The DuPage County Farm Bureau is proud to share that our Grow Your Own Food program has been selected as a County Activities of Excellence (CAE) Award winner by the American Farm Bureau Federation. This national honor recognizes the exceptional impact and community value of a program that so many of you supported and helped strengthen throughout the past year.

As you all know, Grow Your Own Food was created to give local fourth graders a meaningful, hands-on connection to agriculture. Thanks to your continued involvement, the program expanded once again this year, providing tomato plants and classroom kits to 4,530 students across 71 schools in DuPage County. Students learned about plant care and food production through the transplanting activity and the educational video you helped make possible.

The CAE Award reflects the dedication and teamwork of our members, volunteers, partners, and donors. Your support—whether through volunteering, delivering supplies, assembling classroom kits, offering financial assistance, or helping connect us with community partners—made this program the largest educational initiative in our organization’s history. In total, 79 individuals and nine partner organizations contributed to funding, preparing, and delivering the materials needed to ensure that every participating classroom received the program at no cost.

This year’s program not only reached more students but also strengthened DCFB’s relationships with schools throughout the county and expanded our Ag in the Classroom presence. The enthusiasm continued through the summer at the DuPage County Fair, where students proudly showcased their tomato plants during the judging event. Your efforts helped support a program that has now become a highlight for students, teachers, and families alike.

We extend our deepest appreciation to each of you for the role you played in making this achievement possible. Your commitment to agricultural education reflects the mission of the DuPage County Farm Bureau: to promote agriculture through educational and informational programming and to preserve our agricultural heritage for future generations. The CAE Award is a national recognition for the work, and it belongs to all of you.

If you would like to get involved in next year’s Grow Your Own Food program or learn more about volunteer opportunities, please contact the DCFB office.

Thank you for your continued dedication and support.