CHICAGO – Scott and Karen Bohnert of Rock Island County, Kevin Moore of Lee County, and Karen Fraase, who volunteers in Sangamon, Menard and Logan Counties, today were presented the 2017 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom (IAITC) Volunteer of the Year Award. The award was presented during Illinois Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in Chicago Dec. 2-5.
Scott and Karen Bohnert of East Moline are avid dairy advocates, having presented to more than 7,000 second- and third-grade students in the last ten years at the annual AgXperience. They expand the students’ experience with classroom presentations. The Bohnerts also host teachers at their farm for IAITC’s Summer Agricultural Institute.
Kevin Moore is a production manager at DelMonte Foods, Inc. As a volunteer at the annual Lee County Ag Expo, he shares lessons with students about farming, science and technology. Moore has recruited other volunteers from production agriculture to share with students about specialty crops and food processing.   

Karen Fraase is active with the Sangamon, Menard and Logan Agricultural Education Partnership, having played a key role in founding it in 1999. For twenty years, she served on the Partnership for Agricultural Literacy board, which became the Illinois AITC Program Council. Her service on the board ended this year. Millions of students and thousands of teachers have benefited from Fraase’s commitment to agriculture.
The Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Volunteer of the Year award recognizes county volunteers who have done an outstanding job with Agriculture in the Classroom and agriculture literacy efforts. Since 1983, 89 individuals have been recognized for contributions to agriculture literacy.