof these questions? Here are myanswers.

First of all, the wordDressage comes from theFrench word Dresser. Dressermeans to train, so really theword Dressage just means totrain or training. The definitionof Dressage is (Merriam-Webster Dictionary): the execu-tion by a trained horse of preci-sion movements in response tobarely perceptible signals fromits rider. Basically dressage isthe training of a horse to carry arider comfortably, and also to

respond to unseen aids.Dressage dates back to the

ancient Romans and also theancient Greeks. It has been aform of battle training that hasmovements that assist soldiersduring battle. Modern dressagewas developed during the ren-aissance. France had the firstequestrian school that wasfounded in 1532. Up until the20th century France was thecountry for dressage.

I am going to outline both theGerman Training, and myTraining Tree, as they are slight-ly different.

German Scale: 1. Rhythm, 2.Looseness, 3. Contact andacceptance of the bit, 4.Impulsion, 5. Straightness, and6. Collection.

Training Tree*: 1. Rhythm,2. Relaxation, 3. Freedom ofGaits, 4. Contact, 5.Straightness, 6. Balance, 7.Impulsion, 8. Suppleness, 9. Onthe Aids, 10. Collection

The Training Tree is a natu-ral progression of training as itallows the horse to really under-stand what you are asking ofhim by breaking it down into

simple steps. You can’t move onthe next step in the tree unlessyou have successfully complet-ed the previous step. This isreally beneficial to both horseand rider. It acts like a formulathat can be followed and repro-duced with any horse.

Some of the benefits ofDressage are: better communi-cation, proper muscle develop-ment, trust, better coordinationof both horse and rider and bet-ter rides.

I believe Dressage should bethe foundation of every disci-pline, as it can only help thehorse and rider.

*as taught by MeredithManor International EquestrianCenter

Beginning next month, wewill explore the progression oftraining in more depth, begin-ning with Rythym. In the mean-time, if you’d like me to answerany horse related question onmy blog at www.horselogic.netjust let me know.

If you have any questionsregarding this article pleasecontact the author at 630 631-2746 or www.horselogic.net.

What is Dressage?

Removers, and So Much More!Your Kane County Farm

Bureau membership card haslots of value and can save youmoney around the home, when

you travel and now, with ourGM Private Offer, you can save$500-750 on most new GMvehicles! Give us a call at 630-584-8660 to find out ways

to get more value for your membership.

*Excludes Duration Paintsand sale prices.

See page 1for more information about

Food Check-Out Week events

PAGE 8 KANE COUNTY FARMER FEBRUARY 2008

Your ticket to helping the Kane County FB FoundationTickets are still available for

the Kane County Farm BureauFoundation’s Tractor Raffle!

Proceeds from the raffle ben-efit Foundation College

Scholarships and Farm BureauAgricultural Literacy programs.In 2007, the Foundation award-ed nearly $25,000 in scholar-ships to help send 15 local stu-

dents to college!This year’s “Winner’s

Choice” Tractor Raffle prizesare a choice of a 1952 JohnDeere Model B, a NEW Cub

Winner’s Choice Tractor RaffleTicket Order Form

Please reserve me _______ tickets (1 for $10/ 3 for $25) for the 2008 Winner’s Choice Tractor Raffle.

Name _______________________________________________

Address______________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Telephone ____________________________________________Return to: Kane County Farm Bureau,

2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174

Cadet LT 1046 Lawn Tractor or$2,500 in cold hard cash.Second prize is a Cub Cadetmodel 989 21” 5 hp walk behindmower.

Tickets are $10 each or 3 tick-ets for $25. The tickets are avail-able in the Kane County FarmBureau office, 2N710 RandallRoad, St. Charles, from FarmBureau directors listed on page 2

or by returning the form below.We will hold tickets for you inour office. The drawing will beheld March 29 at Kane CountyFarm Bureau’s third annualTouch-A-Tractor Open House.

