Douglas County Farm Bureau
Official Membership Newsletter
Volume VI Number II March 2022
Douglas County Farm Bureau Holds 102nd Annual Meeting
The Douglas County Farm Bureau held its 102nd annual meeting at the DCFB office on Tuesday, March 15. The annual meeting was strictly a business meeting for the purpose of hearing reports from officers and employees and electing district directors from districts 1, 2, and 3.

Jon McGee was elected to serve a 3 year term for District 1 which is Murdock, Newman, and Sargent townships. Mickey Williams was elected to serve a 3 year term for District 2, Camargo, Bowdre, and Arcola townships. Justin Green was elected to serve a 3 year term for District 3, Tuscola, Bourbon, and Garrett townships.

The Douglas County Farm Bureau Board of Directors also reorganized after the annual meeting and elected the new officers for the year. Dan Meyer of Tuscola was elected President, Mickey Williams of Arcola was elected Vice-President, Jeff Young of Camargo was elected Secretary, and Steve Wetzel of Tuscola was elected Treasurer.
Above: 2022 Douglas County Farm Bureau Board of Directors: Starting at the left of the photo and moving right: Larry Dallas, Illinois Farm Bureau District 12 Director, David Young, Garrett Stenger, Mike Pflum-Young Leader Chairperson, Steve Wetzel-Treasurer, Mickey Williams-Vice-President, Justin Green, Daniel Meyer-President, Jeff Young-Secretary, and Jon McGee. Not pictured is Rhett Burris.
Pictured above is Dan Meyer, Douglas County Farm Bureau president and Devin Black Tuscola Public Library director.
Pictured above Jon McGee and Rhett Burris, Douglas County Farm Bureau Directors with Jackie Wells, Camargo Township Library Director.
Pictured above Ericka Crist, Douglas County Farm Bureau Ag Literacy Coordinator and Cheryl Switzer, Arcola Public Library Director.
Pictured above is Ericka Crist, Douglas County Ag Literacy coordinator, David Young, Douglas County Farm Bureau Director and Matthew Hales, Newman Public Library director.
Douglas County Farm Bureau Ag in the Classroom Update
In recognition of March being National Agriculture month, the Douglas County Farm Bureau recently donated two books to local county area and school libraries.

“Barn at Night" was written by Michelle Houts and illustrated by Jen Betton. This book tells the story of a father and daughter as they care for their animals in the barn. The barn shelters the animals through the cold winter night. Great rhyming and beautiful illustrations give this story a peaceful feeling.

“Tales of the Dairy Godmother” written by Viola Butler and illustrated by Ward Jenkins. What happens when Chuck wishes for all the ice cream he can eat? The Dairy Godmother tells Chuck about dairy farms and the path to making ice cream. The book includes an easy-to-make ice cream recipe.
Pictured above is Ericka Crist, Douglas County Ag Literacy coordinator and Kelsey Pruitt, Arthur Public Library director.
Pictured above is Ericka Crist, Douglas County Ag Literacy coordinator and Ava Binion, Atwood-Hammond Library aide.
Applications now Available for RIMSAP
Applications are now available for nurse practitioner scholarships through the Illinois Farm Bureau® Rural Nurse Practitioner Scholarship Program. There will be 15 scholarships, worth $4,000 each, granted this year.
 
The scholarship program, now in its thirtieth year, helps encourage and develop the pool of rural health practitioners to help meet primary health care needs in rural Illinois. Students who receive scholarships agree to practice for two years in an approved rural area in Illinois.

To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be Illinois residents and be a Registered Nurse accepted or enrolled in an accredited Nurse Practitioner Program. Funding is provided by the Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program (RIMSAP).
 
Applications are available at county Farm Bureaus® throughout the state, on the Rural Illinois Medical Student Assistance Program website at RIMSAP.com, or by writing Donna Gallivan, Program Manager, Illinois Farm Bureau, PO Box 2901, Bloomington, IL 61702-2901. Applications are due May 1.

For additional information, contact Donna Gallivan at 309-557-2350, or via e-mail at [email protected]. 
NOTE: The application deadline for the SWCD position below has been extended until May 1, 2022.
Wellness Works Article from Carle
Please click on the button below to read the latest wellness works article from Amy Rademaker, Rural Health & Farm Safety Program Coordinator for Carle. This month's topic is focusing on safe play areas and procedures.
Photos From The Past
We need your help! If anyone has any information or can identify the men in the photo to the right, please email Tyler at [email protected] or please call the office at 217-253-4442.
2019 Douglas County Plat Books Now Available!
The new 2019 edition of the Douglas County Plat Book is now available for purchase at the Douglas County Farm Bureau office located at 105 N. Main Street, (217) 253-4442 and Douglas County SWCD, 900 S. Washington Street, (217) 253-2022, both in Tuscola. The price of the new centennial plat book is $40.00.

There will also be Premium Wall Maps available for purchase at a cost of $40.00. For more information contact one of these offices. Traditional landownership maps by township and range, aerial view maps and historical 1914 landowner maps are featured side-by-side in a tri-fold layout for your easy reference/comparison.

Visit mappingsolutionsGIS.com for digital versions of Douglas County landowner maps. Mapping Solutions is the publisher. 
Help the DCFB Foundation with Amazon Smile
 You now have a chance to help the Douglas County Farm Bureau Foundation every time you purchase through Amazon Smile! If you go to Amazon Smile, you can add the Douglas County Farm Bureau Foundation as your favorite charity and 0.5% of all purchases you make through Amazon Smile will go directly to our Foundation. Thank you in advance for your support! Please follow the link below to register today!
Illini FS Nutrient Stewardship Update
Please click on the button below to read the latest update from Dr. Howard Brown, Manager of Agronomic Information and Nutrient Stewardship with Illini FS.
Douglas County SWCD Update
Attention Farmers! Douglas County SWCD has available for rent a 20' John Deere 1590 no-till drill. The district also has for rent a 6' and 15' drill for smaller projects. The drill rental rates are $8 an acre with a $50 minimum. All SWCD drills can be used in no-till application to conserve soil by reducing erosion. Call or text Allison Coulter to reserve a drill today at 217-493-7180.
Above: 20' Douglas County SWCD Drill
THANK YOU FOR YOUR MEMBERSHIP!
Larry W. Dallas
Illinois Farm Bureau
District 12 Director
Illinois Farm Bureau District 12 Director Monthly Ag Update
Most of the things affecting agriculture this month happened far away from Douglas County. War in Eastern Europe, inflation in this country, and runaway energy prices are in the national news. The ag press is concerned about drought in South America and the U.S. wheat belt. Other stories track the spread of bird flu around the nation and now in Illinois.

Farmers were already facing fertilizer prices double or triple what they were a year ago, depending on the product. Ukraine, Russia, and Russian ally Belarus are sources of fertilizer. Russia is the world's second-largest producer of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers and the fifth largest producer of phosphorus fertilizer. It seems likely the current conflict will affect that production, and certainly shipping it out to the end-user.

The U.S. doesn’t buy much fertilizer from the area, but we have a world economy. Canada is the source of much of our potassium fertilizer, but they have been a large importer of Russian nitrogen and phosphorus. Canada will find that plant food somewhere and pay more to get it. I have discussed before that natural gas is the feedstock for nitrogen fertilizer. That price remains high. 
Affiliate Companies
Douglas County Farm Bureau • 105 N. Main St. Tuscola, Illinois 61953 • 217-253-4442