Lee County Board OKs resolution supporting agricultural development

DIXON – In the midst of National Agriculture Week, the Lee County Board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday making a commitment to support and promote agriculture in the county.

Ag Week, from March 16 to 22, is celebrated across the U.S. to raise awareness about the importance of agriculture while highlighting the industry’s contributions to the nation’s economy. The approved resolution acknowledges the large amount of farmed land in Lee County and its direct effect on the local economy.

Lee County has a total of 829 farms covering 377,886 acres. The agriculture industry supports 3,325 jobs, which accounts for about 19% of all jobs in the county, according to the resolution that uses data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2022 census.

“We are in support of the pro ag resolution and agriculture in Lee County,” Ashton Franklin Center FFA chapter member Elsie Viall told the board.

Elsie is an eighth grader at AFC. She wants to become a hog farmer and an ag teacher when she grows up.

“Agriculture has impacted my life in a lot of really good ways, and FFA in particular has helped a lot with leadership,” AFC FFA Vice President Kate Viall said.

The resolution acknowledges that Lee County farmers support the food security of residents, it creates additional jobs generating economic growth, and farmland is a limited resource vital to agriculture and the economic well-being of the county.

“The rural way of life is the backbone of our country. Efforts should be made to accommodate future success of the rural community,” according to the resolution.

The Lee County Farm Bureau, a nonprofit organization based in Amboy, sponsored the resolution and passed out pro-agriculture pins to board members after the meeting.