BLLOMINGTON, 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.

A 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.

​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