By Carrie Muehling
DECATUR – The Illinois Farm Bureau kicked off its 100th anniversary celebration during the 2015 Farm Progress Show in Decatur.
Although the organization doesn’t officially turn 100 years old until January 2016, Illinois Farm Bureau President Rich Guebert said the Farm Progress Show was the perfect place to begin the recognition of the group’s history.
“Illinois Farm Bureaus were started because farmers wanted a farm advisor to help them to grow, to increase their corn yields, improve their soil fertility, and deal with disease and insect pressures on their farms. And that’s how the Farm Bureau system was started years ago,” said Guebert.
He said the Illinois Farm Bureau has been a leading advocate for farmers when it comes to legislation at the state and national level. It also helped to start many other organizations that are still part of the Illinois Farm Bureau Family today, including Country Financial, Growmark and Prairie Farms.
The centennial celebration will continue with special events planned for the group’s annual meeting in December, an anniversary party for employees on January 26, the opening of a 100-year-old time capsule in July 2016, special activities at next year’s Illinois State Fair, and a concluding event during the opening of the new agricultural exhibit at the McLean County Museum of History in March of 2017.
Carrie Muehling can be reached at carrie@wjbc.com.
