Throughout the event, lawmakers met with Farm Bureau members, participated in policy discussions, and emphasized their shared commitment to advocating for Illinois’ farm families. Topics ranged from land use and environmental stewardship to regulatory reform and support for the next generation of farmers.
House Republicans appreciated the opportunity to collaborate directly with those who grow the products that feed, fuel, and clothe our state; and we look forward to continuing to work with the Farm Bureau to advocate for policies that help Illinois agriculture thrive.
Did you know that numerous House Republican legislators are also farmers themselves? We are proud of our farm colleagues including Rep. Jason Bunting, Rep. Bradley Fritts, Rep. Brad Halbrook, Rep. Chris Miller, Rep. Charlie Meier, Rep. Wayne Rosenthal, and Rep. Dan Swanson.
Every spring, we welcome FFA students and educators from our districts to the annual Illinois Agriculture Legislative Day at the State Capitol in Springfield, like this group from Rep. Tom Weber's district (above); Our guests enjoy this opportunity to meet their lawmakers and advocate for the ag industry. The FFA students also bring baskets of Illinois-grown products, demonstrating their knowledge and highlighting the importance of agriculture to each of the communities across the state we call home.
When the legislature is not session, we remain committed to engaging with farm families and our local agribusiness industry throughout Illinois.
For example, State Representatives Dan Swanson, Norine Hammond, and Travis Weaver hosted a series of four Farmland Assessment Seminars in September for residents of Rock Island, Henry, Knox, Warren, McDonough, and Mercer Counties. The events featured a presentation by the Illinois Farm Bureau’s Brenda Matherly (above) aimed at helping local residents better understand the farmland assessment process and how to go about filing a challenge if they believe their assessment may contain an error.
In July (above), State Representative Jason Bunting participated in the Ford-Iroquois County Farm Bureau Adopt-A-Legislator event, welcoming Sen. Meg Loughran Cappel to his district for a summer visit, joined by Sen. Chris Balkema. The group toured Heritage FS, Inc. in Gilman, where they learned about the science and care involved in applying herbicides and soil nutrients to farm fields. They also visited One Earth Energy in Gibson City, featuring the ethanol production process and the company’s carbon capture expansion project. 
These are just a few examples of ways House Republicans stay engaged with their local agriculture industry and farm families throughout the year.
When the legislature is not session, we remain committed to engaging with farm families and our local agribusiness industry throughout Illinois.
Last summer, Rep. Joe Sosnowski adopted an acre at a local soybean farm in Boone County (above) and visited the field to learn about the life cycle of the soybean.
These are just a few examples of ways House Republicans stay engaged with their local agriculture industry and farm families throughout the year.