Grundy Reporter

Illinois State Rep. Jackie Haas shared her visit with family farmers and the Will County Farm Bureau.

Haas took to Facebook to voice a shout-out to the Robbins family.

"This morning I had the privilege of riding along with the Robbins family as they finished up planting corn," Haas wrote in a May 24 Facebook post. "I was also joined by Mark with the Will County Farm Bureau, as well as my district office staff. Thank you for this great educational experience! This is my second time planting with the Robbins family, last year was soybeans! I look forward to more farming opportunities in the future - it brings back many fond memories from my childhood!"

The Will County Farm Bureau provides resources for new farmers, works to reduce carbon emissions from agricultural activities, and promotes local foods and local farms. Members can get discounts at a variety of businesses throughout the county, copies of the Farmer's Weekly Review and free classified advertisements in the Farmer's Weekly Review, among other benefits.

The Illinois Farm Bureau notes that "Twenty-four of Illinois’ counties derive at least one-third of their total output from agriculture and agriculture-related industries. Cook County, Illinois’ most urban county, derives $27 billion in economic activity from agriculture and agriculture-related industries, 5.2% of the county’s total output. Agriculture is also critical for job creation. Agriculture and related industries account for over 400,000 jobs in Illinois, or about 1 in every 17 jobs in the state."

Illinois is the #2 corn-producing state in the country, according to The Illinois Farm Bureau.