Kendall-Grundy Young Leaders

03/24/2026

Interested in registering? Reach out before the 31st!

Explore Northern New England Agriculture This Summer!

Join the 2026 Young Leader Ag Industry Tour as we head to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine from July 13–19, 2026 for a one-of-a-kind look at Northern New England agriculture.
From maple and dairy to potatoes, blueberries, and high-value produce, this tour highlights smaller-scale family farms, innovative farm management, and practices focused on soil health and climate resilience—all while traveling together across three states.

Tour highlights include:
• Farm and agribusiness visits across VT, NH & ME
• A hands-on lobster harvest experience in Maine
• All meals and hotel accommodations included
• Travel by private motorcoach throughout the tour

Registration Details (Lottery-Based):
• 35 spots available
• Registration opens: 8:00 a.m. Monday, March 16
• Closes: 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 31
• Registration is submitted by your County Farm Bureau manager through CVENT
• 10 spots reserved for first-time attendees
• Participants are selected at random (timestamps do not apply)

Cost:
• $750 per person (double occupancy)
• Optional single-occupancy room available for an additional $450
• Includes meals and hotels Monday–Saturday nights
• Travel to/from Vermont and Maine not included

Eligibility:
• Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders ages 18–35
• Must be a Member in Good Standing at registration and during the tour

How to Register:
To be entered into the drawing, contact your County Farm Bureau manager before March 31.

This tour fills quickly—don’t miss your chance to experience agriculture across Northern New England with fellow Young Leaders!

03/13/2026

🏀 Hoops for Hunger is BACK! 🏀

March Madness is more fun when it gives back. Join the Hoops for Hunger Bracket Challenge and help fight food insecurity across Illinois.

Here’s how it works:
✔ Fill out up to 10 brackets
✔ Donate $10 per bracket
✔ Compete for bragging rights

The winning bracket gets to choose where all funds raised will be donated. Even if you don’t want to fill out a bracket, you can still donate any amount and be part of the impact.

Brackets open Sunday, March 15 and lock Thursday, March 19

🔗 Fill out your bracket: https://on.ilfb.org/2026YLbracketchallenge
🔗 Donate here: https://on.ilfb.org/hoopsforhunger

03/13/2026

Join us for a St Patty's day meeting! Hope to see you there!

03/12/2026

Monday is the last day to take advantage of our early bird discount!!

Save the date ⛳🌽
We're gearing up FORE the Future of Agriculture!
Don’t wait until summer — early bird pricing through March 16th!

Call the office at (815)942-6400 or email [email protected]

03/12/2026

This years Ag Industry Tour is headed to Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine! Interested? Reach out to our office for more information!

Registration for the 2026 Young Leader Ag Industry Tour is almost here!

This summer, Young Leaders will travel through Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine to explore Northern New England agriculture, from dairy and maple production to specialty crops and innovative farm management practices.

Registration opens at 8:00 a.m. on Monday, March 16 and closes at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31. Spots are limited and selected through a random drawing.

If you’re interested in attending, don’t wait. Reach out to your County Farm Bureau manager during the registration window to make sure your name is submitted.

https://www.ilfb.org/media/20288/d26_youngleaders_agindustrytour-flyer_print.pdf

03/10/2026

⏰ Application Deadline Reminder ⏰

There’s still time to apply for the Young Leader Achievement Award and Excellence in Agriculture Award, but the deadline is coming up quickly.

Applications are due April 1.

If you or someone you know should be recognized for leadership, involvement, and impact in agriculture, don’t miss this opportunity.

For more information: https://www.ilfb.org/get-involved/young-leaders/2026-excellence-in-agriculture-and-achievement-award/

03/02/2026

Save the date ⛳🌽
We're gearing up FORE the Future of Agriculture!
Don’t wait until summer — early bird pricing through March 16th!

Call the office at (815)942-6400 or email [email protected]

02/09/2026

The Kendall-Grundy Young Leaders attended the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leader Conference in Peoria this weekend and made the most of every opportunity!

The weekend was full of energy and learning. Our Young Leaders connected with friends old and new, collaborated with collegiate Farm Bureau members from ISU, JJC, and SIU, and shared ideas that will help them grow personally and professionally. We were especially proud to see Austin and Kelsey Granby present on how they are building their dream and helping others learn the steps to start and grow a business!

Events like this are what make the Young Leaders program so impactful! These professional development opportunities challenge our members to grow as leaders, expand their networks, and gain skills they can carry with them well beyond the conference room!

01/23/2026

Beginning in November and continuing throughout the holiday season, our Young Leaders carried out their Harvest for All campaign by inviting farmer and landowner members to give back locally. Through their generosity, $13,650 was donated directly to four local food pantries. Over the past couple of weeks, our Young Leaders were proud to deliver the donations, helping support neighbors during a time when it matters most. Thank you to everyone who helped make Harvest for All a success!

01/16/2025

An animal health issue, an ice storm, an undercover video, a barn fire, an on-farm death, these are just a few crises that impact American farms and ranches each day. While some are unforeseen and cannot be avoided, by creating a crisis plan farms can take steps to mitigate issues that could lead to a crisis and help drive their recovery response.

Jolene Griffin with United Dairy Industry of Michigan has experienced crises on her family dairy farm, and has helped many other farmers work through crises. During this CONNECT call, Jolene will walk the audience through key and easy steps to create a crisis plan, and the next steps to take if a crisis occurs. This interactive session will give farmers and ranchers a head start in thinking through crisis preparedness, while learning tips on how to communicate. Attendees will walk away with crisis resources they can share with their team.

Registration Link: https://farmbureau.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUpfu-gpjgsGdxdj6j7tZP7S0qiwxN_RPpB

01/14/2025

12/18/2024

What's up everyone! Looking forward to our December YL meeting tonight. Scott Brummel is our fabulous host for the evening. Please reach out if you have any questions!