Kane County Agriculture Committee met May 18

By Philip Gonzales

Jul 28, 2023

Kane County Agriculture Committee met May 18.

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

1. Call to Order

Chair Kenyon called the meeting to order at 10:49 AM.

PRESENT Board Member Michael Kenyon

Board Member Bill Roth

Board Member Leslie Juby

Board Member Bill Lenert

Board Member Jarett Sanchez

Board Member Rick Williams

REMOTE Board Member Deborah Allan

AWAY Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Ex-Officio County Board Vice Chair Vern Tepe

Also present: Bd. Members Daugherty*, Gumz, Kious*, Lewis & Molina*; ASA Hunt*; Animal Control Admin. Youngsteadt*; Sp. ASA Shepro; Dev. Dir. VanKerkhoff; Conserv. Dist. Admin. Coord. Gerdts; Dev. Planner Tansley; KCFB Pres. Arnold; Envir. & Wtr. Res. Dir. Wollnik; and members of the press & public.

2. Roll Call

3. Approval of Minutes: April 20, 2023

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

4. Public Comment

Kane County resident Michelle Langworthy proposed that zoning restrictions based on lot size for suburban homeowners be eliminated. She spoke on the benefits of raising chickens on residential land, such as providing sustenance for individuals with dietary issues and being environmentally friendly.

5. Partners

A. Kane County Farm Bureau Updates (Steve Arnold, Manager)

KCFB Pres. Arnold stated that the US Department of Agriculture is seeking members for a Federal Advisory Committee on urban agriculture and innovative production. He will provide more information as it becomes available. He noted that corn is 84% planted for the year in the state of Illinois and soy beans are at 77%, with Kane County being at or slightly behind those statistics due to moisture deficiency in the subsoil. He announced that the Annual Touch a Tractor event was successful. He expressed gratitude to those who attended. He briefly spoke on legislative items and a podcast that featured the pollinator garden. Discussion ensued.

B. Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District Staff Introduction (Kat Gerdts, Administrative Coordinator)

Conserv. Dist. Admin. Coord. Gerdts introduced herself and expressed her excitement working with Kane County.

6. Presentations/Announcements

A. Growing for Kane Updates (Matt Tansley, Planner)

Dev. Planner Tansley presented a livestock market assessment update. He provided a list of consultant team members, as well as their backgrounds and roles in the project. Andrea Carbine will be the Project Manager and Caroline Myran will be the Research Lead. He discussed upcoming items to be completed, including engagement with livestock farmers. He stated that the goal of this project is to identify market opportunities for livestock products that may not be widely recognized. The team will target categories such as restaurants, retailers, wholesalers, institutions, and direct-to-consumer companies. He noted that product focus will be narrowed as the research phase moves along. The tentative project completion date is December 2023 or January 2024.

Discussion ensued.

B. Water Resources Updates (Jodie Wollnik, Director)

Envir. & Wtr. Res. Dir. Wollnik provided a brief drainage district update. She is in contact with two of the three drainage districts with regards to the IDOT expansion of Route 30 from Route 47 to Dauberman Road because this project may impact Big Rock Drainage Districts 1 & 2, as well as the Sugar Grove Drainage District. Her department will continue to work with these drainage districts and IDOT to ensure that their infrastructure is protected and/or upgraded. She noted that the department is also working with Virgil Drainage District 3 on a new crossing. She expressed gratitude for the recognition given to her department by the Bar Association. Discussion ensued.

7. New Business

Committee Member Williams spoke on chicken issues raised by constituents. Discussion ensued regarding zoning restrictions.

8. Reports Placed On File

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

MOVER: Bill Lenert

9. Executive Session (if needed)

None.

10. Adjournment

RESULT: APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

MOVER: Bill Roth

SECONDER: Bill Lenert

This meeting was adjourned at 11:19 AM.