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.

Posted by: Lindsay Record

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.

Posted by: Lindsay Record

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.

Posted by: Lindsay Record

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.

 

Posted by: Lindsay Record

Greetings!   The Illinois Stewardship Alliance is working to build support for local food systems in the legislature and in communities across the state.  Join us in this exciting developing field and support the Illinois Stewardship Alliance with a year-end gift by clicking here. Any amount, from $15 - $500, will help ISA continue to serve producers, eaters, and communities in Illinois. ISA is serving small farmers and Illinois' citizens by advocating for local, state and federal policies that support ecologicially sustainable, economically viable and socially just food systems. Over the past two years Illinois Stewardship Alliance:  Established "Buy Fresh Buy Local Central Illinois" program to promote locally produced food, expand markets for local producers and increase availability of fresh foods in Central Illinois communities. Organized "Local Flavors" lunch and dinner series in both Springfield and Bloomington-Normal, which expanded markets for area local food producers, showed area restaurants the high-quality local products that are available and gave consumers the opportunity to show their support for local farms and local businesses.  Advocated for sound sustainable agriculture and local food system policy: tracked state and federal legislation, hosted a farmer fly-in to Washington DC, testified to the Illinois Senate Ag Committee about pesticode drift, raised awareness about farm bill programs including the Conservation Stewardship Program and Value Added Producer Grants, supported Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force and more. Provided farmer training and workshops: Farmer-Food Buyer Networking Event, Conservation Stewardship Program workshops, Hoop House tour for expanded seasonal production, Organic Certification Farm Tour, Holiday Market in Springfield, Wholesale Workshops and more. Raised consumer awareness about local food system: Hosted film screenings such as King Corn, Food Fight and Food, Inc., Local Flavors events, established Springfield Local Food Task Force, and presented at community groups, conferences and events about the economic, social, and environmental importance of local food systems.

Your support will ensure the Illinois Stewardship Alliance can continue this important work in the coming year! Please consider making a year-end gift to Illinois Stewardship Alliance to help build local food systems in Illinois.   Sincerely,   Lindsay Record Executive Director  Illinois Stewardship Alliance

Posted by: Lindsay Record

In late November, people may think that the farmers market season is over but it doesn't have to be! ISA hosted a holiday farmer's market along with Slow Food Springfield on November 21 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.  Local producers featuring turkeys, produce, fresh baked goods, eggs, honey, meat and more came out to throngs of late season farmers market shoppers. 

Thanks to all who came out and supported this event and to our sponsors Illinois Department of Agriculture and B. Creative Graphic Design.  Additional support came from Robert's Seafood, Illinois Grape Growers and Vintner's Association, and Illinois National Bank.

Posted by: Lindsay Record

Buy Fresh Buy Local Central Illinois member, Kilgus Farmsteads' three generation dairy farm and on-farm milk bottling plant was featured in the Peoria Star Journal.  Read the story here.

Posted by: Lindsay Record

 

November 17 at 7pm – “Food, Inc.” Liberty Brew and View Series Capital City Bar and Grill. 3149 S. Dirksen Pkwy, Springfield Free and open to the public

If you didn’t get a chance to see this fascinating film during its short run in Springfield, now’s your chance!  About the film: “In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation's food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer…”  Presented by Liberty Brew and View and Co-sponsored by Food Fantasies and Illinois Stewardship Alliance http://www.foodincmovie.com

 

 

 

Saturday, November 21, 2009, 9:00 am – 1:00 pm in the Illinois Building, Illinois State Fairgrounds

Shop for your Thanksgiving meal, get locally produced food, learn about new local products or get started on your holiday gift shopping! This year’s Holiday Market: Meet Your Local Producers will showcase local farmers and local producers with farmers market sales, samples and exhibits. Learn more here.

Posted by: Lindsay Record

I’m sure some of you have wondered, “What happened to that local food task force?” We have been doing some re-structuring and planning about the process of conducting a community food assessment. We are now gearing up to begin holding meetings again and moving forward with the Springfield Local Food Task Force. We hope you can join us for some of the upcoming committee meetings.

