HR0357 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0357 LRB096 12579 KXB 25855 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Eric Rund of Pesotum on being named the 2008 Champaign News-Gazette Farm Leader of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Eric Rund operates a corn and soybean farm in southern Champaign County, yet has been making ties with farmers in South America; and

WHEREAS, His wife is a native of Ecuador; he owns a farm in Brazil and operates International AGtivities, a company providing tours of United States farms for South Americans and South American farms for United States farmers; and

WHEREAS, In addition, Eric Rund has developed a market for biofuels, with his farm being one of the first miscanthus farms in the area; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Rund graduated from Villa Grove High School in 1967, then enrolled at the University of Illinois, where he studied agricultural engineering; he later left the University of Illinois to join the Peace Corps, working at a farm in Ecuador in a town called Santo Domingo De Los Colorados; his experience at the Peace Corps farm gave him a greater appreciation for the rich, black soil of East Central Illinois; and

WHEREAS, He fell in love with one of the Peace Corps' bilingual secretaries, Maria Mosquera; she already knew English, but falling in love with her gave Mr. Rund incentive to learn Spanish; she later quit her job with the Peace Corps, and the couple married in her hometown on the Pacific coast, Esmeraldas; and

WHEREAS, He and his wife conduct tours for farmers from Argentina, and plan on conducting tours for farmers from China and Ireland in the future; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SIXTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Eric Rund and wish him continued success in all his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Eric Rund as a symbol of our respect and esteem.