Franklin County Farm Bureau News

By Gay Bowlin 

Last week was our Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Chicago where many things were accomplished. The most important – electing the IFB President and Vice President. Rich Guebert II was re-elected for his third term and Brian Duncan from Ogle County will serve as Vice President. We wish them both the best during their term and will continue to help in any way we can.

Gay Bowlin -Franklin County Farm Bureau Manager

Capping off a yearlong policy process, county Farm Bureau delegates this week endorsed a new solar energy policy, the organization’s farm bill priorities and strengthened policies related to conservation programs.

Illinois Farm Bureau’s new solar policy, originally proposed by White County, addresses property tax assessment, property rights and decommissioning, among other things. In the last two years alone, nearly 30 solar companies have solicited farmers in 83 Illinois counties.

“What the delegates did was put a very comprehensive policy in place that will guide us both in the legislative arena and regulatory arena as we go forward with these solar farms,” said Mark Gebhards, Illinois Farm Bureau’s executive director of governmental affairs and commodities.

The policy will be submitted to American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration during its resolution process this week.

The Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting wrapped up earlier this week in Chicago, and attention now shifts to the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Nashville next month.

Much of the focus will be on the 2018 farm bill, IFB official Mark Gebhards told the RFD Radio Network®.

“We will be gearing up in a big way,” said Gebhards, IFB’s executive director of governmental affairs and commodities. “We did outline our list of priorities for the 2018 (farm) bill, and those discussions have already begun.”

“The challenge will certainly be around what funding is available, and how do we maintain the funding that is needed for the farm bill in general?” he continued. “There are a lot of different components to this bill.”

The huge piece of legislation not only impacts agriculture but nutrition programs as well.

“Which is really about 75 to 78 percent of the funding that’s required for the bill goes into the nutrition program,” Gebhards said, referring to the Supplemental Assistance Nutrition Program, or SNAP.

Another key component of IFB’s farm bill discussions is maintaining a healthy crop insurance program.

“Crop insurance remains our top priority, as it has been for some time, making sure that we can continue to have a strong crop insurance program,” Gebhards said.
The current farm bill is set to expire in September.

IFB is also concerned about the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

“Obviously, CRP and continuation of that or the addition of acres was discussed at our annual meeting,” Gebhards said. “And I think conservation will be a part of the discussion as we go forward with AFBF as well.”

Rural development, rural broadband access and rural health care also got some attention at the IFB annual meeting, and those issues will likely carry over to the AFBF convention.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.