News & Publications
Planting Seeds
Ag Day is the Best Day of the Year
My favorite day of the year is Ag Day. Luckily for us in Cook County, we have two Ag Days!
Member Appreciation Week
Member Appreciation Week 2025
Monday, April 14 – Friday, April 18
How Farm Bureau Served YOU in March
Hosted a “How to Grow a Giant Pumpkin 101” workshop and distributed seeds to all who attended.
Manifolds, Manolos, and Manure
National Agriculture Day celebrates the contributions of farmers and the farm products they grow and raise. In celebration of farmers, Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton of Glenview introduced Resolution 25-1792, which recognizes and celebrates National Agriculture Day.
Cook CFB® and Partners Raise Cash, Food, and Hygiene Product Donations for Local Food Pantries
Together with various partners, Cook County Farm Bureau® donated much needed food staples to two Cook County food pantries. Donations were raised in celebration of Food Checkout Day. Food Checkout Day celebrates the healthy and nutritious food local farmers grow and raise by providing food or cash donations to people in need.
Money Talks: Helping Kids Build Financial Confidence
How many of you have talked to your children about finances? If you haven’t yet, you’re not alone. A surprising 41% of parents admit they’ve never discussed money with their kids. April is National Credit Union Youth Month, making it the perfect time to start the conversation.
2025 CookFresh® Community Urban Garden Grant Recipients
Congratulations!
2025 CookFresh® Community Urban Garden Grant Recipients
At the Farm Gate
Repair, maintenance keep the farm running
Dad lifts the side panel of the combine to expose the gears, bearings, pulleys, chains and belts. And every single time, I’m in awe of its complexity and how anyone can understand how to engineer the machine or repair and maintain it.
Soil Testing Kits Available this Spring
Cook County Farm Bureau offers both members and non-members an opportunity to test their garden or lawn soil by purchasing a soil testing kit.
Recipe of the Month
Bees Knees Cocktail and Rhubarb Pie
Bees Knees Cocktail (final recipe from 2024 collection)
Donna Nykaza-Jones, Steger
Rhubarb Pie (2025 Recipe Collection)
Kathy Lesser, Chicago
CCFB Foundation Scholarship Winners Announced
The Board of Directors of the Cook County Farm Bureau Foundation has selected ten individuals as recipients of the 2025 Scholarship Program. A total of $25,000 of scholarship funds were distributed.
Downwind
"Radical and Extreme Ideas"
During a recent staff meeting, I said it “half” as a joke. We were spit-balling ideas about why members find value with Cook County Farm Bureau that we could market and promote. We are in full blown “retain and recruit” members mode. The questions posed to the staff:
• What makes us different?
• What makes us unique?