The Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau recently took home its first ever President’s Award at the annual Illinois Farm Bureau meeting in Chicago last week. Bureau manager Lindsay McQueen explains how they were able to take home the prize for the first time: “The award is based on accumulated points for an array of activities that we do through the past year. It’s our first time winning it, and we are very fortunate for having a good board of directors and a group of volunteers that really put on some outstanding programs for our members.”
McQueen said they have a number of programs that they try to do each year to engage the nearly 2700 members in the bureau. This year along with several other farm bureaus, the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and the Morgan County Fair they were able to donate hay, money donations, cleaning supplies, and other items towards flood relief for farmers and ranchers in the state of Nebraska in the late Spring.
McQueen says that they have done the donation and assistance program in the recent past for farmers who fell victim to wild fires in the state of Kansas a few years ago. McQueen said locally the bureau also assisted several farmers who dealt with the spring’s extreme flooding problems. The bureau’s Young Leaders chair, Ross Dambeacher, was named top Young Leader in the state in the Group III membership tier at the ceremony as well. McQueen said that the bureau’s strong group of volunteers and dedicated board of directors helped to make the award possible. “Our programs vary each year depending upon what we think our members need to hear or what they want to learn about,” McQueen said. McQueen said that she believes the farm bureau is a good reference and contact for local farmers for resources and to put them in touch with help if they need it. The Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau has been in operation since 1970.