Government Center

719 S. Batavia Ave., Bldg. A

Geneva, IL 60134

Kane County

KC Agriculture Committee

Meeting Minutes

KENYON, Roth, Allan, Juby, Lenert, Sanchez, Williams, ex-officios Pierog (County Chair) and

Tepe (County Vice Chair)

Thursday, November 21, 2024

10:30 AM

County Board Room

Call To Order

Chairman Kenyon called today's meeting to order at 10:33 AM.

Roll Call

Board Member Michael Kenyon

Board Member Bill Roth

PRESENT

Board Member Deborah Allan

Board Member Leslie Juby

Board Member Bill Lenert

Board Member Jarett Sanchez

Board Member Rick Williams

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Vern Tepe

ABSENT

Also present: Co. Bd. members Linder, Molina*; KCFB Mgr. Arnold; Dev. Dir.

VanKerkhoff and staff Tansley, Thavong, McKenna, Castro; Environ. & Water Res. Dir.

Wollnik; Food & Farm Consultant Janice Hill; Agriculture and Food Consultant Ellen

Kamps; ASA Spec. Shepro; ITD staff Peters; and members of the press and public,

including Kane County Farm Bureau President, Joe White.

Remote Attendance Requests

There were no remote attendance requests for today's meeting.

Approval of Minutes: October 17, 2024

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Bill Roth

Public Comment

None.

Partners

Kane County Farm Bureau Updates (Steve Arnold, Manager)

KCFB Mgr., Arnold, announced that David Rodriguez of Elgin was the winner of

the 1947 Vintage Dodge Truck Raffle. A 1948 Willys-Overland Jeep Pick-Up

Truck will be raffled off in October 2025 to raise money for scholarships through

the Kane County Farm Bureau. Arnold stated that the Farm Bureau Foundation

has approved over $50K for college scholarships and agriculture literacy

programs for 2025. The award also established a recurring scholarship for the

most outstanding High School Senior who will receive $5K in their first year of

college. If the student maintains an agriculture field of study and a 3.0 GPA, they

will receive an additional $2,500 for the second, third, and fourth year. The

Illinois Farm Bureau Annual meeting will be held in Chicago from December

7-10 to discuss several resolutions including topics on regenerative agriculture,

vocational education, solar and wind energy, and farmland ownership. Lastly,

effectively January 1, 2025, the Country Mutual Insurance Company, which is an

affiliate of the Illinois Farm Bureau, is changing its membership and eligibility

rules. Kane County Farm Bureau members and non-farm bureau members with

only farm related policies will be eligible to purchase products for their property.

Presentations/Announcements

Master Urban Farmer Training Field Day Recap (Matt Tansley, Planner)

Dev. Dir. Planner, Tansley, provided an update on the Master Urban Farmer

Training Field Day (MUFTP). (Committee Member Allan arrived at 11:00 a.m.)

He stated that the University of Illinois Extension (U of I) organized a field day as

part of the Urban Farmer Training Program. Extension's Small Farms Educator

recruited Barbic Farms of Wayne, Illinois to lead the MUFTP on a tour and share

growing methods and lessons. The Barbic Farms is an urban and micro farm

with a production area of 0.5 acres. The farm is owned and operated by a

veteran, Mike Barbic, and launched it in 2022. Tansley shared several pictures

from the farm field day event. Tansley addressed questions and comments from

the Committee. Much discussion ensued.

Healthy Farm Families: Child Care and Health in Farm Planning (Janice Hill,

Consultant; Ellen Kamps, Consultant / Project Manager)

Food & Farm Consultant and Land Transfer Navigator, Janice Hill, stated that

Kane County was selected to participate in a nation-wide program to develop a

program for county farmer land transfer issues. The goal for the Land Navigators

Program is to increase the transfer of farm and ranch land to a new generation

of producers. The program is catalyzing practitioners from across the country to

support equitable farm and ranch transfers that work for both retiring and

aspiring generations. It is a four year program and is funded by Natural

Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Hill noted that in partnership with

NRCS, the American Farmland Trust has developed a multi-year, multi-faceted

program to address the challenges affecting retiring landowners struggling to

transfer their land and operations, and diverse, new generation of farmers and

ranchers looking to access land.

Agriculture and Food Consultant, Ellen Kamps, shared information on the

Healthy Farm Families: Health Care, Health Insurance, and Childcare into

Whole Farm Planning Program. She stated that childcare and health insurance

impact farm economic development, risk management, farm safety, and quality

of life. Ohio State University and the American Farmland Trust partnered to

create this curriculum to respond to those needs. Nationally, 74% of farm

families experienced childcare challenges within the last five years most often

due to cost and availability, followed by distance to childcare, and quality of

childcare. The objectives of the curriculum is to broaden the human aspects of

agricultural risk management, and increase validity and importance of health

care, health insurance, and childcare as a vital component of farm viability.

Lastly, Kamps noted that the curriculum provides a unique opportunity to hear

from farmers on their views of childcare and health care within their community.

Much discussion ensued.

New Business

Committee Member, Lewis, shared with the committee her recent visit to the Illinois

Food Bank. She acknowledged the amazing work being done for local food pantries

and schools with the assistance of the American Rescue Plan (ARPA).

Reports Placed On File

RESULT:

MOVER:

APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

Bill Roth

10.

Executive Session (if needed)

None.