News

Funds for the Foundation: What Donations Do

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 20:28

McHenry County Farm Bureau's Foundation would like to extend a special thank you to Jim and Cheryl Wormley of Woodstock for their support of our Ag in the Classroom program. Their contribution will help support our Summer Agricultural Institute program for teachers and classroom visits. Contributions like these fund school agriculture programs and other valuable educational programs and grants.

McHenry County Farm Bureau and its Foundation provide the Ag in the Classroom program with financial and in-kind support. Demand for these programs continues to grow and we could use your assistance.  Your donations benefit Summer Ag Institute, AITC Newsletters, Ag Expo, FFA Acquaintance programs, agriculture scholarships, teacher grants, teacher workshops and in class presentations.

We would be glad to work with you on estates, memorials and planned giving. Donations can be sent to McHenry County Farm Bureau Foundation P.O. Box 1530, Woodstock, IL 60098. Please feel free to call us for more information at 815-338-1520 or e-mail Dan Volkers at mcfbmgr@att.net.

McHenry County Farm Bureau Foundation is a 501 C 3 charitable organization.

Fruit and Citrus Order Form

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 20:09

FRUIT & CITRUS ORDER FORM

NAME ____________________________ DAYTIME PHONE ___________________

ADDRESS ______________________________________________________________
TAX IS INCLUDED IN ALL PRICES. YOUR CHECK MUST ACCOMPANY THIS ORDER FOR US TO PROCESS IT. PLEASE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: MCHENRY COUNTY FARM BUREAU

Please order _____ 4/5 bu. carton(s) Florida's Navel Oranges @ $22.00 each

Please order _____ 4/5 bu. carton(s) Florida's Pink Grapefruit @ $21.00 each

Please order _____ Full bu. Red Delicious Apples 100 count @ $45.00 each

Please order _____ Trio pack, 10 Navel Oranges, 11 Grapefruit and 10 Red Delicious Apples @ $19.00 each

Your order has to be received by the McHenry County Farm Bureau by November 15th.
If you are near or past the order deadline call our office prior to submitting your order.
Mail To: McHenry County Farm Bureau, P.O. Box 1530, Woodstock IL 60098.
McHenry County Farm Bureau will contact you about the pick up dates and location. Anticipated pick up date is December 12 at McHenry County Fair Grounds Building D. Please contact the McHenry County Farm Bureau with any further questions at 815-338-1520.

Meet the new president: Michele Aavang

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Tue, 10/09/2012 - 15:36

I'd like to introduce myself as your new McHenry County Farm Bureau board President. I'm honored to have been elected to this position and I'm looking forward to an exciting and challenging year ahead.

After six years as serving as our President, Bruce Meier, has rotated off the board due to tenure. Last year I served as Vice President under Bruce and hope to have learned from his fine example. I will strive to maintain the same effective leadership.

One of my goals for the upcoming year is to not only increase membership, but achieve more participation from our current members. We have a number of active committees that are always looking for interested individuals. Our Ag in the Classroom program already has a year worth of activities planned and offers a variety of rewarding opportunities for volunteering. If you haven't taken part in the past, I would urge you to consider doing so.

A little about me: I live on a farm north of Woodstock and work with my husband, Gary. Gary's family has farmed in McHenry County since the 1840's. We raise corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, and hay, and also have a commercial cow-calf operation. I market our beef through local farmers markets. I have one son, Grant, who is studying agriculture at UW-Platteville. I serve on the Greenwood Cemetery Association board as Secretary, and the Woodstock Farmers Market board as President. I'm a former two-term Trustee for the Village of Greenwood, and was also a 4-H club leader for a number of years. I graduated from M.C.C. with an A.S. degree. I'm currently running for a position on the McHenry County Board, District 6. We'll see what happens on November 6!

I'm passionate about agriculture, and feel strongly about communicating our story to the non-farm public. In addition to talking with anyone who'll have a conversation with me (whether it be at the farmers market, in line at the grocery store, or anywhere the subject comes up), I've also been using social media and blogging to advocate for agriculture. You can find me and our farm (Willow Lea Stock Farm), on facebook.

I hope I get to know many of you this coming year, and I look forward to your participation in continuing to make this organization great!

Michele Aavang

MCFB welcomes manager trainee Kristine Book

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Mon, 10/01/2012 - 05:34

Greetings, McHenry County residents!  As a visitor to McHenry County I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself as one of Illinois Farm Bureau’s newest county manager trainees, Kristine Book.  As a brand new Farm Bureau employee, I now have the fantastic opportunity to shadow veteran manager Dan Volkers for the next month.

Currently I live in rural Dixon, located in nearby Lee County.  Like many active in the agriculture movement, I grew up on my family’s grain farm.  Though I lived agriculture as my family’s livelihood, I arrived at agriculture as a career through more unconventional avenues.  Unlike other resident rural youth active in the agriculture community, I pursued other interests and graduated from North Central College in Naperville with a B.A. in organizational communications.  Post graduation, I lived and worked in the suburbs of Chicago before choosing to embark on an adventure that landed me in Seoul, South Korea.

Almost two years ago, I traded the suburban scenery of Chicagoland in favor of Seoul’s urban environment.  Just before Christmas of 2010, I began teaching English as a second language to Korean elementary school students.  After the requisite three month period of adaption in Korea, I developed strong bonds with my students.  Through our culture differences and the relationships I built with my students, I learned the value of perspective, especially in relation to agriculture.

I introduced agriculture to my students through photos of scenery familiar to farmers; combines, grain carts, augers spouting kernels of corn, even photos of animals caught in the chaos caught their attention. Through their eyes, I rediscovered the aspects of agriculture that make a farmer’s occupation unique. 

After such a revelation, I considered the impact of a career in agriculture, particularly with the Farm Bureau.  Thus far, this path of service seems to be a great fit.  I look forward to meeting other like minded agricultural enthusiasts as well as serving the farmers of Illinois in this capacity.