February 3

Did you know that February is National Potato Lover’s Month? Who loves National Potato Lover’s Month more than Neumiller Farms? When most people think agriculture, they think “typical” row crops, aka corn and soybeans. They think livestock including hogs and beef cattle, they don’t think of potato farmers. I have been fortunate enough to tour Neumiller Farms a few times and work with them on various programs. Did you know they moved their operation headquarters to Carroll County in 1979?

They also grow more than just potatoes. They grow green beans, sweet corn, field corn and soybeans. They work diligently with the food manufacturers who buy their product to ensure it is safe and meets the standards that have been set. Their priorities are food safety and sustainability. We are very fortunate to have their family farm in our county.

The potato is about 80% water and 20% solids. An 8-ounce baked or boiled potato has only about 100 calories. The average American eats about 124 pounds of potatoes per year while Germans eat about twice as much.

With the progress made in tiers in our region, we are now able to have events with 50 people in the auditorium.

This summer we are hiring a summer intern to assist with what hopes to be a busy summer. The candidate would be a current college student looking to learn more about Carroll County Farm Bureau.  Duties will include assisting with and leading summer programs along with managing social media. If you know of someone who would be interested and an asset to our office, please have them reach out to apply.

While no one knew when our world would open up, the annual Illinois Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference is being held virtually with a new format for 2021. The virtual GALC conference will be held February 16-18 from noon to 1 p.m. Each day there will be a new topic. On the 16th, the topic will be National and State update and priorities, the 17th will be Business and Environment, and the 18th will be local issues and engagement. You may register by contacting our office at 815-244-3001 or emailing me at carrollcfb@gmail.com.  In past years, I have always found great value in the GALC conference and while this year is virtual, I am sure there will be many take a ways especially in these times.

Have you felt stuck at home during this past year? Don’t forget as a member there are numerous travel discounts available to you. You have access to hotel, car rental, the Great Wolf Lodge and more.  All of these are available by logging into your abenity account online or on your mobile device. Need assistance with signing up, just give our office a call!