Agricultural Legislative Day - March 3, 2020

​The Illinois Agricultural Legislative Day, known as IALD, brings together farm, agricultural commodity organizations and other diverse agriculture interest groups to the state Capitol to speak to state lawmakers in Springfield. Jointly, they provide baskets filled with agricultural products and specialty lunches for the legislators. This package simply serves to remind lawmakers about the multiple facets agriculture has in the lives of their constituents and the impacts their choices make on the world of Agriculture.

To be part of the IALD, Illinois agriculture organizations are to complete the registration materials on this site by the due dates. 

Working Breakfast, IALD Program, and Round Table Briefing

• IALD will host a breakfast for the sponsoring organizations to meet and connect with friends of the Ag Community at the Illinois State Library, 300 S. 2nd St. in Springfield, east of the Capitol, at 7:30 a.m. Legislators and their staff receive an invite to the have breakfast with agricultural leaders.
  

• IALD adds a new dimension to their regular program by inviting the majority and minority leaders from the Agriculture and Conservation Committee to address the group. The Illinois Farm Bureau will give a briefing from the Round Table Discussion held earlier in the year. This briefing covers the various issues that were determined as priorities for the current legislative session from the agricultural organizations.
  

Legislative Contacts

• Reaching out to state senators and representatives is the main purpose of the IALD. We encourage each organization to take two set(s) of legislators or more, (a set includes: one senator and two corresponding representatives), to communicate the Illinois Agriculture's legislative priorities for the year.
  
• The Illinois FFA President and the Illinois County Fair Queen visit their local legislators, give remarks to the Senate, and are recognized by the House of Representatives.
  

Legislative Lunch

• The sponsoring organizations provide the legislators and their secretaries a uniquely packed lunch featuring Illinois products. Illinois FFA members and their vocational teachers assemble and deliver the lunches to the legislators and their secretaries offices.
  

Commodity Baskets

• Legislators receive a commodity basket filled with tasty foods and items from the sponsoring organizations. Illinois FFA members and agricultural instructors assemble and deliver these baskets to the legislators.
  
• What makes an event of this nature truly successful is the agricultural community's participation and personal contact with the elected officials in his or her "workplace." If you know of any groups that would be interested in participating in this event, please have them contact the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Marketing, Promotions and Grants. We hope to have every agricultural organization in Illinois join in participating in this event.

For more information, contact:
Rob Baren at 217-785-5485 or Rob.Baren@illinois.gov

Executive Committee Members