Nominating Petitions Available For Illinois Commodity Board Seats

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. - Farmers who would like to run for a three-year term on the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board or Illinois Sheep and Wool Marketing Board can now start circulating nominating petitions.

Petitions are available at county Extension offices and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. The deadline to complete and return them is May 15 for corn and soybean board candidates and May 31 for sheep and wool board candidates.

"These boards fund check-off programs that promote consumption of our agricultural commodities," Agriculture Director Tom Jennings said.  "I encourage farmers who would like a voice in these important decisions to gather the required number of signatures on these petitions to get their name on the election ballot."

Elections for all three boards will be held July 6. For more information, call the Illinois Department of Agriculture at (217) 782-6675 or write to: Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Marketing and Promotion, P.O. Box 19281, State Fairgrounds, Springfield, Ill., 62794-9281.         

A list of counties holding commodity elections follows:

Corn Marketing Board

District 3: Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mercer, Rock Island and Warren counties
District 6: Champaign, Ford, Iroquois and Vermilion counties
District 9: Adams, Brown, Hancock, McDonough, Pike and Schuyler counties
District 12: Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar and Jasper counties
District 15: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union and Williamson counties

Soybean Program Operating Board

District 3: Henderson, Henry, Mercer, Rock Island, Stark, Warren and Whiteside counties 
District 4: Bureau, Grundy, Kendall and LaSalle counties
District 6: Livingston, McLean and Woodford counties
District 8:  Adams, Brown, Hancock, McDonough and Schuyler counties
District 15: Clinton, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair counties
District 18: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union and Williamson counties

Sheep and Wool Marketing Board

District 3: Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, McDonough, Mercer, Rock Island and Warren counties
District 6: Christian, DeWitt, Logan, Macon, Mason, McLean, Menard, Montgomery, Moultrie, Sangamon and Shelby counties