Ill. Rep. Rita Awarded Agriculture Award

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Janet McCade of the Cook County Farm Bureau visited Ill. State Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita (Dist.-28th) at his office last week to present him with the 2014 Friend of Agriculture award from the Farm Bureau, thanking Rita for his steadfast support of agricultural and economic legislation.
Janet McCade of the Cook County Farm Bureau visited Ill. State Rep. Robert “Bob” Rita (Dist.-28th) at his office last week to present him with the 2014 Friend of Agriculture award from the Farm Bureau, thanking Rita for his steadfast support of agricultural and economic legislation. Photo courtesy of Rita’s office.

Ill. State Rep. Bob Rita (Dist. -28th), was recently presented the 2014 Friend of Agriculture award from the Farm Bureau, an honor bestowed upon him in recognition of his steadfast support of agricultural and economic legislation.

“I'm grateful for this honor,” Rita said. “While my district is not a farming one, I see every time I drive to Springfield the important role that our farmers play to harvest our crops, feed our families and fuel our economy. I'm glad to stand with the good people in Illinois agriculture every chance I get.”

The Friend of Agriculture Award honors state, and federal legislators who understands the importance and benefits of Illinois agriculture and the important role famers play in providing food, fiber, and fuel for the state, the nation and the world.

“Rep. Rita's Friend of Agriculture award recognizes his outstanding voting record on business and farm-related issues,” said Bona Heinsohn, Director of Governmental Affairs and Public Relations for the Cook County Farm Bureau. “Recipients of the award recognize and value the contributions of the farm community."

According to the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans, corn and swine. Other commodities include cattle, wheat, oats, sorghum, hay, sheep, poultry, fruits and vegetables. Illinois also produces several specialty crops, such as buckwheat, horseradish, ostriches, fish and Christmas trees.

Illinois' 76,000 farms cover more than 28 million acres -- nearly 80 percent of the state's total land area.

The average size of an Illinois farm including hobby farms is 368 acres with most farm acreage devoted to grain, mainly corn and soybeans.

Nearly 10 percent of Illinois farms have swine. Beef cows are found on about 23 percent of farms, while about 3 percent have dairy cows. Some farms produce specialty crops and livestock, including alfalfa, canola, nursery products, emus and fish. Many farming operations also support recreational activities such as hunting and fishing.

Illinois' agricultural commodities generate more than $9 billion annually. Corn accounts for nearly 40 percent of that total. Soybeans contributes about one-third, with the combined livestock, dairy and poultry generating about 23 percent.

Illinois ranks second nationally in the export of agricultural commodities with nearly $4 billion worth of goods shipped to other countries each year. Exports from Illinois account for nearly 7 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports. Illinois is the nation's second leading exporter of both soybeans and feed grains and related products. More than 44 percent of grain produced in Illinois is sold for export.

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