The Adopt-A-Legislator program brought members of the Edgar County Farm Bureau to the 11th Senate District alongside state Senator Mike Porfirio on September 10.
Among their stops was Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium.
Founded in 2001, the Adopt-A-Legislator program seeks to create long-term relationships between urban state legislators and local farm owners. This process begins with legislators holding a district visit, and then farmers holding a farm visit.
While at SeatGeek Stadium, the Edgar County Farm Bureau got to see a guided tour of the property including the elegant third-floor Second Star Club, the field and a view of the Chicago Skyline.
“It’s an enriching experience,” said Porfirio. “You get to learn so much about how different lifestyles are between suburban and rural areas.”
As of today, county farm bureaus have adopted 73 urban legislators, with almost every Cook County legislator being a part of the program.
“I suggest that more legislators join the program,” Porfirio said. “It allows us to connect with people we wouldn’t normally have much contact with and enables us to see problems and solutions from a different citizen’s perspective.”