Nearly 1,800 members and staff gathered Dec. 7-9 in Chicago for the Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, which included the Young Leader Discussion Meet, elections, many awards, and a delegate session and annual meeting.

Four new members were elected to serve two-year terms on the IFB board of directors. Some decided to run following the insurance situation involving the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Randy Aberle, Ford County. Representing District 6, which includes Kankakee, Livingston, Iroquois and Ford counties, Aberle replaces Keith Mussman, Kankakee County, who retired.

Barry Fisher, Fulton County. Representing District 8, which includes Knox, Warren, Henderson, Peoria and Fulton counties, Fisher defeated Richard Carroll, Peoria County.

Mark Hortin, Champaign County. Representing District 12, which includes Vermilion, Champaign, Douglas and Edgar counties, Hortin defeated Larry Dallas, Douglas County.

Steve Hosselton, Clay County. Representing District 14, which includes Montgomery, Fayette, Effingham, Bond, Marion and Clay counties, Hosselton defeated Ken Cripe, Fayette County.

Farmers were sharply divided at the delegate session that closed the IFB Annual Meeting, as factions fought to remove the president and vice president over allegations that they ignored grassroots members.

The 331 delegates debated policy and set the future direction of the Illinois Farm Bureau, but never formally addressed the expulsion of the organization from the American Farm Bureau Federation, its pending litigation against the national group, or the membership requirement change for insurance.

Late in the day, at the end of the session, delegates voted on two bylaw changes, which would have compensated the vice president as an employee of IFB and would have created one-year terms for officers. Both measures failed, by 62% for vs. 38% against on the first and 34.5% for vs. 65.5% against on the second. Neither received the required two-thirds vote to pass.

Highlights of the policy discussion during Monday’s delegate session included:

Wildlife. To better manage nuisance deer, delegates adopted new policy that encourages a different deer tracking system, year-round permits and extended hunting through February.

Apiculture. Delegates support the Illinois Department of Agriculture to administer apiculture in Illinois, and U.S. EPA as the sole regulator for U.S. migratory beekeeping. Delegates adopted policy opposing state inspectors selling live bees locally.

Pipelines. Delegates adopted new language that says IFB would like it to be considered a trespass if a company stores carbon dioxide below ground within property lines without an agreement. They also support allowing property owners to access digital utility maps, and they support “fair and just compensation for nonconsenting landowners for CO₂ pipelines and sequestration.”

Foreign land ownership. New policy will oppose farmland ownership in Illinois by a foreign government, government officials and agencies, political parties and members, entities representing government interests, or businesses under foreign control.

Foreign research land. Delegates changed IFB policy to support leasing and renting U.S. farmland to foreign ag companies for research, instead of selling the ground.