PEORIA, Ill. — The Peoria County Farm Bureau (PCFB) will hold its 21st Farmers Share of the Food Dollar Breakfast on Saturday, March 9, at Peoria’s Expo Gardens for around 1,300 or so hungry guests. The breakfast, which consists of two scrambled eggs, two sausage patties, two pancakes with butter and syrup, and 8-ounce servings of milk and orange juice, will sell for just $1.35. The price represents the value of the products in terms of the producers’ share of the breakfast, based on an estimated “restaurant price” of $12 for the menu items. 

In addition to the great breakfast value, breakfast-goers will have an opportunity to purchase new PCFB apparel including hats, hoodies, long sleeved jerseys and t-shirts. The new line of apparel will also be on sale in the lobby of the PCFB office (1716 N. University St., Peoria, 61604) while supplies last. 

“We’re selling these items as a fundraiser for the PCFB Foundation, along with toy tractors, to help provide scholarships for students pursuing a degree in an agriculture related field,” said Patrick Kirchhofer, PCFB manager. 

Also offered for sale will be 2024 Peoria County plat books, which feature a special section that compares county property ownership and boundaries with those of a century past. “The unique thing about this plat book is that it features 1924 plat maps so people can look at a particular plot of land to find out who owned it a hundred years ago, and people are finding that fascinating,” Kirchhofer said. 

Other items of interest at the 21st Farmers Share Breakfast will include an array of local and Illinois-made products including honey, soy products, wool products and more. Agricultural exhibits and PCFB photo contest winners will be on display, and a pedal-tractor area will be sectioned off inside the Expo Gardens Exhibition Hall to be supervised by PCFB volunteers.

“That way the little ones can burn off some energy after breakfast,” Kirchhofer said. 

The PCFB manager said that another piece of history the organization’s members are finding to be fascinating is a recently published, 432-page hardbound historical reference book titled Illinois Historic Farms: Honoring Our Enduring Heritage of Family-Owned Farms. Published by Acclaim Press of Morley, Mo., the tome lists all centennial and sesquicentennial farms in Illinois accompanied by hundreds of historical photos and write ups. It also offers a history and overview of Illinois agriculture statewide and by region.

“We bought two of these books. One will stay in the office building for people to look at, and one will be available to check out,” said Kirchhofer. 

The book presents the farms in alphabetical order according to the last name of ownership, though an index allows readers to search for farms on a county basis as well. “Each page has a couple of photos of days gone by. There are photos of country farms, draft horses, old cars and trucks and more,” said Kirchhofer. 

The leatherette hardcover book with gold foil stamping is also available directly from the publisher at www.acclaimpress.com. Proceeds from the sale of the book will help communities preserve their heritage through the non-profit American Heritage Project. Originally retailing for $59.95, Illinois Historic Farms is currently available for $29.98 through the website.