HR0602 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0602 LRB098 14205 MST 48804 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate the Will County Farm Bureau on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of its founding; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau was formed by a group of local farmers in 1913; its first President was Edward L. Wilson and the Bureau was originally known as the Will County Soil and Water Association; it was housed in the Woodruff Building at Chicago and Jefferson Streets in Joliet; and

WHEREAS, The name was changed to the Will County Farm Bureau and the first board of directors was elected in 1919, with the new President being John Keniston; 30 Presidents have followed since; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau has worked on behalf of local farmers to help promote a positive image of the agriculture industry and has offered the support and assistance needed to the local farming community in helping to maintain and strengthen the principles of the farming industry; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau has vigorously opposed programs and policies which eroded or attacked the foundation of agriculture production; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau has been a strong supporter of private property rights, assisting local farmers with various issues over the years; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau moved its headquarters to the Terminal Building at Clinton & Ottawa Streets in 1920 and remained in that location until 1961 when they moved to their current location on Manhattan Road in Joliet; and

WHEREAS, The first organized movement to teach students about their food system was started by the Farm Bureau's women's organization in 1961; in 1981, it was changed to the Ag-in-the-Classroom program; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau saw the need to start other local farm organizations; in 1979, it started the Will County Corn Growers Association and, in 1983, it started the Will County Soybean Growers Association to help reach out and support farmers with production needs; and

WHEREAS, In 1999, the Will County Farm Bureau hosted the National Farm Hearing at the Floyd & Karre Schultz Farm to address the lowest farm prices they had seen in over 20 years; it had a powerhouse line up of speakers, including the American Farm Bureau President, 5 other Farm Bureau State Presidents, and United States Senators and Congressmen, with Orion Samuelsson servings as the master of ceremonies; and

WHEREAS, The Will County Farm Bureau marks its 100th anniversary on November 23, 2013 at a celebration dinner at the Joliet Junior College Weitendorf Agriculture Facility; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the Will County Farm Bureau on its 100th anniversary, and wish the organization and its members continued success; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Will County Farm Bureau as a symbol of our esteem and respect.