The RICFB Foundation’s main focus is to provide information to area teachers so they can in turn integrate agriculture into their classroom. Consequently, the focal point of the agricultural literacy program in Rock Island County continues to be teacher training. Time is spent with teachers giving them accurate information and hands-on training, complete with field trips to educate them on the agriculture industry in the Quad City area, and the impact agriculture gives to the world economy. This is primarily accomplished through Summer Agricultural Institutes. The Institutes are designed to provide graduate level credit by attending a 5-day course complete with field trips to farms and agribusinesses.

     While attending Summer Ag Institute, teachers tour businesses such as Whitey’s Ice Cream, the Lock and Dam system, and people like Dave Martin from Martin Grain in Edgington show the teachers exactly what those large grain bins are used for and why do we need them? Even places like the new Restaurant FIVE and the owner, chef, and creator – Dominic Rivera – and even teachers visiting the newest dairy farm in Rock Island County where a teacher from Rock Island got a chance to milk a cow. After doing 6 years of Summer Ag Institutes, we have reached 101 Rock Island County teachers. For more information on Summer Ag Institute, contact the Farm Bureau office at 309-736-7432.

Printed Materials
In addition to enlightening the teachers about the agriculture industry around the Quad Cities, we provide printed materials such as our resource guides. These resource guides - referred to as Kids Crops and Critters – are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and have also adopted their learning standards in conjunction with their lesson plans. We also feature the very popular Ag Mags --- Teachers receive these materials free as a result of our statewide Foundation. To date we have circulated over 12,000 Ag Mags!

Scholarships
Beginning in 1992, the Farm Bureau began giving out scholarships in the amount of $200. Today we are giving anywhere between $ 200and as much as $600. Our goals are to eventually be able to offer $1000 scholarships to students of Farm Bureau members and even greater amounts to students who plan to give back to the agriculture sector upon completion of their studies. For more information on scholarships, check the RICFB website in early February.