For more information on theraffle, Scholarship programs orother Foundation programs andservices, contact Steve Arnold at630 584-8660.

Touch-A-TractorPlan to be at the Kane

County Farm Bureau on March28, from 9am to 5pm, and 29,from 10am to 4pm, for ournationally recognized Touch-A-Tractor event! This event hasbeen such a success in previousyears that the American FarmBureau Foundation has honoredit as one of the top ten outstand-ing agricultural education pro-grams in the nation.

In addition to demonstra-tions, food vendors and enter-tainment, the public can partici-

pate in hands-on Ag-in-the-Classroom activities. Last year,children rode on pedal tractors,shelled corn, visited the farmzoo, climbed on tractors andcombines, planted seeds, scav-enged for prizes, carded wooland listened to the band.

Also at this event, the KaneCounty Farm BureauFoundation will be drawing thewinning ticket in the Winner’sChoice Tractor Raffle. The first-prize winner will be able tochoose from a 1952 John Deere

Model B, a NEW Cub Cadet LT1046 Lawn Tractor or a cashprize. The second place winnerwill receive a Cub CadentModel 989 21” 5 horsepowerwalk-behind mower. Tickets arestill available. They may bepicked up at the Kane CountyFarm Bureau office, 2N710Randall Road in St. Charles. Allproceeds will go toward theKane County Farm BureauFoundation college scholarshipsand Ag-in-the-Classroom programs.

Children have the chance totouch and climb on tractors,combines and the like during theKane County Farm Bureau’sTouch-A-Tractor event, heldMarch 28 and 29 at the FarmBureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St.Charles. The event on Friday,March 28 runs from 9am to 5pm.On Saturday, March 29, theevent runs from 10am to 4pm.

Got an antique tractor or farm truck?Farm Bureau is seeking trac-

tors, both modern and antique,to join the combine, planter andtillage equipment used forTouch-A-Tractor. Also neededare trucks of all sizes and volun-teers to explain how the farmequipment works at this Farm-City event. Do you have antiquefarm tractors or equipment? Afarm truck you can spare for theweekend?

Those who provide equip-ment to display will also receivean invite to an After HoursMixer for local public officials.

If you are interested in vol-unteering or you have tractors orequipment to share, please fillout the form below and return itto us.

Help make Touch-A-Tractor a success.____ Contact me about volunteer opportunities on

nn Fri., Mar 28 nn Sat., Mar 29____ I would like to bring the following farm equipment to

display.Please provide a brief description of the equipment. For

tractors/combines, include year, make, model and horsepower.

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________

Name________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________

City___________________________St_____Zip_____________

Phone________________________________________________Clip and return to Kane County Farm Bureau,2N710 Randall Road, St. Charles, IL 60174

Help make Touch-A-Tractor asuccess by lending your time orfarm equipment, or both, to theKane County Farm Bureau for itsTouch-A-Tractor Open House onMarch 28 and 29. If you areinterested in volunteering, pleasefill out the volunteer form andreturn it to the Kane County FarmBureau, 2N710 Randall Road, St.Charles, or call the Farm Bureauat 630-584-8660.

Local COUNTRY agent earnscertification to offer more services

COUNTRY Insurance &Financial Services Agent CandyHanslik of Elgin is now quali-fied to offer clients expandedfinancial planning and invest-ment management services.

To obtain the InvestmentSolutions Representative quali-fication, Hanslik completed acertification program combin-ing classroom sessions and per-sonal study. As a result of thetraining, she can provide clients

with access to COUNTRYfinancial services, includingretirement planning, investment

management and trust services.Hanslik serves clients from

the COUNTRY office at 2N710Randall Road, St. Charles. Theoffice phone number is (630)762-1329.

The financial services areprovided through COUNTRYTrust Bank, which is part ofCOUNTRY Insurance &Financial Services. The bankmanages more than $11.75 bil-lion in assets.Candy Hanslik

Your Farm Bureau membership means Value