MORRIS, Ill. – With the 2025 harvest well underway, local youth spent their school holiday showing appreciation for the farmers who keep their communities thriving. Members of University of Illinois Extension 4-H, Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau, and Kankakee County Farm Bureau teamed up with local 4-H members to pack care packages for agricultural professionals during this stressful time.
“This is one of my favorite events to help host each year,” said Brooke Katcher, Illinois Extension 4-H recruitment and engagement coordinator, who added that the event is now in its fourth year. “4-H empowers youth to be ‘Beyond Ready’ for life. One important element of this is the confidence to become changemakers in the community. These young people are taking the time out of their school holiday to encourage and show gratitude to a profession that is a foundation of our community.”
The events, although spread across three counties, followed a similar format. 4-H members packed small lunch sacks filled with treats, including a water bottle, baked goods, cookies, chips, some candy or gum, and thank-you notes.
“This event is a great awareness opportunity for us to show our appreciation to an industry that is often overlooked in today’s world,” said Jenna Siegel, Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau manager. “It was nice to see so many young kids take such an interest in their community and come together to pack and hand-deliver the bags this harvest.”
Bags were delivered to farmers at local grain elevators and in the field by 4-H members and volunteers. In all, 550 bags were packed and delivered: 200 in Grundy, 200 in Kankakee, and 150 in Kendall.
Leading up to the event in Grundy and Kendall counties, students and 4-H members wrote thank-you notes to be included in each care package to provide some encouragement and thanks.
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As youth showed their support, Harvest 2025 continues across northern Illinois. According to Siegel, the harvest has been smooth and is over halfway complete in Kendall and Grundy counties, with producers finishing up the soybean harvest before moving on to corn.
Korbin Collins, manager of the Kankakee County Farm Bureau, echoed the sentiment, noting that weather has played a significant role in the smooth harvest. “Most of the soybean harvest has finished up and most have switched over to corn,” she said. “If the weather holds out, we could possibly see a lot of farmers finished around Halloween!”
While the harvest has been progressing smoothly, the overall agricultural profession is not without its stressors. Siegel and Katcher noted that the fast-paced, high-stakes nature of harvest can particularly stressful for agricultural professionals.
According to the American Farm Bureau, studies show that suicide rates among farmers are two to five times higher than the national average. Market fluctuations, unpredictable weather, isolation, financial uncertainty, policy changes, sudden disability or injury, and extreme situations are all major stressors that can have a real emotional and mental impact.
If you or someone you know is experiencing stress related to the agricultural industry, help is available:
- Visit farmstress.org, an Illinois Extension partner, for free resources.
- Learn more about farm stress and how to receive free mental health vouchers for agricultural producers and their families at go.illinois.edu/FMH.
- If you or someone you know is struggling with a disability or injury, Illinois AgrAbility offers education and assistance to help farmers continue working. Learn more at go.illinois.edu/AgrAbility.
For the public, Collins said even a wave goes a long way: “The best way for the general consumer to express appreciation is to give them a friendly wave when you see them on the road.” She added that sharing the road is also important: “They are driving very large equipment with many blind spots, so be patient and remember they can’t travel as fast as normal vehicles.”
"The goal of this project is to thank farmers in the area for all they do to put food on our tables and help remind them to stay safe during this busy time of year," said Tina Anderson, Illinois Extension 4-H program coordinator serving Kendall County. "It’s important for youth to recognize that it takes a lot of dedication to farm, and that thanking those who often don’t get thanked, is necessary and rewarding."
For more information about 4-H in Kendall County, visit go.illinois.edu/Survey4Hdkk. For more information about 4-H in Grundy, Kankakee, or Will counties, visit go.illinois.edu/About4HGKW.
Learn more about the Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau at kendallgrundyfb.com and the Kankakee County Farm Bureau at kankakeecfb.org
Writers: Anthony Warmack, Communications & Marketing Coordinator; Rosie Ralston, Publicity and Promotion Associate.
Sources: Brooke Katcher, 4-H Recruitment & Engagement Coordinator; Jenna Siegel, Kendall-Grundy Farm Bureau Manager; Korbin Collins, Kankakee Farm Bureau Manager; Tina Anderson, 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator;
Media Access: The images in this story are available to download for media use. For press inquiries and interview requests, contact Anthony Warmack (warmacka@illinois.edu, 217-244-5813) or Rosie Ralston (rralston@illinois.edu, 217-244-4529 ). Want to keep in touch with news from Illinois Extension in Grundy, Kankakee, & Will? Sign up for press updates.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.
About Illinois 4-H: Illinois 4-H is the flagship youth development program of University of Illinois Extension, administered through the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. Through hands-on learning and life-changing experiences, Illinois 4-H prepares youth to be Beyond Ready — ready for college, career, military service, entrepreneurship, and more. Young people build confidence, leadership, and resilience as they explore interests from agriculture to computer science. Independent research and national surveys confirm the powerful outcomes of 4-H: participants are 40% more likely to pursue a college degree, twice as likely to obtain technical training, and two times more likely to serve in the military. With a legacy of cultivating leaders, Illinois 4-H continues to grow the next generation who are equipped to thrive in life and work today and beyond.
About Kendall-Grundy and Kankakee County Farm Bureaus: The Kendall-Grundy and Kankakee County Farm Bureaus are grassroots, volunteer-led organizations committed to promoting agriculture through education, advocacy, and community involvement. Serving both rural and urban populations, they support the well-being of farmers and the vitality of agricultural communities across northeastern Illinois.