By Cole Lauterbach/Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – When the local church passes the plate around, some farmers are known to put bushels of grain into it.

The federal government has allowed farmers for years to donate a portion of their harvested crops to charitable groups, including churches and other non-profits.

Farmers take the grain to the elevator and declare a number of bushels to be given to a church or charity. The charity then gets to play the market and sell that grain for what it thinks is the best price, while the farmer deducts the grain on income taxes.

The Equity Co-Op is the largest agricultural cooperative in Illinois, and its vice president of grain sales, Mark Tarter, said such donations are a common occurrence at his four downstate elevators.

“We have quite a few of our customers that feel the need to share some of their grain proceeds with charitable organizations,” Tarter said.

Tarter thinks it’s less about the write-off and more about the generosity of the Illinois farmer.

“I believe they go ahead and, as a good businessman or businesswoman, would take eligible deductions, but I truly believe that they’re doing it in the spirit of giving, rather than a tax write-off,” Tarter said.

Tarter didn’t have any totals on how much grain was donated this year or last — neither does the IRS nor the state Department of Revenue.