Illinois Small Farms

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm business? Farm Dreams is a four-hour, interactive workshop designed to help you decide if entrepreneurial farming is for you. Participants will be introduced to farmers doing various types of farm businesses and to farmer training opportunities. Participants will also do self-assessment exercises to determine what resources (land, capital, knowledge, markets) you currently have, and what resources you need. Finally, participants will identify the next steps in pursuing your farming goals and will leave Farm Dreams with a clear idea about what is possible and what the risks are, so that you are better prepared to decide whether a farming business is the right fit for you at this time.

The workshop will be held on July 15 from 4:30- 8:00 pm at the University of Illinois Extension, Sangamon/Menard Unit Office in Springfield. The workshop includes a light supper and costs $30. Registration and payment can be done by mail or online at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/farm_dreams/Classes.aspx

For more information, or to register, you may also call 847-570-0701 or email. info@thelandconnection.org.

Central Illinois Farm Dreams is a collaborative effort between The Land Connection and the University of Illinois Extension. The workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Sangamon/Menard Unit and Macon County Unit.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm business? Farm Dreams is a four-hour, interactive workshop designed to help you decide if entrepreneurial farming is for you. Participants will be introduced to farmers doing various types of farm businesses and to farmer training opportunities. Participants will also do self-assessment exercises to determine what resources (land, capital, knowledge, markets) you currently have, and what resources you need. Finally, participants will identify the next steps in pursuing your farming goals and will leave Farm Dreams with a clear idea about what is possible and what the risks are, so that you are better prepared to decide whether a farming business is the right fit for you at this time.

The workshop will be held on July 17 from 4:30- 8:00 pm at the University of Illinois Extension, Kankakee Unit Office in Bourbonnais. Each interactive workshop includes a light supper, and costs $30. Registration and payment can be done by mail or online at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/farm_dreams/Classes.aspx For more information, or to register, you may also call 847-570-0701 or email. info@thelandconnection.org.

Central Illinois Farm Dreams is a collaborative effort between The Land Connection and the University of Illinois Extension. The workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Kankakee County Unit and Ford/Iroquois Unit.

Midwest Permaculture will be holding their nine-day permaculture-farming course on July 17-25 featuring Mark Shepard and his 100-acre permaculture farm. The first 4 days are open to the budding farmer who wants to learn some of the permaculture-farming basics, but doesn’t feel the need for full-design certification. We will also be exploring the Varney’s 5-acre farm just 30 minutes down the road from Mark. All the details are fully described on our webpage at http://www.midwestpermaculture.com/MarkShepardFarmingCourse7-08.php

The Multiple Species Grazing Conference, co-sponsored by University of Illinois Extension and USDA Risk Management Agency, will highlight the addition of meat goats to sheep, cattle or horse grazing operations in Illinois for a more sustainable pasture system with more profit potential per acre. The program will focus on the advantages and risks of mixing pastured livestock species. The program schedule will run from 9-3 with registration beginning at 9:00 AM. Topics for discussion and Speakers include:

• Understanding Livestock Species Grazing Behavior / Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiple Species Grazing – Dean Oswald, Animal Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Pasture Weeds, Brush and Poisonous Plants – Know’em, Avoid’em or Control’em – David Feltes, IPM Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Health or Parasite Worries When Species Commingle – Jennifer Miller DVM
• Do Sheep & Goats Offer Profits to Cattle Grazers? – A. Richard Cobb, Extension Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist, University of Illinois
• What Forages are Suited for Multiple Species Grazing? – James Morrison, Crop Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Fencing Considerations that Work for “Hard to Control Species” – Stanley Solomon, Agricultural Engineer, University of Illinois Extension

Participants will have the opportunity to question and discuss ideas with program presenters during the morning and afternoon sessions. Lunch will be provided for program registrants.Questions regarding registration fee and meeting location should be directed to Rock Island County Unit (http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/rockisland), 4550 Kennedy Dr, Ste 3, East Moline, IL 61244, Phone: 309-796-0512, FAX: 309-796-0673

The Multiple Species Grazing Conference, co-sponsored by University of Illinois Extension and USDA Risk Management Agency, will highlight the addition of meat goats to sheep, cattle or horse grazing operations in Illinois for a more sustainable pasture system with more profit potential per acre. The program will focus on the advantages and risks of mixing pastured livestock species. The program schedule will run from 9-3 with registration beginning at 9:00 AM. Topics for discussion and Speakers include:

• Understanding Livestock Species Grazing Behavior / Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiple Species Grazing – Dean Oswald, Animal Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Pasture Weeds, Brush and Poisonous Plants – Know’em, Avoid’em or Control’em – David Feltes, IPM Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Health or Parasite Worries When Species Commingle – Jennifer Miller DVM
• Do Sheep & Goats Offer Profits to Cattle Grazers? – A. Richard Cobb, Extension Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist, University of Illinois
• What Forages are Suited for Multiple Species Grazing? – James Morrison, Crop Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Fencing Considerations that Work for “Hard to Control Species” – Stanley Solomon, Agricultural Engineer, University of Illinois Extension

Participants will have the opportunity to question and discuss ideas with program presenters during the morning and afternoon sessions. Lunch will be provided for program registrants.Questions regarding registration fee and meeting location should be directed to Logan County Unit (http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/logan), 980 N. Postville Dr., Lincoln, IL 62656, Ph: 217-732-8289, FAX: 217-735-5837.

