<![CDATA[Franklin County Farm Bureau - Farm Bureau]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 06:07:25 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[Franklin County Farm Bureau Foundation Awards Two Scholarships]]>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/franklin-county-farm-bureau-foundation-awards-two-scholarships1046799Franklin County Farm Bureau Foundation and the Franklin County Farm Bureau Young Leaders Committee awarded scholarships to Franklin County students.
Tony Kistner, son of Scott and Angela Kistner, is a 2026 graduate of Sesser-Valier High School.  Tony’s high school achievements include graduating Salutatorian, high honor roll, Academic All State-Varsity Football, ACES, FFA President, Vice-President, Section 21 Star Farmer, Section 21 Beef Entrepreneurship Proficiency 1st Place, IL State FFA Degree, National Honor Society, Sesser-Valier Outdoorsman Club – Brandon Dame Memorial Gun Award Recipient &  Bob Prescott Memorial Knife Recipient, Student Council, Youth & Government – House of Representative Bill Sponsor, YMCA Y&G Legislative Assembly & Lobbyist, Sesser-Valier/Waltonville Football team 2025 Varsity Captain & Spokesman, Black Diamond Conference Defensive Captain, Black Diamond Conference Defensive Captain, Black Diamond All-Conference Team, IL Academic All-State team, 2024 Jr Captain, Sesser-Valier Boy’s basketball Team 2025 Varsity Captain & selected to the DuQuoin Tip-Off Classic All-Tournament Team, Math Team, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, selected to attend the IL Principals Association Breakfast, Franklin County 4H Mudrunners Club President and Donnie Baine Memorial “2 to 20” Scholarship. Tony enjoys being outdoors, spending time with family, hunting, fishing, searching for deer sheds, mushroom hunting, working cattle with his dad, learning more about how to improve their operation and would like to help coach the Sesser-Valier football team next year.  He plans to attend Rend Lake College and double major in Ag Business and Ag Production and Management.
Lane Croslin, son of Robert and Jodi Croslin, is a 2026 graduate of Benton Consolidated High School.  Lane’s high school achievements include Academic All-State, Honors, National Honor Society, FFA Treasurer, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Football Team Captain, Basketball team, Baseball team and volunteer for township.  Lane enjoys sports, spending time with family, helping others when they need it, working on things to expand his knowledge and anything involving agriculture.  He plans to attend Rend Lake College and double major in Ag Business and Ag production and Management.
]]><![CDATA[Farm Talk with IFB President Nelson]]>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/farm-talk-with-ifb-president-nelson
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]]><![CDATA[Franklin County Safety Day]]>Wed, 13 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/franklin-county-safety-day9844930Frankfort Community High School FFA, Sesser-Valier High School FFA, Rend Lake College and Franklin County Farm Bureau hosted a Farm Safety Day for 4th grade students in Franklin County on May 12th at the Rend Lake College Agronomy Building.  Students were able to learn about gun safety from the Conservation Police, knots from 4-H, heavy equipment from Little Tractor & Equipment, ATV safety from Golodich, lawn mower safety from H&R AgriPower, first aid from Rend Lake College nursing instructors, PTO safety from Blake Patton and Addison Page of Rend Lake College, seat belt safety from Illinois State Police, and chemical and animal safety from Frankfort and Sesser-Valier FFA members.
We would like to thank Rend Lake College for donating the use of their equipment and facilities and to Trudee Wynn COUNTRY Financial for donating lunch for the volunteers.  We would also like to thank Illinois Farm Bureau and COUNTRY Financial for providing a Farm Safety Grant to help feed volunteers as well.
]]><![CDATA[18th Annual Member Appreciation Picnic Save the Date]]>Fri, 01 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/18th-annual-member-appreciation-picnic-save-the-date​Franklin County Farm Bureau and COUNTRY Financial Representatives Trudee Wynn, Leann Stilley and Dana Wylie will be hosting a Member Appreciation Picnic at the Franklin County Fair.  The event will be on Tuesday, July 14th at 5pm.  Please join us for good food and good company!

