One 1st FCS employee in Livingston County volunteers his time to give urban individuals a taste of the rural life.

Dustin Wright, an Insurance Specialist with 1st Farm Credit Services in Livingston County, has become involved in a way that allows him to share his love of agriculture with some Chicago city dwellers.  In a program organized by the Illinois Farm Bureau, Wright gives of his time to show others just what is so amazing about Illinois agriculture. 

Wright is a volunteer member of the Livingston County Young Ag Leaders, a group that participates in the Adopt-A-Classroom and Adopt-A-Legislator programs through the Farm Bureau.  These activities touch people of every age and race in the Chicago area, some of whom have never left the city.

Students at Pilsen Academy, a school on Chicago’s South side, live only about 60 miles from Livingston County, but experience a totally different way of life.  Located on the West side of U.S. Cellular Field (formerly Comiskey Park), some of the students have never left the four block radius in which they live. 

This all changed once Wright became involved.  For his adopted classroom, Wright sent ag-related materials for their classroom once a month.  These included coloring books, videos, and lesson plans for the teacher of the class.  Most of these materials are gathered by the Livingston Country Farm Bureau.  

Last Spring, Wright got a chance to go visit the 4th grade class he worked with, but the biggest thrill for the students was to come to Livingston County.

The 100 4th graders loaded a bus and traveled south for a day.  Their trip included two farm tours, a hog farm and a dairy farm.  They were amazed, as was Wright.  He didn’t realize they knew so little about agriculture. 

Questions from the students ranged from wondering why pigs’ tails were clipped, to what was growing in a nearby field.  None of the children had even seen a cow before, besides the ones on their television sets.  “It was eye-opening for me,” said Wright. “We’re only about 60 miles apart but that’s a huge difference between where they grew up and where I grew up.”

Wright’s amazement did not change when he moved on to his Adopt-A-Legislator activities.  He worked with Senator Antonio Munoz from District 1 in Chicago, the same district the 4th graders live in. 

After a visit to Senator Munoz’s office in the city to discuss ag concerns and the farm bill, Wright got a chance to show another city dweller the country.  Senator Munoz visited the farms and had dinner with Wright’s group of Livingston County Young Ag Leaders. 

“Our backgrounds were unbelievably different,” said Wright. “His district is four blocks by ten blocks which is a little more than one square mile.  Our state senator’s district (Dan Rutherford) goes from I-39 almost to the Illinois/Indiana border.” 

This was Wright’s first experience working with a legislator.  He said his perceptions of politicians have changed since working with Munoz.  “I really got to know a legislator and he seemed like a regular guy.”  It seems Munoz’s views have changed as well, Wright said Munoz “travels from Chicago to Springfield on the interstate, and now takes look closer on the trip.”

The Illinois Farm Bureau is largely the one to thank for getting the ball rolling for people such as Wright.  Teresa VanWynsberghe is the Farm Bureau Manager in Livingston County, where Wright works.  She is proud to say that her county is involved in these activities.  “Illinois Farm Bureau sponsors the Adopt-A-Classroom and Adopt-A-Legislator programs, and we participate.”   

In December, she will head to Chicago for the Illinois Farm Bureau annual meeting.  “We will speak to the teachers about agriculture and play games and activities with the kids.”  According to VanWynsberghe, there was one farmer for every six children, which made everything more personal, and allowed the kids to ask questions in small groups.

Besides being a participant, VanWynsberghe is also credited with gathering the materials distributed to the classrooms.  She sends a letter every month along with whatever resources have been gathered, such as Ag Mags or Ag in the Classroom supplies.  Livingston County even creates some materials on its own.

“We are putting together a videotape of harvest from the combine to semi to elevator to rail” said VanWynsberghe.  Also in the works is a tape of a visit to a hog and dairy farm, similar to that of Dustin Wright and the 4th graders from Pilsen Academy.

VanWynsberghe is thrilled to have people such as Wright working in these programs.  “It’s nice to get young leaders involved that aren’t actually in production agriculture.  It’s important to have the ag industry represented.”

Thanks to the support of the Farm Bureau, Wright looks forward to being a representative in these programs for another year.  He will return to Pilsen Academy and the 4th grade class this fall, and he looks forward to reprising his role in Adopt-A-Legislator and spending more time with Senator Munoz. 

It is the hope of the Illinois Farm Bureau and people like Dustin Wright and Teresa VanWrynsberghe that these programs continue to show the city just how great the country can be.

“It’s really important for us to tell Illinois agriculture’s story to the next generation as well as to our leaders in Springfield and Washington.  It’s an important story for everyone to understand.  Besides that, it’s a great story I love to tell,” adds Wright.

1st Farm Credit Services applauds Dustin and our other team members throughout the state who are helping to tell Illinois agriculture’s story.