CCFB News» January 2026

At this year’s Illinois Agricultural Association® Annual Meeting in Chicago, delegates throughout Illinois considered policy resolutions submitted by the Cook County Farm Bureau®.

Cook County Farm Bureau® members and partners are once again celebrating the healthy, nutritious food grown and raised
by local farmers- and sharing that abundance with neighbors in need.

Cook County Farm Bureau® members and partners are once again celebrating the healthy, nutritious food grown and raised by local farmers- and sharing that abundance with neighbors in need.

Now in its 26th year, Food Checkout Day highlights agriculture’s essential role in feeding families and communities across Cook County. This year’s effort will continue the long-standing Farm Bureau tradition of giving back through food and cash donations to local food pantries.

This year, my new year’s resolution is to get out and do more. As a Millennial, YOLO (you only live once) has always been a personal motto as well as, “The future starts today, not tomorrow.”

USDA released the 2024 Household Food Security report on Dec. 30, which found that hunger in the United States slightly increased from the previous year and that more children were in food-insecure homes. Overall food insecurity increased by 0.2 percentage points to 13.7 percent of households.

As scams and fraud schemes continue to evolve, protecting your personal and financial information has never been more important. Whether you’re checking emails, shopping online, or interacting on social media, scammers are constantly developing new tactics to trick unsuspecting individuals. By making informed and proactive choices every day, you can significantly reduce your risk of falling victim to these deceptive practices.

Cook County farmers are encouraged to complete the Farmland Affidavit prior to January 31. The Assessor’s office will not mail out a copy or a reminder, and the filing can only occur online.

Unlike most major U.S. cities, Chicago does not have a formal charter; instead the authority of its leadership rests in the Illinois Compiled Statutes and its own municipal code. The 1870 Illinois Constitution placed municipalities under the Cities and Villages Act and thereby pausing municipal charters.

If you’re looking to pursue one of the many careers available in the agriculture industry, Cook County Farm Bureau has scholarships opportunities to support your journey!

Each year, the Board of Directors selects and celebrates a Volunteer who has made a major impact in the organization during the year as the Volunteer of the Year.

Field meals deliver their own form of heroism, and Mom saves the day. She dishes out the seasonal suppers spring and fall with guidance from her sidekicks – women past and present who submitted their kitchen’s best recipes to a church cookbook. Leah’s fiesta bake, Marie’s orange salad, Debra’s pizza casserole and Ann’s marble squares have fueled our field crew for years.

Blake Lanphier, Janet McCabe, Gerry Kopping, and Dan Biernacki were inducted into the Cook County Farm Bureau Master Member Club for 2025 by Cook County Farm Bureau

Hot Honey Ultimate Queso
Cook DuPage Beekeepers Association

In 2020, Cook County Farm Bureau was poised to celebrate its 100-year anniversary. It was going to be a very special observation! And then some mysterious virus called COVID-19 made an appearance. So much for those plans!

As we prepared for this impressive occasion, I penned a column for our anniversary book entitled “20/20 Vision”.