On April 28^th, local food consumers, farmers and advocates from across the state will come together in Springfield to encourage their legislators to support local food and sustainable agriculture. Illinois Stewardship Alliance would like to invite you to join us for our annual local food and sustainable agriculture lobby day and legislative reception, on April 28^th, 2010.

For more information and how to register click here.

March 15, 4pm-6pm

University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit

Washington Room

The Springfield Area Local Food Taskforce has re-scheduled the Farmer Focus group that was originally scheduled for December of 2009 but was cancelled due to weather issues. The new date is set for March 15, 4pm-6pm in the Washington Room at the University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit office, located at 2501 North 8th Street
Illinois State Fairgrounds, Bldg #30, Springfield, IL 62702.

We are hosting a focus group on local food production in order to get a better understanding of the issues facing local food producers in the area, and more importantly to gain insight into current barriers and opportunities for local food production from the perspective of farmers. At the focus group there will be no “right” or “wrong” answers and all your answers and input will be confidential. In addition, we will provide all participants with a light dinner at the beginning of the focus group session.

We hope you can join us; the input of local producers is invaluable!

Please RSVP by responding to this email or calling 217-528-1563.

Not a farmer? We still want your help! We need volunteers to help take notes and facilitate the focus group. If you wish to help, please RSVP by responding to this email or calling 217-528-1563 and indicate that you are not a producer but would still like to help with the focus group.

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The Springfield Area Local Food Taskforce

The Springfield Area Local Food Task Force was formed to identify strategies to increase access to locally grown healthy foods by strengthening and building a local food system.  The task force plans to fulfill three goals: 1) conduct an assessment of the current food system, 2) initiate dialogue about local food systems with those with a vested interest in a local food system, and 3) write a comprehensive report providing recommendations to improve and strengthen our local food system.

For the eighth consecutive year, University of Illinois Extension is offering tours
that highlight sustainable agriculture operations around the state of Illinois.
“This year’s tours truly represent the vast diversity in Illinois’s small farms," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture Extension Specialist who is coordinating the tours. “The tours allow visitors to meet these extraordinarily, creative farmers and producers and find out how they solve their unique problems every day.”

The schedule for the 2010 sustainable agriculture tours is as follows:
May 27, The Business of Vermiculture
Wilken Farms
Iroquois County

June 18, Feeding Universities Sustainably
Farmer Brown’s Production Company and Mulberry Hill Farm
Jackson County
http://farmerbrownsproductioncompany.com 

July 26, Illinois Berries
J & J Berry Farm
Jersey County

August 13, Romance Tour – Flowers and Wine
Bright Flower Nursery and Famous Fossil Vineyard & Winery
Jo Daviess County and Stephenson County
http://www.brightflowernursery.com
www.famousfossilwinery.com

September 15, Agritourism – Farm Fresh Fun
Country Corner
Henry County
http://www.country-corner.com

A fee of $20 per person will be charged for each tour, which includes lunch. This year two adults pay $30 when registered together and children under the age of 10 attend free.

Visit http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/ag_tours.cfm to register and for more details about each of the tours including a map and agenda. To register by phone, contact Donna Cray at 217-241-4644. For more information, contact
Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant (217-968-5512; cvnghgrn@illinois.edu).

The 2010 Farmers Market Forum will give those involved with specialty crop production and farmers markets in Illinois a chance to convene and discuss issues shared amongst them. Four dates have been set throughout March in different cities so all Illinois farmers can have the opportunity to become a part of this exciting discussion.

Topics of discussion will include, but not be limited to:

Lunch will be offered at the Carterville, Rockford and Urbana forums. The Chicago event includes admission to the "Saturday'socal Food Festival" on the third day of the FamilyFarmed Expo. These forums are sponsored by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.
For more information, visit ISA's calendar.

To register online for the Carterville, Rockford or Urbana events, click here.
To register online for the Chicago event, click here.

On February 23rd, 2010, at 6:30pm in the Carnegie Room of the Lincoln Library Main Branch in Springfield, Illinois Stewardship Alliance will be co-sponsoring with the Sierra Club Sangamon Valley Group a showing of the new short film Big River: A King Corn Companion.

Following the film Stacey James, Water Resource Scientist with Prairie Rivers Network will be on hand to discuss the impacts of agriculture run-off to water quality in Illinois.

Big River is a follow-up to the Peabody Award-winning documentary King Corn. King Corn told the story of two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that enabled a fast-food nation. Big River picks-up where King Corn left off. Big River investigates and explores the environmental impact that the one acre of corn from King Corn has on the people and places located downstream. Big River documents and explores the impact chemical-intensive agriculture has on the water quality from the heartland to the Gulf of Mexico.

Agribusiness… It’s in the Water

Is your Illinois-based organization interested in hosting a showing of Big River in your community?  Contact Wes King, 217-528-1563, wes@ilstewards.org.

