Bramlets Named Illinois Farm Family of the Year

This article was adapted from one written by James Henry of the Illinois AgriNews.

Joe Bramlet, director of Southern FS, Inc., and his family have been named the Illinois Farm Family of the Year. They were honored during the Salute to Agriculture Day at the University of Illinois this fall. Receiving the award with Bramlet were his father, Henry, and mother, Rita; his fiancée, Rona; and children Jarrett and Jaden.

The annual award has been presented by Burrus Hybrids and Illinois AgriNews for 10 years. It honors an outstanding Illinois family for contributions on and off the farm and is aimed at increasing awareness of the important contributions farm families make to everyone’s daily life.

“Any successful situation is not because of just one person,” Bramlet said after receiving the award onstage before more than 900 people at the recent U of I event. “It takes a group effort, a team effort — a family effort.”

The Bramlet family members are devoted to each other, as well as the day-to-day operations of running a successful farm in far southern Illinois. That includes raising about 2,000 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat, as well as a few show pigs for 4-H and selling seed.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Joe Bramlet is a board member of the Saline County Farm Bureau, the Saline County Soil and Water Conservation District, as well as Southern FS.


Pictured (from left) are: Illinois AgriNews Executive Editor James Henry, Rona Littlefield, Jaden Littlefield, Rita Bramlet, Henry Bramlet, Jarrett Littlefield, Joe Bramlet and Burrus Hybrids sales agronomist Craig Kilby. Photo courtesy of Illinois AgriNews.

Goals for Gas

Evergreen FS, Inc. is sponsoring
"Goals for Gas" at six FS FAST STOP locations in Bloomington, Danvers, and Towanda, Ill. Bloomington PrairieThunder hockey fans can present their ticket stubs to receive two cents off per gallon of gasoline for each goal scored by the PrairieThunder, regardless of whether the team wins or loses.


There is no limit on the amount of discount available; however, the discount is only good on the first ten gallons purchased within 24 hours of the game. On November 15, the PrairieThunder scored six goals, resulting in a 12-cent discount and the largest number of tickets redeemed. The promotion will continue after each home game through April 10, 2009.


Each ticket redeemed is also entered into a drawing for a $500 FS FAST STOP gift card, to be presented at the final home game of the season.

Farming the Old-Fashioned Way

The Roanoke-Benson FFA Alumni chapter recently hosted an antique tractor plow day in Roanoke, Ill. The event was a fundraiser to help the alumni provide funds to the local high school FFA chapter in the form of scholarships and assistance with contest fees and convention travel expenses.

Evergreen FS, Inc. donated fuel for all participating tractors. Despite chilly temperatures, 17 tractors plowed an entire 80 acre field. FFA members also ran a food stand during the event.