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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are pleased to recognize milestone events in
4Illinois organizations; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Woodford County Farm Bureau, headquartered in
6Eureka, is a grassroots organization dedicated to the
7propagation of the most profitable and permanent system of
8agriculture possible in the county; and
 
9    WHEREAS, The Woodford County Farm Bureau has been in
10operation for 100 years; the organization conducts business in
11conjunction with the American Farm Bureau Association, a
12national organization of farmers and ranchers which includes
13Farm Bureaus in all 50 states and Puerto Rico; and
 
14    WHEREAS, In 1914, following the passage of the federal
15Smith-Lever Act, several men, including Howard Leonard, Simon
16E. Lanz, Tom Bratt, Joe D. Smith, Ben Schertz, and W.H. Smith,
17discussed the creation of a cooperative farmer organization in
18Woodford County; and
 
19    WHEREAS, In 1915, at least 281 Woodford County Farm Bureau
20membership cards were signed; a permanent organization was
21immediately formed and the constitution and by-laws of the new

 

 

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1organization were adopted; one year later, Woodford County
2joined 11 other counties to become a charter member of the
3Illinois Agriculture Association; in its first year of official
4business, the association sold seed amounting to at least
5$25,495.76, one third of which was locally grown; and
 
6    WHEREAS, By 1921, the Woodford County Farm Bureau played an
7integral role in the development of marketing and legislative
8programs undertaken by the Illinois Agricultural Association
9and the American Farm Bureau Association; and
 
10    WHEREAS, At the annual meeting of the Woodford County Farm
11Bureau in December of 1934, it was reported that membership had
12grown by over 39% in the calendar year and that the County
13Service Company had a 38% increase in the volume of products
14handled; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Bureau President C.M.
16Smith in subsequent years, the Woodford County Farm Bureau
17played an integral role in the eradication of tuberculosis in
18local cattle, the permeation of pest control programs, the
19provision of credit facilities for member farms, cooperative
20initiatives for the production of agricultural products, and
21the expansion of Bureau facilities in the region; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Over the course of the 1950s and 1960s, the

 

 

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1Woodford County Farm Bureau continued initiatives to cement a
2reputation for quality agricultural products and livestock,
3while investing in the community through expansion of the Farm
4Bureau Park in Eureka; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Woodford County Farm Bureau has worked closely
6with the Illinois congressional delegation, State of Illinois
7officials, municipal and township governments, and the
8University of Illinois on matters of agricultural policy and
9research; and
 
10    WHEREAS, While the Woodford County Farm Bureau prepares for
11its centennial celebration, the Bureau is stronger than ever
12with significant commitments to farming households and
13agricultural education through classroom presentations, local
144-H programs, scholarships for higher education, and its Young
15Leader program; and
 
16    WHEREAS, The Woodford County Farm Bureau currently boasts
17over 4,000 active members in the cooperative; the organization
18is led by President Denny Pfanz, Vice President Dick Moritz,
19Secretary Kent Hodel, Treasurer Craig Moritz, and Directors
20Troy White, Sean Arians, Dennis Gibbs, Wayne Blunier, Dale
21Wyss, Loren Zimmerman, Daryl Hodel, Janet Hodel, and Ralph Noe;
22therefore, be it
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
3recognize the Woodford County Farm Bureau on the occasion of
4the organization's 100th anniversary and commend the Woodford
5County Farm Bureau family's vision, dedication, and hard work
6throughout the years; and be it further
 
7    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
8presented to the Woodford County Farm Bureau as an expression
9of our esteem.