CANDIDATES FOR THREE ILLINOIS COMMODITY BOARDS ANNOUNCED

SPRINGFIELD IL. - 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

                    Counties in District                                       Candidate and Hometown

District 2      Jo Daviess, Stephenson, Winnebago         Jon Rosenstiel, Pearl City
                    Carroll and Ogle

District 5      LaSalle, Grundy, Livingston,                       Art Bunting, Dwight
                    and Kankakee      

District 8     Peoria, Tazewell, Fulton, Mason,                 Ross E. Pauli, Edwards
                   Cass, Menard and Logan  

District 11   Christian, Montgomery, Shelby,    
                   Fayette and Effingham                                 Open

District 14   Madison, Bond, St. Clair, Clinton,                Dale Handrich, Waterloo
                   Monroe and Washington

ILLINOIS SOYBEAN PROGRAM OPERATING BOARD

                  Counties in District                                      Candidate and Hometown

District 2    McHenry, Lake, Kane, Cook,                      Steve Pitstick, Maple Park
                  DuPage, Will and Kankakee                       WRITE - IN

District 10  Dewitt, Macon, Christian,                            Elliott Uphoff, Shelbyville   
                  Moultrie and Shelby                                    WRITE - IN

District 11 Piatt, Champaign, Douglas,                         Matthew J. Murray.Paxton
                 Edgar and Coles                                          WRITE - IN

District 14 Cumberland, Clark, Effingham,                    L. Brad Daugherty, West Union
                 Jasper and Crawford                                      

District 16 Clay, Richland, Lawrence,                           Open
                 Wayne, Edwards, White   
                 and Wabash     

District 17 Randolph, Washington, Jefferson,              Open
                 Perry and Jackson     

SHEEP AND WOOL MARKETING BOARD

                 Counties in District                                       Candidate and Hometown

District 2   Kendall, Will, Grundy, Kankakee,                 Open
                 Livingston, Ford, Iroquois,    
                 Champaign, Vermilion, Piatt,
                 Douglas, Edgar, Coles,
                 Cumberland and Clark

District 5   Adams, Schuyler, Brown, Cass,                   Open
                 Pike, Scott, Morgan, Calhoun,  
                 Greene, Jersey, and Macoupin