News

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. 

Harvest season is upon us; MCFB offers motorists tips

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Mon, 09/17/2012 - 22:54

McHenry County Farm Bureau would like to share these driving tips with motorists in an attempt to avoid accidents.
• Always be on the watch for farm equipment on rural roads.
• When you see machinery ahead, apply the brakes. In five seconds, a car traveling 55mph will close the length of a football field on a combine traveling 15mph.
• Recognize the Slow Moving Vehicle (SMV) emblem, a reflective red and orange triangle mounted near the center of the rear of every piece of equipment designed to travel at low speeds. This is a warning to immediately slow down.
• Pay attention to the farmer's hand signals and flashing lights. Expect them to make wide left turns when they move to the right side of the road near intersections and field entrances.
• After passing, please leave plenty of space between you and machinery before you move back to the right lane.
• Only pass in safe, designated passing zones. Never assume the farmer knows you are behind the machinery or that you want to pass. If you can't see their mirrors they can't see you.
• If you can't pass, just enjoy the ride. Following at 20mph for six minutes is the equivalent of waiting at two stoplights.

MCFB welcomes Ziller as this year's Summer Intern

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Wed, 06/13/2012 - 21:16

Hello my name is Colleen Ziller and I live on a dairy farm in Huntley IL where we milk 50 cows and grow corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay. One of my biggest passions is my cows. I love showing them and watching them grow up into excellent animals.  It is a great feeling of accomplishment. My goal is to breed a World Dairy Expo champion. It’s a big goal and will take many many many years, but hard work always pays off. I just graduated from MCC this spring with an Associate’s degree in Science. I am now deciding between several universities where I will be double majoring in animal science and Ag business. Growing up I was very active in 4-H where I held several officer positions and exhibited my animals at the local county fair. I’ve been showing cows since I was 8 years old, and still continue to show. Every year I look forward to indulging in a pork burger and vanilla milkshake from the Farm Bureau’s food booth. I also have shown pigs and steers in my 4-H days. When I entered high school, I became a member of FFA where I served as vice president for my senior year. I was an active member in the Illinois Jr. Holstein Association, and held the positions of secretary and reporter. I participated in state quiz bowl competitions where I placed high enough to represent Illinois at several National Holstein Conventions. I am also a member of the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association. Just like every other girl I do enjoy shopping. I love getting together with friends, grilling out, bonfires, and reading. I’m very excited to be this year’s intern. Enjoy your summer.

IDOA SCHEDULES CLEAN SWEEP COLLECTION IN NORTHERN ILLINOIS

Submitted by mchenrycfb on Fri, 06/01/2012 - 16:48

Residents of eight northern Illinois counties can dispose of unwanted agrichemicals for free this year through the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Pesticide Clean Sweep program.
A Clean Sweep collection has been scheduled in late summer for Boone, DeKalb, Kane, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle and Winnebago counties, the department announced today. The collection, which rotates among Illinois counties, is open to farmers, retired farmers, nursery owners, private pesticide applicators, structural pest control applicators and landowners who inherited unwanted agricultural pesticides with their property.
"There are two, big reasons to take advantage of this program," Warren Goetsch, bureau chief of Environmental Programs, said. "First, it's free. If individuals were to properly dispose of agrichemicals on their own, the cost would be expensive. But the department is able to provide the service free of charge thanks to a grant it obtained from the U.S. EPA. Second, the state of Illinois, not the program participant, will assume liability for the proper disposal of all materials collected."
Participants must register the products they plan to dispose of by July 13. Registration is required to give the waste disposal contractor time to prepare for the different kinds of materials that will need to be handled. Forms can be obtained either by calling the Illinois Department of Agriculture's Pesticide Hotline at 1-800-641-3934 or visiting one of the program sponsors listed below.
Completed forms should be mailed or faxed to the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The mailing address is: Clean Sweep Program, Illinois Department of Agriculture, State Fairgrounds, P.O. Box 19281, Springfield, IL, 62794-9281. The fax number is (217) 524-4882.
Participants then will be sent a reservation card indicating the date, time and location of their collection.
McHenry County Clean Sweep Sponsors:

McHenry County Farm Bureau
1102 McConnell Rd.
Woodstock, IL 60098

McHenry County SWCD
1648 S. Eastwood Dr.
Woodstock, IL 60098

U of I Extension
Lake-McHenry Unit
1102 McConnell Rd.
Woodstock, IL 60098