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SENATOR MARK KIRK
FARMER OF THE YEAR
AWARD
AUGUST 26, 2014
On this day, Tuesday, August 26, 2014, I rise to honor Philip Nelson
with the First Annual Senator Mark Kirk Farmer of the Year Award for
his countless contributions to Illinois, our economy and the livelihood of
thousands of farmers throughout our state.

As a fourth generation grain and livestock farmer, Philip always took a
personal approach to his work on behalf of Illinois farmers. To Philip,
agriculture is not just the largest industry in Illinois, it is the engine that
drives local economies and puts food on the plate of families throughout
Illinois.

It was his personal approach that I appreciated most about Philip in his
ten years as President of the Illinois Farm Bureau. During my tenure as a
suburban Chicago legislator, Philip served as one of my most trusted
advisers on agricultural issues. He understood how to effectively drive a
policy agenda, which is evident in his numerous accomplishments that
include strengthening crop insurance in the farm bill, updating aging U.S.
transportation infrastructure, identifying unnecessary and burdensome
regulations that hurt farmers and the agriculture industry and much,
much more.

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On behalf of the nearly 13 million residents of Illinois, I commend
Philip Nelson for his commitment to Illinois farmers, and I thank him
for his leadership. I am honored to announce Philip Nelson as my
2014 Farmer of the Year.