CCFB News» March 2021

Highlights of a Cook County Farm Bureau Member: This month's "Face of CCFB" is... Pete Soltesz owner of "Bee All About It".

GM Aims To End Sale Of Gasoline, Diesel-Powered Cars, Suvs, Light Trucks by 2035 (Reuters) – General Motors Co said Thursday it was setting a goal to sell all its new cars, SUVS and light pickup trucks with zero tailpipe emissions by 2035, a dramatic shift by the largest U.S. automaker away from gasoline and diesel engines.

Together with partners, Cook County Farm Bureau® donated much needed food staples and essential non-food items to six Cook County food pantries.

In January, Cook County Farm Bureau® released the first of a series of Micro Viewpoint Surveys. These surveys are designed to engage voting members in policy discussions and to gauge voting member support of pending pertinent issues.

I’m not exactly a joiner. Over the years, I’ve played sports. Joined clubs. Participated in leadership groups. But that’s about the extent of it. I’m not going to go out of my way to meet people. It’s the only child thing. This spring I’m trying something new for me: an online book club. Over three meetings, participants will explore Hungry by Eve Turow-Paul. Hungry explores today’s global food and lifestyle culture.

Cook County Farm Bureau® sent the following communication to commissioners in support of Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ amendment to the Taxing District Debt Disclosure Ordinance:
Cook County Farm Bureau® (Cook CFB) respectfully requests support for Ordinance 21-1048, an amendment to the Taxing District Debt Disclosure Ordinance.

On a recent winter evening, my kids announced that we had missed National Blueberry Pancake Day. “Alexa” had told them about it. They continued to chuckle, ask questions and give commands to this internet-connected smart speaker, which responds to the name Alexa. On their cue, the robotic female voice delivers generally unimportant facts and plays exaggerated noises of passing gas. And that, of course, generates more laughter.

Cook County Farm Bureau® sent the following letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

USDA recently released the annual count of certified organic operations calculated from the USDA National Organic Program Organic INTEGRITY Database.

February saw us clearing a lot of paths! The snow just did not end. Snowplows, snow blowers, and shovels worked hard all month long. I am hopeful that in March we get much needed sunshine and not more snow!

Thomas Poole, a Professional Member from Chicago, was elected by his peers in February to the chairmanship of the Cook County Farm Bureau Young Leaders Team for a two-year term. He serves as a freelance consultant for food and agriculture organizations while pursuing his graduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The 2021 Cook fresh Recipe Collection is a special “throwback” edition for our 100th year. Recipes selected from decades of submissions to commemorate our Centennial. Recipe booklets are available now.

The ditty “the old gray mare ain’t what she used to be” popped into my head as I started to write this month’s column. I could be talking about myself with my whining about aches and pains increasing each day but actually, I’m thinking about my old, snowplow tractor.