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]]><![CDATA[IAA Foundation Awards $303,751 in Scholarships to Students Pursuing Agriculture Degrees]]>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/iaa-foundation-awards-303751-in-scholarships-to-students-pursuing-agriculture-degreesBLLOMINGTON, Ill. – Students can count on support of scholarships for college tuition during the 2026-2027 school year, courtesy of the IAA Foundation.
The charitable arm of the Illinois Farm Bureau, the IAA Foundation, is awarding $303,751 to 127 students pursuing degrees in agriculture-related fields.  Students are selected based on their activities and leadership, their community involvement, professional career goals and their overall commitment to success.
“Each year we are proud to support and encourage students who represent agriculture’s strong and vibrant future,” said Jennifer Smith, IAA Foundation development manager.
Hannah Humphreys of Franklin County is a recipient of the Allen and Ellen M Blessman Scholarship and will receive $1,000 and Tony Kistner of Franklin County is a recipient of the Harris Thomas Scholarship and will receive $2,000.  A full listing of recipients can be found at www.iaafoundation.org.
Annually, the Illinois Farm Bureau and county Farm Bureaus combine to award more than $1,000,000 in scholarship support.
“The scholarship program acknowledges hard-working students and offers financial support so they can pursue their dreams and land careers in agriculture,” said Smith.  “Through generous farm gifts and contributions from individuals, farm families, Illinois Farm Bureau members, and others who support our industry, we continue to see diversification and growth in our program.”
For more information on the IAA Foundation scholarship program, how to establish a scholarship, or to donate to a scholarship fund, visit the IAA Foundation’s website at www.iaafoundation.org or call 309-557-2232.
]]><![CDATA[Limited Power: Energy Storage In Unzoned Counties]]>Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/limited-power-energy-storage-in-unzoned-countiesA key question for many local officials and landowners is what authority they have over the development of energy storage projects if the county has not adopted zoning. The answer is that without zoning, regulatory authority becomes much more limited.
Under the new Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act (CRGA), no county zoning means very limited land-use control and site development in the unincorporated areas, which includes all property outside of a municipality. Regulatory authority only exists in counties that have adopted formal zoning. Across the state, 56 counties have adopted zoning, leaving 46 counties unzoned. Most of those unzoned counties are located in the southern reaches of the state.
For counties without zoning, the development of energy storage facilities under CRGA could occur with very limited local influence. The new law did not grant counties regulatory authority where zoning does not already exist. Therefore, unlike counties with zoning, unzoned counties cannot:
• Prohibit building projects, including energy storage facilities.
• Establish or enforce siting standards.
• Require approval through a special or conditional use permit.
• Set restrictions on where systems locate.
In practical terms, this means energy storage facilities proposed in unzoned counties generally cannot be denied due to their location or impact on the land. However, the landowner on a proposed site must still agree to the development and voluntarily sign a lease or sell their property to the developer.
The question many local officials and landowners will be asking is, “What local authority does exist in an unzoned county?” Even in unzoned counties, local governments still have some limited powers that could affect development. These include:
• Enforcing building codes and issuing permits if construction codes have been adopted.
• Limiting road access and weight limits on county roads and requiring road use agreements.
• Regulating drainage and stormwater management when impacted by development.
• Working with fire protection districts to put measures in place for public safety.]]><![CDATA[Franklin County Pork Loin Sale]]>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/franklin-county-pork-loin-sale7355457​On April 2nd, Franklin County Farm Bureau Young Leaders had their annual Pork Loin Sale to raise money for their scholarship.  They were able to raise a gross profit of $1,810.00.  Thank you to everyone who supported the sale!
 
Picture 1: Pictured left to right are Ike Hutchcraft, Jason Balding and Derek Sample
Picture 2: Pictured left to right are Michael Browning and Rob Hutchens
]]><![CDATA[County Farm Bureaus Work to Advance Legislative Priorities at GALC]]>Wed, 18 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/county-farm-bureaus-work-to-advance-legislative-priorities-at-galc​SPRINGFIELD – Southern Illinois Farm Bureau members learned how to harness the power of grassroots
advocacy during the organization’s annual Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference (GALC), held Feb. 17 in Springfield.
Centered on the theme “The Power of Grassroots,” this year’s conference highlighted the impact of member voices shaping policy at every level. Local, state political leaders and legislators met with Farm Bureau leaders from across the state, including dozens of members from southern Illinois, to discuss IFB’s 2026 legislative priorities. The event culminated in a legislative reception for elected officials, who met with IFB members.
"The power of grassroots is in each and every one of you," IFB President Philip Nelson said during his opening remarks. "You are the people who develop the policies. You're the people that work with legislators to see those policies get implemented."
Attendees also heard from numerous lawmakers, including Illinois House Speaker Emanuel "Chris" Welch and Illinois Senate President Don Harmon, as well as U.S. House Ag Committee Chair Glenn "GT" Thompson, outgoing Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin and U.S. Rep. Darin LaHood.
“The Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference is where grassroots power comes to life,” said Kevin Semlow, IFB executive director of governmental affairs and commodities. “We’re focused on equipping members to advocate for the policies they care about. It’s an opportunity to learn, engage and connect, because when our members lead, agriculture’s voice is heard.”
]]><![CDATA[2026 Young Leader Conference]]>Mon, 09 Feb 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/2026-young-leader-conferencePEORIA – Young leaders in agriculture from across the state met in Peoria for the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders Conference, held Feb. 6-7.
Among them, Samuel Deisher represents District 17 on the 2024 State Young Leader Committee.
Members from Franklin county as well as 24 SIU Collegiate Farm Bureau members attended the 2026 conference, which featured industry experts from across the ag landscape, educating the attendees on a wide range of topics, including succession planning, on the farm tools, agribusiness management, young professionals, education and engagement, trends on the horizon and much more.
The keynote address was given by Lance Weaver. Weaver is a former Ag Bank turned Business Coach, focused on helping American producers organize and improve their operations for long-term success.
The state Young Leader Committee is comprised of 18 district representatives between ages 18 and 35 who are passionate about promoting agriculture and Illinois Farm Bureau. Committee members engage with others from around the state at conferences and workshops and through their district and county Farm Bureau.
IFB President Phil Nelson and Vice President Evan Hultine were in attendance, along with several members of the IFB board of directors.

Photo 1: Pictured left to right are Franklin County Young Leaders Michael Browning and Derek Sample.
Photo 2: SIU Collegiate Members
]]><![CDATA[Franklin County Farm Bureau Farm Emergency Plan]]>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 06:00:00 GMThttps://www.fcfbil.com/farm-bureau/franklin-county-farm-bureau-farm-emergency-plan​Franklin County Farm Bureau is starting a new project this year to assist emergency services in getting to farms in a timely manner when emergencies arise.  Fire services and EMS have had difficulty locating farms and their equipment shut offs when needed.  Our new program is designed to bridge that gap.
Our plan is to number bins and add them to the GIS program Fire and EMS use.  Additional information will be added to show where the control panel for bins are, contact persons for the farm, electric, water, mechanics, etc. and any other information farmers think would be necessary.
For more information or to sign up, please call (618) 435-3616 or email fcfb028@gmail.com.  We would like to help our entire farming community in the county, so a Farm Bureau membership is not required.
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