The 7^th Annual Composting Symposium: Backyard, Business, and Beyond; was a great success. In spite of heavy snow fall, over 60 people braved the elements and packed into the Illini room at the University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit building to hear Ken Dunn, founder and director of the Resource Center in Chicago, speak about the connection between composting, local food, urban agriculture, and sustainability. Following Ken’s keynote address, symposium participants shuffled into several break-out sessions to hear about a variety of topics ranging from compost for beginners to new laws in Illinois regarding commercial composting.

For more information you can view the excellent article on the symposium done by The State Journal-Register by clicking here.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has funds available for the 2009 - 2010 Illinois Organic Cost Share Program through funds from the United States Department of Agriculture. The program will provide cost share assistance to organic producers and handlers receiving certification or continuation of certification by a USDA accredited certifying agent commencing October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010. Under the Act, cost-share assistance payments are limited to 75 percent of an individual producer's or handler's certification costs up to a maximum of $750.00 per year.

To be eligible for reimbursement, an organic production or handling operation must be located within Illinois, comply with the USDA National Organic Program regulations for organic production or handling and have received certification or continuation of certification by a USDA-accredited certifying agent between the eligible dates.

One year of certification reimbursement is available:

• October 1, 2009 through September 30, 2010

Under Illinois' current agreement with the USDA, producers and handlers can make application for reimbursement to the Illinois Department of Agriculture by submitting the following documents:

1. Illinois Organic Certification Cost-Share Program application
2. W-9 form (Rev. 10/07)
3. Proof of NOP certification issued or continued within the cost-share qualifying period, October 1, 2009, through September 30, 2010 such as a copy of the certificate or continuation of certification document from the USDA-accredited certifying agency with effective date within eligible range of 10/1/09 and 9/30/10
4. Itemized invoice demonstrating costs incurred for NOP certification such as a copy of your paid, itemized invoice from your certifier

Costs incurred for noncertification activities, such as, membership associations or farm/ operation inputs are not eligible for assistance through this program.

Based on the receipt of the completed application packet by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, reimbursements will be on a first-come, first-served basis until the limited program funds are exhausted.

For more information, contact Delayne Reeves at 217/524-9129 or delayne.reeves@illinois.gov.

Now is the time to apply for the USDA’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) Organic Initiative. USDA has again allocated $50 million for this program, which serves certified organic growers and those transitioning to organic farming systems. The program provides financial and technical assistance to growers to implement conservation practices relevant to organic agriculture. Interested producers have until March 12, 2010 to sign up for the 2010 program. To sign up, visit your USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) local service center.

Additional information on eligibility is listed at the EQIP Organic Initiative Resource Page.

Payments
Producers who receive EQIP Organic Initiative contracts with NRCS are paid 75 percent of the cost for the organic conservation measures they implement. Beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers (those considered “historically underserved” by the USDA) are paid up to 90 percent. The program provides up to $20,000 per year with a maximum total of $80,000 over six years.

March 12 is the last day to submit your application for this year’s funding. The process can be complicated, so we urge you to start now.

More Information
OFRF has updated information about the 2010 EQIP Organic Initiative, including application instructions, criteria for applying, information about the practices and payment schedules, and a list of organizations that assist growers in their state, on our EQIP Organic Initiative Resource Page. This page will be updated as needed, so check back frequently.

Organic and transitioning producers can also apply for the regular EQIP, which funds on-farm conservation activities, but not specifically related to organic farming systems. This program has higher payment limits, but the application process is much more competitive due to the larger number of applicants. The 2010 ranking cutoff date for the regular EQIP may have passed in your state – check your state’s NRCS website for more information.

Join an exciting and growing field! Illinois Stewardship Alliance seeks qualified candidate for part-time (25 hours/week approximately) Office Manager. Strong organizational skills required and Quickbooks experience preferred.  Please submit resume and cover letter to:  Illinois Stewardship Alliance, 401 W. Jackson Parkway, Springfield, IL 62704 by Feb 1. To see a job description click here.

7th Annual Composting Symposium: Backyard, Business, and Beyond

February 8, 2010

12:30-6:30pm

University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit, Springfield, IL

Keynote Speaker: Ken Dunn, The Resource Center, "Composting for a Sustainable Future"

This is the seventh composting symposium to be held in Illinois. The symposium is a forum for sharing composting, stimulating the composting market, and bringing composters, educators and business people together so that everyone can benefit from learning about this excellent organic soil amendment.

The symposium is will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about composting organic materials from national and local experts. The symposium will cover topics ranging from backyard composting for beginners to large scale projects for municipalities or farms. The symposium is open to the public. Educators, farmers, gardeners, and entrepreneurs are all encouraged to attend, there will be something for everyone.

For more information on the symposium and how to register click here.

Sponsored by a partnership of: Illinois Stewardship Alliance, University of Illinois Extension, City of Springfield’s Division of Waste and Recycling, North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, and Illinois Department of Agriculture.