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| DeKalb
County Farmland Foundation
Chronological Summary of Events
| 1997 |
·
Vision 2000 Task Force of citizens for DeKalb County
planning
· Bennett calls for task force members to
preserve farmland |
| 1998 |
· Bennett holds public meetings inviting
like-minded citizens
· summer- Bennett, Checa and Gorski finalize
by-laws
· Sep. DCFF incorporates as a non profit
corporation
· Oct.- DCFF receives non profit status,
Checa voted President |
| 1999 |
· Mar. - Board of 11 Directors formed, Gorski
voted President
· summer- Board members attend City Council
and Plan Commission meetings to oppose rampant sprawl,
influenced City policy on farmland preservation
as vital to preserving a lifestyle, ecology and
economy
· summer- applied for 501 (c ) 3 tax exempt
status, active letter to the editor campaign begins
· Aug. - letter from IRS questioning our
tax exempt request, with a DCFF response that we
were fulfilling a public need not fulfilled by local
government
·fall- DCFF members gave input in public
hearings to influence the DeKalb County Comprehensive
Plan, resulting in a strong agricultural preservation
policy, continued attendance at city, county and
Plan Commission meetings, letter to the editor campaign
continues
· winter- continued dialogue with the IRS
about why preservation of farmland does qualify
for tax exempt status, ongoing attendance at local
government planning meetings and ongoing letter
to the editor campaign
|
| 2000 |
· DCFF supplies release of IRS information
form, after our appeal for help to local, state
and federal representatives, to Congressman D. Hastert
· late Jan.- DCFF application is transferred
from the Cincinnati regional IRS office to the Washington
office
· Feb. - DCFF receives 501 ( c ) 3 tax exempt
status! Attended Boone County land trust in formation
meeting
· Mar. - Annual meeting and DCFF election
of Directors, attended Conservation Foundation meeting
of land trusts, Kendall County land preservation
meeting and farmers' meeting in western DeKalb County
· Apr. - DCFF became a Land Trust Alliance
sponsor member, first public event at the Earth
Day 2000 Dirty Sock Contest, election of 3 out of
4 Officers- Woodstrup President
· May - election of officers, plans for Farmers'
Market booth
· Jun. - DCFF staffs a booth at Farmers'
Market- drawing prize, a book on ecology for kids,
Publicity and Membership committees formed
· Jul. - DCFF staffs Farmers' Market, prize
a free plane ride with Bennett to observe sprawl
from the air, participated in USDA and IDA public
hearings in our county, finalized our website and
brochure production
· Aug. - DCFF staffs Farmers' Market and
will have a booth at DeKalb Corn Fest on Family
Night, free popcorn and a corn pins
· Sep. - DCFF connects to land trust list
serve
· Nov. - Bennett voted President, Brown Vice
President after Woodstrup moved out of DeKalb County
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| 2001 |
· Jan. - Plans intensify for a county-wide
and regional 'town hall' meeting of citizens and
local government on growth/preservation of farmland
· Feb. - DCFF attends County Board regional
workshop, DCFF secures a local lawyer/farmer
· Mar.- Election of Directors to the Board
· Mar. - Attended Conservation Foundation
meeting of regional land trusts, DCFF annual meeting
presented neighboring Kane County Speaker to describe
their plans with AFT to preserve farmland with some
DeKalb County and municipal government officials
attending, attended Boone County land trust's annual
meeting
· Apr.- Attended Illinois Farmland Protection
Training Workshop held at DeKalb County Farm Bureau,
sponsored by American Farmland Trust, DeKalb County
Soil & Water Conservation, and the Illinois
Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources, Farm
Bureau, Univ. of Illinois Extension & Agroecology
and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
feature interview/forum on local radio "Party
Line", booth at NIU Earth Week
· Apr.- Election of officers, Gorski voted
President
· May - Attended Land Trust Alliance Midwest
