The Governor Encourages Illinois Firms to Register With the Buy Illinois
Network an Online Service to Promote Illinois Companies

Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich today unveiled the Buy Illinois Network Web site, an important tool that will help Illinois businesses market their goods and services online. The Web site, www.buyillinois.net
http://www.buyillinois.net , will help consumers and purchasers locate vendors and producers throughout the state, allowing Illinois businesses to sell their products and services to a larger audience.

The first tour will be to Oak Hills Organics (www.oakgroveorganics.com/) in Carthage on May 4. The farm and dairy is owned by Tony and Sheila Huls and raises cows for both grass-fed organic beef and for dairy -- naturally, without the use of antibiotics, genetically modified organisms or added growth hormones.

On June 5 there will be a tour to Heartland Meats (www.heartlandmeats.com ) in Mendota -- a farm and business owned by John and Pat Sondergoth. The company specializes in Piedmontese beef that is free of added growth hormones.

The third tour of the 2006 season is to AquaRanch in Flanagan on July 12. Aqua Ranch Industries (www.aquaranch.com) supplies tanks and tank/pool liners for the growing aquaculture industry, and helps develop "aquaponics" systems that yield both fish and culinary herbs in a controlled environment.

The fourth tour will visit the Green Earth Institute in Naperville on August 9. The Institute is owned and operated by Steve Tiwald. Green Earth Institute (www.greenearthinstitute.org) is a non-profit organization established in 2002 to promote nutritional health and environmental sustainability.

On September 13, a tour will be given of Prairie Fruits Farm in Champaign owned by Leslie Cooperband and Wes Jarrell. Jarrell and Cooperband planted over 300 fruit trees and several hundred berry bushes in 2004 on three and a half acres. Their land is in transition to organic, and is eligible for organic certification this year. Cooperband and Jarrell also have a grade A goat dairy and Illinois' first farmstead cheese making facility. They will provide a tour and information about their orchard, the goat dairy and goat cheese processing. Deirdre Birmingham, network coordinator for the Upper Midwest Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network (www.mosesorganic.org/treefruit/intro.htm) will be there to contribute information about organic tree fruit production on the tour. The network is a project of the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) and a co-sponsor of the tour.

And the final tour of the season will be on October 5 to several places in the same vicinity in southern Illinois. The tour will include stops at Blue Sky Winery in Makanda, Darn Hot Peppers in Cobden and Great Boars of Fire in Anna. At Blue Sky Winery (www.blueskyvineyard.com/), visitors will take a walk through the vineyards for a close look at the tresseling systems that are used and can participate in a wine tasting of some of the varieties. Darn Hot Peppers (http://www.darnhotpeppers.com/) boasts growing healthy and flavorful specialty hot peppers, using environmentally safe and pesticide free products while employing natural, time honored aspects of traditional farming. Great Boars of Fire (www.greatboarsoffire.com/) is a lodge and fully mobile catering service that specializes in pulled barbequed pork.

A fee of $20 per person will be charged for each tour. For more information call 618-498-2913 or 618-576-2293