News
Illinois Farm Bureau prioritizing urban ag involvement
Continuing to bridge the gap between rural and urban agriculture was identified as a top priority by delegates at the 2021 Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.
Mark Gebhards, IFB’s Director of Governmental Affairs says delegates gave the board more direction on how to increase the group’s presence in urban areas and strengthen connections with urban legislators, growers, and consumers.
“I see it as a way to sit down and talk about some of the things out there that they are concerned about and how Illinois Farm Bureau can play a part in helping find solutions for that. So, it not only allows us to build a membership base or to increase our engagement with folks in agriculture in Illinois, it allows us to do more with the General Assembly at the same time.”
IFB President Rich Guebert says their Adopt-A-Legislator program and involvement with the AgriFood Alliance are great examples of the work already being done on this front.
“We have a number of food industry and manufacturers here in the sate of Illinois that we are working in alliance with to build upon different opportunities to get our message out.”
Gebhards says urban ag should also have more of a presence in the next farm bill.
