Kane County Reporter

Kane County Agriculture Committee met Aug. 21

Here are the minutes provided by the committee:

JUBY, Roth, Allan, Lenert, Penesis, Sanchez, Williams and ex-officio Pierog (County Chair)

1. Call To Order

Chairman Juby called today's meeting to order at 11:03 AM.

2. Roll Call

PRESENT Board Member Leslie Juby

Board Member Bill Roth

Board Member Deborah Allan

Board Member Bill Lenert

REMOTE Board Member Ted Penesis

Board Member Rick Williams

ABSENT Board Member Jarett Sanchez

Ex-Officio County Board Chair Corinne M. Pierog

Also present: Co. Bd. members Bates*, Lewis; KCFB Mgr. Arnold; Dev. Planner Tansley and staff Castro; ITD staff Peters; and members of the press and public including U of I Extension Educator for Local Food Systems and Small Farms Alexis Barnes.

3. Remote Attendance Requests

Chairman Juby announced the remote attendance requests for today's meeting. She asked the Committee if there were any objections to Committee Members Penesis and Williams attending remotely. There were no objections.

4. Approval of Minutes: July 17, 2025

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

MOVER: Deborah Allan

5. Public Comment

None.

6. Partners

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

Kane County Farm Bureau (KCFB) Mgr. Steve Arnold announced the re-confirmation of Joe White as the KCFB's representative for the Farmland Protection Commission. A group of young farmers hosted a successful Kane County Fair Pedal Tractor pull. This event attracted more than 3 dozen kids in four weight classes. The farmers also participated in the National Night Out Activities event in Campton Hills. On July 20, Arnold announced that the KCFB concluded a truckload, homegrown fresh peach sale. The peaches are from the Rendleman Orchards, a southern Illinois grower. He announced that the KCFB recently started hosting monthly meetings of the Fox Valley Beekeepers Association. The KCFB also hosted a lunch for the Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Illinois Extension for a cover crop field day. The KCFB will collaborate with Tony and Sharon Pferschy of Garlic Breath Farms to launch a new advertising campaign about the advantages to Kane County farmers. The KCFB Foundation will host live and silent auctions at the DrawDown fundraiser in Elburn to help support college scholarships, and agricultural literacy programs at Elburn Lions Park on Saturday, November 22. The 13th Fay's Drive-Thru BBQ will be tonight from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. held at the KCFB. Next week, the KCFB will host a pilot pollinator event for young adults from the PEACE Center in St. Charles to help maintain the KCFB pollinator garden. The Kane County 4-H Blue Ribbon Sale was held at the conclusion of the Kane County Fair. A handcrafted lamp made by the late Scott Horton, raised $4,500 between silent and live auctions. In regards to the Evans farm, Arnold stated that Jonathan Koepke, President of the Environmental Consultants and Planners (Encap) Inc., met with KCFB Board of Directors last month to discuss the wetlands mitigation banking in agricultural areas. Koepke wrote a small feature on wetlands for the Kane County Farmer publication. He believes the Evans Farm is a good area for wetlands mitigation banking. Lastly, Arnold stated that promotions for the Master Urban Farmer training course were published in the Kane County Farmer publication for those seeking an update on the program.

U of I Extension Educator for Local Food Systems and Small Farms, Alexis Barnes, stated that there were a total of ten applications submitted for the program. Due to the recent large volume of orchard production and market gardens, Barnes is looking to add additional marketing opportunities, and offer a Hobby Farm course for residents looking to produce local food for their community.

7. Presentations/Announcements

A. Amendments to Agricultural Conservation Easements (Sarahy Castro, Farmland Preservation Administrator)

Farmland Preservation Admin. Castro indicated that the current owner of the Evans Farm, Carol O'Brien, has found it challenging to find single-buyers interested in operating both land uses of the farm. She is seeking County approval to subdivide the parcel in order to sell the two pieces of property separately. There are currently two potential local farmer buyers who are interested in the land. Upon agreeing to the terms, one buyer will continue with the crop land, and the other buyer will continue with the livestock on the pasture lands. An approval to the amendment of the Agriculture Conservation Easement agreement for the Evans Farm through the Kane County Farmland Protection Program (KCFLP) was recommended to the Board Members. Castro added that this resolution authorizes the County Board to approve an amendment to the Deed of Agriculture Conservation Easement for the Farm, permitting subdivision in accordance with the Statement of Purpose, and the requirements of Ordinance 01-67.

