SPRINGFIELD Ill. — The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) released the names of the candidates for three commodity board elections. Producers will vote July 6 to determine members of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board, and the Sheep and Wool Marketing Board. Anyone who produces and markets commodities the boards represent is eligible to vote. Ballots may be cast at county Cooperative Extension Offices during regular operating hours.
“I strongly encourage producers to take advantage of this opportunity to participate in decisions affecting the future of their industry,” said IDOA Director Jerry Costello II. “Commodity boards decide which industry promotions and research projects get funded with state checkoff dollars, and the best way for producers to have a voice in how those dollars are spent is by going to the polls July 6th.”
Checkoff dollars come from assessments levied at the first point of sale. State law sets assessment for corn at 5/8 of 1 cent per bushel, soybeans at 1/2 of 1 percent of the market value – sheep and wool at 2 1/2 cents per pound.
Voting is eligible to anyone who produces and markets commodities of these respective boards. Ballots may be cast at county Cooperative Extension Offices during regular operating hours. Please check to make sure your local Extension office is open on July 6. If you are unable to vote at your Extension office on July 6, please request an absentee ballot by email to David.Humphreys@Illinois.gov or call 217-524-1083. The Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture must receive absentee ballots by 5:00 pm CST June 30.
Following is a list of commodity districts holding elections this year, the counties they include and candidates’ names and hometowns.
ILLINOIS CORN MARKETING BOARD
District 2: Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago, Carroll, Ogle – Jon Rosenstiel, Pearl City
District 5: LaSalle, Grundy, Livingston, Kankakee – Art Bunting, Dwight
District 8: Peoria, Tazewell, Fulton, Mason, Cass, Menard, Logan – Ross E. Pauli, Edwards
District 11: Christian, Montgomery, Shelby, Fayette, Effingham –Â Open
District 14: Madison, Bond, St. Clair, Clinton, Monroe, Washington – Dale Handrich, Waterloo
ILLINOIS SOYBEAN PROGRAM OPERATING BOARD
District 2: McHenry, Lake, Kane, Cook, DuPage, Will, Kankakee – Steve Pitstick, Maple Park, WRITE – IN
District 10: Dewitt, Macon, Christian, Moultrie, Shelby – Elliott Uphoff, Shelbyville, WRITE – IN
District 11: Piatt, Champaign, Douglas, Edgar, Coles – Matthew J. Murray, Paxton, WRITE – IN
District 14: Cumberland, Clark, Effingham, Jasper, Crawford – L. Brad Daugherty, West Union
District 16: Clay, Richland, Lawrence, Wayne, Edwards, White, Wabash – Open
District 17: Randolph, Washington, Jefferson, Perry, Jackson – Open
SHEEP AND WOOL MARKETING BOARD
District 2: Kendall, Will, Grundy, Kankakee, Livingston, Ford, Iroquois, Champaign, Vermilion, Piatt, Douglas, Edgar, Coles, Cumberland, Clark – Open
District 5: Adams, Schuyler, Brown, Cass, Pike, Scott, Morgan, Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, and Macoupin – Open
— Illinois Department of Agriculture
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