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 now can 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.

Producers must be at least 18 years old, have produced and marketed the pertinent commodity, reside in the district to be represented and have submitted a valid petition by the filing deadline to be eligible for election.

Elections for all three boards will be held July 2. 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, Warren counties
District 6: Champaign, Ford, Iroquois, Vermilion counties
District 9: Adams, Brown, Hancock, McDonough, Pike, Schuyler counties
District 12: Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Jasper counties
District 15: Alexander, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, Williamson counties

SOYBEAN PROGRAM OPERATING BOARD

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

SHEEP AND WOOL MARKETING BOARD

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