Regional Conference in Michigan City, IN
· May - Hutcheson gives Power Point presentation
to DeKalb County Farm Bureau, reprint of DCFF brochure
· June - Attended Land Trust Alliance Midwest
Regional Workshop on Strategic Planning in Ann Arbor,
Mi
· Jun.- First letter to the media from the
Board commending Kane County's farmland protection
program
· Jul.- Attended Land Trust Alliance Midwest
Regional Workshop on Fundraising in Kalamazoo, MI
· Jul.- Began "Pie Tour" of mailings
and visits to farmland owners/farmers
· Aug.- Staffed a booth for 2 months at the
DeKalb Farmers Market, using Simonson garden produce
to offer for a donation
· Aug.- Booth at DeKalb Corn Fest
· Sep.- Second letter to the media from the
Board commending DeKalb County's county-wide planning
proposal
· Sep.- Staffed booth at League of Women
Voters Non-Profit Organization Fair and a Booth
at Labor fest in DeKalb, and a booth at Mardi Gras
on Maplewood Neighborhood Festival
· Oct. - Simonson petition initiative started
in the media to call for urban boundaries for our
cities
· Oct. & Nov. - Attended public meetings
on the "Prairie Parkway"
· Nov. - Attended American Farmland Trust
National Conference in St. Charles, IL |
| 2002 |
· Jan. - Gave presentation to DeKalb Rotary
Club
· Feb. - Gave presentation to DeKalb Kiwanis
Club
· Mar. - Annual meeting and election of Directors
to the Board, gave presentation to Kishwaukee Kiwanis
Club
· Apr. - Election of Officers- Gorski voted
President, gave presentation to Sycamore Kiwanis
Club, published a petition campaign to ask municipalities
to establish urban boundaries in The Daily Chronicle
· Apr. - Received award from Campton HistoricalAgricultural
Lands/ Garfield Farm Museum for our hard work and
perseverance in farmland preservation
· May - Gave presentation to Kirkland Lions
Club, sent a mailing to DeKalb County NIU Annuitants
· Jun. - Initial meeting with a family wishing
to donate development rights to their farmland
· Jul. - First fundraiser for easement stewardship
held at The House, with The Grasslands Quintette
donating their music
· Aug. - Attended the inaugural meeting of
The Fox River Watershed Alliance of Land Trusts
in LaFox, IL, staffed a booth at Corn Fest, met
for the second time with a family wishing to donate
development rights to their farmland, established
a Land Stewardship/Legal Defense Fund
· Sep. - Attended the second meeting of the
Fox River Watershed Alliance in McHenry, IL, attended
a workshop on the drafting of conservation easement
documents in Carmel, IN, sponsored by Land Trust
Alliance
· Sep. - Started The Simonson Scholarship
for Agricultural, Environmental and Land Use Planning
Studies
· Oct. - Met for the third time with a family
wishing to donate development rights to their farmland
· Nov. - Attended third meeting of The Fox
River Watershed Alliance of Land Trusts in Elgin,
IL, gave a presentation to Sycamore Area Women's
Club
· Dec. - sent a mailing to out of county
NIU Annuitants |
| 2003 |
· Jan. - Met for fourth time with family
wishing to donate development rights to their
farmland, more intensive communication starts
by phone and e-mail, fundraising through Jewel
Shop & Share resulted in $100.07, committee
formed to draft The Simonson Scholarship for Agricultural,
Environmental and Land Use Planning Studies
· Feb. - Two Board members asked to serve
on the DeKalb Growth Summit, attended the LTA
sponsored workshop on lobbying at Morton Arboretum,
attended the fourth meeting of the Fox River Watershed
Land Alliance in Bartlett, IL, letter from the
Board in local media on conservation easements
and praise for the County Board in taking steps
toward a farmland protection program
·
Mar. - Fifth annual meeting with half of DeKalb
County Board attending, Speaker Mike McCoy, Kane
County Board Chairman reported on their farmland
protection program, election of Directors, mailing
appeal to members/donors for funds to finalize
the first farmland easement in DeKalb County
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| 2004 |
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