The task force was created by a coalition of community groups and members in order to identify strategies to increase access to healthy food by strengthening and building a local food system. The task force has identified three primary 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.
3. Write a comprehensive report providing recommendations to improve and strengthen a local food system.

The first project being undertaken by the Task Force is an assessment of the existing food system within the Springfield region.We are examining three components of the food system: production, infrastructure, and community access and created three corresponding committees.

For the most part each committee will be meeting separately. Below you will find a list of the upcoming committee meetings for November and December. Please feel free to go to whichever committee you are most interested in helping with, I would also encourage you to attend all the committee meetings and get involved as much as you can.

I am excited about the awesome work the task force is embarking on I can't wait too see what happens. I hope to see you at one of the upcoming meetings.

Committee Meeting Schedule

Production Committee: November 10^th, 2009, 10am-12pm, Lincoln Library – Carnegie Room North. Committee will brainstorm about questions and ideas for a Farmer Focus Group in December.  

Infrastructure Committee: November 10^th, 2009, 10am-12pm, Lincoln Library – Carnegie Room North. Committee will brainstorm about questions and ideas for a Farmer Focus Group in December.  (Note: the production and infrastructure committee will be meeting at the same time in separate parts of the room)

Community Access Committee: November 12^th, 2009,  9-11 am, IL Dept of Agriculture,  Room 66, 801 E. Sangamon Ave. Committee will discuss and examine community access assets that have been identified and to examine the opportunities for expanding upon these or creating new programs or policies.

Farmer Focus Group: December 9^th, 2009, 5-8pm, Lincoln Library – Carnegie Room North. The focus group will be a combined meeting of both the infrastructure and production committee. The goal of the focus group is to gain insight from farmers on assets, opportunities, needs, and barriers in relation to local food production and infrastructure for processing and distribution. 

Community Access Committee: December 15^th, 2009, 9-11 am, IL Dept of Agriculture, Room 66, 801 E. Sangamon Ave. Tentative 

****

If you have any questions regarding the production committee, please contact Wes King at wes@ilstewards.org or 528-1563 

If you have any questions regarding the infrastructure committee, please contact Lindsay Record at Lindsay@ilstewards.org or 528-1563                       

If you have any question regarding the community access committee, please contact Pat Stieren at pstieren@gmail.com or Deanna Glosser at Deanna_Glosser@comcast.net or 629-8949. 

If you have any questions, comments, or ideas regarding the work of the Springfield Local food Task Force in general please feel free to contact any of the people listed above.

 

Posted by: Lindsay Record

Senate Agriculture & Conservation Committee Creates Subcommittee to Study Solutions to Chemical Drift Problem in Illinois

Following 4 1/2 hours of testimony Wednesday, the state Senate Committee on Agriculture and Conservation found enough credible concern with farm chemical drift to create a subcommittee on the topic—the Agriculture and Conservation Subcommittee on Fertilizers and Chemicals.

Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria, was named chairman of the new committee. Koehler said his committee will research Maine's new mandatory registration and notification law regarding aerial application of farm chemicals

The hearing attracted nearly 100 people from both organic, sustainable and conventional farming and chemical manufacturers and lobbyists. In addition to oral testimony, volumes of written testimony were submitted.  Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s new policy coordinator attended the hearing and presented oral testimony on the need to protect the rights of a growing sector of small business in Illinois, organic and diversified farmers.

ISA plans to remain involved with the legislative process as the Agriculture and Conservation Subcommittee on Fertilizers and Chemicals explores various solutions to the chemical drift problem in Illinois. ISA looks forward to working with all stakeholders in order reach a solution that is acceptable to all parties while protecting the rights of organic and small diversified farmers to have chemical free farms or to control the application of agriculture chemicals to their farms.

For more information on the hearing click here.

Posted by: Lindsay Record