Local Ag News

Thirteen scholarships have been awarded by the Mercer County Farm Bureau Foundation. In addition to student scholarships, Mercer County Farm Bureau manager Jenna Preston says the foundation supports programs such as Agriculture in the Classroom [FULL STORY]

Former Sherrard teacher, Ramona McMeekan, was recently honored for 20 years of volunteer service with “Ag in the Classroom,” an initiative to teach children about agriculture through the Mercer County Farm Bureau. Connie Lord, Ag [FULL STORY]

Mercer County Ag in the Classroom’s ACE Camp was held Tuesday at the Mercer County Fairgrounds. The event involves over 200 second graders from the Sherrard and Mercer County school districts going through stations involving [FULL STORY]

Mercer County Farm Bureau manager Jenna Preston gets the title of “2023 College Basketball Bracket Expert”. She won the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader’s Bracket Challenge—where you donate your winnings to a local cause. Preston [FULL STORY]

Local farmers continue to stock local food pantries. The Bushels for Hunger campaign involves producers from Mercer, Rock Island, and Henry counties. The program this year has generated $23,603 for the River Bend Food Bank. [FULL STORY]

A Mercer County FFA alumni group has formed, and they are hosting an event next week to coincide with the annual Mercer County High School FFA Chapter Banquet. Matt Willits is serving as president of [FULL STORY]

Illinois viewers of this Sunday’s Super Bowl will learn that 96-percent of Illinois farms are owned by family farmers. It’s an ad campaign organized by the Illinois Farm Families coalition. Chad Bell, a Mercer County [FULL STORY]

Viola area farmer Chad Bell and his family featured in a Super Bowl Sunday ad on Feb. 12. The campaign is called “We are the 96” and the spot will run on Fox affiliates in [FULL STORY]

Aledo’s rep in Congress will continue to serve on the House Ag Committee. Mary Miller is beginning her second term in office. Miller is from Oakland and represents Illinois’ 15th Congressional District, which now includes [FULL STORY]

Congratulations to the BHC Soil Judging Team for being undefeated in Fall 2022! The team took first place at two regional American Society of Agronomy contests in two states. The team won both the Region [FULL STORY]