Committee Member Roth made a motion to move the amendment forward. Motion was seconded by Lenert. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.

Farmland Preservation Admin. Castro provided information on the amendment for the Peterson Farm. With significant reflection of over 100 years of continuous family ownership, Castro stated that the farm qualify's as a sentential farm. In 2002, when the Kane County Board approved the Conservation Easement, the Peterson brothers excluded 1.7 acres from the conservation easement. The Peterson's are proposing to subdivide the five acre parcel within the conservation easement, in order to begin renovations. The owner seeks to potentially purchase the remaining portion of the conservation easement agreement in the near future. This resolution authorizes the County Board to approve an amendment to the Deed of Agricultural Conservation Easement for the Peterson Farm, permitting subdivision in accordance with the Statement of Purpose, and the requirements of Ordinance 01-67, subject to approval by the Zoning Board of Appeals for the proposed Rural Residential zoning.

Committee Member Roth made a motion to move the amendment forward. Motion was seconded by Allan. Motion carried unanimously by roll call vote.

B. Growing for Kane Program Updates (Matt Tansley, Planner)

Dev. Planner Tansley provided updates on the Growing for Kane Program. He highlighted that the Soil Health Impact Assessment is an ongoing project including New Venture Advisors and the Delta Institute for project consulting. The focus of the project is to identify the relationship between adopting different types of soil health strategies, and identifying how they translate to business profitability and operational farm benefits. The soil health study was held on July 9 at the Kickoff meeting for the project team to discuss and review the work plan put together by the consulting team. The study group will include between five to ten Kane County farmers for sample testing of their soil health conditions using Cornell University's soil health testing service. Commodity corps including soybean, and corn will constitute the majority of the population sampled at the soil health testing. Tansley recapped the Drone Field Day Flight Demonstration event. This event was held at the St. Charles Horticulture Research Center, and hosted by the Kane-DuPage Soil and Water Conservation District, including U of I Extension. The primary focus of the event was to demonstrate how aerial drones can be used for agricultural seeding and fertilizer applications. These drones are battery powered with a 3K foot signal range, and can be route programmed with autonomous settings. The second portion of the event included a Cover Cropping Workshop hosted at the KCFB, which featured a discussion by local farmers sharing their experience with cover cropping. Lastly, he stated that Ellen Kamps has published an article series for Kane County Connects featuring the farmers participating in the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funded farmer grant programs. Tansley addressed questions and comments from the Committee. Further discussion ensued.

8. New Business

A. Approving an Amendment to the Deed of Agricultural Conservation Easement for the Peterson Farm through the Kane County Farmland Protection Program

KC Executive Committee

RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY ROLL CALL VOTE

TO: KC Executive Committee

MOVER: Bill Roth

SECONDER: Bill Lenert

AYE: Leslie Juby, Bill Roth, Deborah Allan, Bill Lenert, Ted Penesis, and Rick Williams

ABSENT: Jarett Sanchez, and Corinne M. Pierog

B. Approving an Amendment to the Deed of Agricultural Conservation Easement for the Evans Farm through the Kane County Farmland Protection Program KC Executive Committee

RESULT: MOVED FORWARD BY ROLL CALL VOTE

TO: KC Executive Committee

MOVER: Bill Roth

SECONDER: Deborah Allan

AYE: Leslie Juby, Bill Roth, Deborah Allan, Bill Lenert, Ted Penesis, and Rick Williams

ABSENT: Jarett Sanchez, and Corinne M. Pierog

9. Executive Session (if needed)

None.

10. Reports Placed On File

RESULT: APPROVED BY UNANIMOUS CONSENT

MOVER: Deborah Allan

11. Adjournment

RESULT: APPROVED BY VOICE VOTE

MOVER: Bill Roth

SECONDER: Bill Lenert

This meeting was adjourned at 11:58 a.m.

https://www.kanecountyil.gov/MeetingMinutes/7555/25-08-21.pdf