By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— The current president and vice-president of the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) and most of their board members are graduates. So are several county farm bureau presidents and county board members, not to mention the many bankers, ag lenders, grain merchandisers and other professionals scattered throughout the Prairie State.

The IFB’s Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT) program also counts former Illinois Department of Agriculture director Chuck Hartke among their 930 esteemed alumni. When ALOT’s 2009 class of 25 students begins their studies this week in southern Illinois (Jan. 13 through March 19 at the Rend Lake Resort & Conference Center), it will mark 30 years of developing leaders for the agricultural industry and the farm bureau through the program.
“The (ALOT) program is something graduates can use not only in business but also in their personal lives,” said Steve Gannaway, the program’s director since 1996.

The course, which is comprised of four major study areas, is open to all ages. “It’s a leadership program, and a leader is born at any age,” Gannaway said. “We don’t set limits. We take men and women who are willing to learn in a fast paced educational program.”

Communications skills are a classroom staple of the program and one if its four key components. Directing meetings, working with media and managing family farms are among topics addressed. Another component of the program focuses on the political process; campaigns, candidates and working with state and national legislators are front and center, Gannaway said. A trip to the state capitol to observe the legislative process is part of the course.
A third concentration deals with global issues affecting agriculture. “We talk about the Middle East, global terrorism, the challenges and opportunities of immigration and U.S. foreign policy, among other things,” said Gannaway. “The global session addressing how events affect agriculture in the U.S. is usually the most eye-opening.”

Ag economics is the fourth area of study in ALOT classes, which often feature business consultants and university instructors as guest speakers.

The program will shift from southern Illinois to the northern part of the state in 2010 and in Springfield in 2011. Though 2009’s class has been filled, those interested in applying for the 2010 program can apply until Nov. 16, 2009. Applications are available via the IFB website (www.ilfb.org) or from county farm bureau managers.