EDWARDS, Ill. – Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson joined farmer-leaders with the Peoria County Farm Bureau (PCFB) on May 29 to break ground for a $2 million office facility that will serve as a resource for local farmers, educators, students and youth leadership groups such as 4-H and FFA. Joining Nelson to cut a ceremonial ribbon for the building were PCFB manager Charlie Hensley, president Cheryl Walsh, vice-president Korbin Wagenbach and PCFB board members Larry Barrett, Andy Wagenbach and Rob Asbell, who drafted the original plans for the new building.

Located a few miles west of their location at 1716 N. University Street in Peoria since the 1950s, the grounds for the facility near Edwards in rural Peoria County already belong to the farm bureau and will continue to serve as a park, complete with shelter and outbuildings, available for members to rent. Members and visitors can easily access the property at 6720 N. Kickapoo-Edwards Road, which is just off the Interstate 74 Kickapoo exit to the south.

“The PCFB is moving to the park we purchased over 50 years ago with the intention to move the office out here. We are kind of just fulfilling what was already started, and we are hoping a new building will help entice the youth to be more involved with the next generation of agriculture,” Walsh told Farm World, adding that locating the farm bureau’s headquarters in the countryside closer to farms was a long-standing wish of many members.

“Over the last several months I’ve seen many people working very hard to make this come to life,” Hensley said. “The goal for this facility is to improve the membership experience and use it as a tool to bring in new members. We will be able to host programs at this facility year-round and it can serve to hold our annual meeting.

“Along the same lines as membership we want this space to serve as a meeting place for 4-H clubs for meetings and classes, and FFA groups will also have the ability to use the facility. We hope that this will have a positive impact on the next generation and bring in more members to farm bureau.”

The building’s interior will include eight offices, a conference room, ADA-compliant restrooms and a small kitchen area. The remainder of the building will be devoted to event space, according to Hensley.

Walsh, a fourth-generation family farmer from Princeville, noted that her hope was for the new building to become a local hub for education, leadership, innovation and community connection. “Most importantly this building is being built for young people. It will create new opportunities for young farmers and future agriculture leaders to learn, grow, collaborate and discover careers in agriculture. The next generation needs these spaces where they can explore those opportunities and build those skills to move forward,” she said.

Calling the groundbreaking a “momentous occasion,” Nelson said the new building was a long overdue goal of many current and past board members he has come to know over the years. “You have shaped your dreams into a well-made plan for future generations, the future of our industry and farm bureau,” he said.

Asbell, a farmer in the Edwards-Kickapoo area who drew floor plans for the new building, placed the value of the project at around $2 million. He estimated that the building would be complete and open for business – barring any construction setbacks – before winter.