ILLINOIS FARM BUREAU® MEMBERS HIGHLIGHT BIPARTISANSHIP AT ANNUAL MEETING

CHICAGO – Delegates and members attending the 108^th Illinois Farm Bureau® (IFB) Annual Meeting celebrated progress while looking toward the future as the organization’s traditional grassroots process returned for an entirely in-person event for its 2022 annual meeting.

Members gathered at the historic Palmer House hotel in Chicago over four days, Dec. 3-6, to conduct annual business, introduce new policies and celebrate the year’s successes.

The meeting kicked off with the IFB President Richard Guebert, Jr. urging the need for bipartisanship during his annual address as IFB members begin negotiating and helping draft a new farm bill in 2023 and advocating for international trade agreements.

“Being bipartisan has served Farm Bureau well. Farmers need support from both sides of the aisle,” Guebert said. “Farm Bureau is most effective on agriculture issues. The farther we get from agriculture, the less influence we have.”

He added that maintaining integrity and respect through the legislative process will foster a good working relationship between IFB and elected officials, agency representatives and regulators.

“We may not always agree on issues, but we are going to be forthright in explaining our position,” said Guebert. “We listen and show respect to others, even those with opposing points of view.”

Following the president’s address, IFB debuted its first-ever documentary on the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) to its members. The documentary, titled “Sustaining Our Future: A Farm Family Story” is centered around the Ganschow family in Bureau County and illustrates how three generations of farmers have approached sustainability.

The hour-long film is viewable to the public at ilfb.org and on the organization’s YouTube page. IFB is working with TV stations across the state to share the message.

“This documentary sends a clear message to various organizations and individuals working together on the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS): Continue to remain passionately dedicated to improving agriculture’s impact on the environment,”

Voting delegates for the meeting, totaling 330, considered policy submittals on a range of topics such as government farm policy, energy policy, farm equipment, climate change, healthcare, and urban agriculture. The language of these approved policies will be forwarded to American Farm Bureau Federation for consideration during its upcoming annual meeting.

“The most debate we had through the delegate session was around renewable energy projects. I think where this organization is at with respect to renewable energy is really trying to find that balance out here around private property rights,” said Mark Gebhards, executive director of government affairs and commodities.

He added, “Private property rights is a core policy of our policy book. How we go forward, how we try to find that balance, how we define these renewable energy projects and how they affect our landowners was really the focus of a lot of that debate.”

Approximately 1,332 IFB members and staff registered to attend the annual meeting. Several annual awards and honors were also announced.

Delegates confirmed two new members to the IFB board of directors and seven incumbent directors.

Jeff Weber of Metropolis in Massac County will represent District 18, which includes Jackson, Williamson, Saline, Gallatin, Union, Johnson, Pope, Hardin, Alexander, Pulaski and Massac counties. Brent Pollard of Rockford in Winnebago County will represent District 2, which includes Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone, Carroll, and Ogle counties. 

The Illinois Farm Bureau is a member of the American Farm Bureau Federation, a national organization of farmers and ranchers. Founded in 1916, IFB is a non-profit, membership organization directed by farmers who join through their county Farm Bureau. IFB has a total membership of more than 366,043 and a farmer membership of 76,527. IFB represents three out of four Illinois farmers.