Livestock producers interested in an excellent grazing program will want to attend the Driftless Regional Grazing Conference (formerly Upper Midwest Grazing Conference) to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 29 and 30 near Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The educational program consists of general and breakout sessions and will be held on July 29. Farm grazing tours to either a dairy or beef operation will be held on July 30. For a copy of the program flier or for additional information contact Jim Morrison, Extension Educator for Crop Systems at the Rockford Extension Center (phone - 815-397-7714 or Email morrison@uiuc.edu).

The Multiple Species Grazing Conference, co-sponsored by University of Illinois Extension and USDA Risk Management Agency, will highlight the addition of meat goats to sheep, cattle or horse grazing operations in Illinois for a more sustainable pasture system with more profit potential per acre. The program will focus on the advantages and risks of mixing pastured livestock species. The program schedule will run from 9-3 with registration beginning at 9:00 AM. Topics for discussion and Speakers include:

• Understanding Livestock Species Grazing Behavior / Advantages and Disadvantages of Multiple Species Grazing – Dean Oswald, Animal Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Pasture Weeds, Brush and Poisonous Plants – Know’em, Avoid’em or Control’em – David Feltes, IPM Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Health or Parasite Worries When Species Commingle – Jennifer Miller DVM
• Do Sheep & Goats Offer Profits to Cattle Grazers? – A. Richard Cobb, Extension Sheep and Meat Goat Specialist, University of Illinois
• What Forages are Suited for Multiple Species Grazing? – James Morrison, Crop Systems Educator, University of Illinois Extension
• Fencing Considerations that Work for “Hard to Control Species” – Stanley Solomon, Agricultural Engineer, University of Illinois Extension

Participants will have the opportunity to question and discuss ideas with program presenters during the morning and afternoon sessions. Lunch will be provided for program registrants.Questions regarding registration fee and meeting location should be directed to Williamson County Unit (http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/williamson/), 1306 N Atchison Ave, Ste A, Marion, IL 62959, Phone: 618-993-3304, FAX: 618-997-1542.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm business? Farm Dreams is a four-hour, interactive workshop designed to help you decide if entrepreneurial farming is for you. Participants will be introduced to farmers doing various types of farm businesses and to farmer training opportunities. Participants will also do self-assessment exercises to determine what resources (land, capital, knowledge, markets) you currently have, and what resources you need. Finally, participants will identify the next steps in pursuing your farming goals and will leave Farm Dreams with a clear idea about what is possible and what the risks are, so that you are better prepared to decide whether a farming business is the right fit for you at this time.

The workshop will be held on August 7 from 4:30-8:00 pm at Shawnee Community College in Ullin. The workshop will include a light supper and costs $30. Registration and payment can be done by mail or online at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/farm_dreams/Classes.aspx

For more information, or to register, you may also call 847-570-0701 or email. info@thelandconnection.org.

Central Illinois Farm Dreams is a collaborative effort between The Land Connection and the University of Illinois Extension. The workshop is co-sponsored by University of Illinois Extension, Alexander/ Johnson/ Massac/ Pulaski/ Union Unit, University of Illinois Extension, Carbondale Center, Shawnee Community College and the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Shawnee Community College.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm business? Farm Dreams is a four-hour, interactive workshop designed to help you decide if entrepreneurial farming is for you. Participants will be introduced to farmers doing various types of farm businesses and to farmer training opportunities. Participants will also do self-assessment exercises to determine what resources (land, capital, knowledge, markets) you currently have, and what resources you need. Finally, participants will identify the next steps in pursuing your farming goals and will leave Farm Dreams with a clear idea about what is possible and what the risks are, so that you are better prepared to decide whether a farming business is the right fit for you at this time.

The workshop will be held on August 18 from 4:30-8:00 pm at the University of Illinois Extension, Woodford County Unit Office in Eureka. The workshop includes a light supper and costs $30. Registration and payment can be done by mail or online at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/farm_dreams/Classes.aspx

For more information, or to register, you may also call 847-570-0701 or email. info@thelandconnection.org.

Central Illinois Farm Dreams is a collaborative effort between The Land Connection and the University of Illinois Extension. The workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Woodford County Unit.

Have you ever dreamed of starting your own farm business? Farm Dreams is a four-hour, interactive workshop designed to help you decide if entrepreneurial farming is for you. Participants will be introduced to farmers doing various types of farm businesses and to farmer training opportunities. Participants will also do self-assessment exercises to determine what resources (land, capital, knowledge, markets) you currently have, and what resources you need. Finally, participants will identify the next steps in pursuing your farming goals and will leave Farm Dreams with a clear idea about what is possible and what the risks are, so that you are better prepared to decide whether a farming business is the right fit for you at this time.

The workshop will be held on August 19 from 4:30-8:00 pm at the University of Illinois Extension, Peoria County Unit Office in Peoria. The workshop includes a light supper and costs $30. Registration and payment can be done by mail or online at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/farm_dreams/Classes.aspx

For more information, or to register, you may also call 847-570-0701 or email. info@thelandconnection.org.

Central Illinois Farm Dreams is a collaborative effort between The Land Connection and the University of Illinois Extension. The workshop is co-sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, Peoria County Unit and Fulton County Unit and Peoria IDEA.

This statewide event is a showcase for the construction and exhibition of conservation and land improvement practices and equipment. The host for this year’s Conservation Expo is Progress City USA in Decatur, Illinois.

Throughout the 3-day event, tours will be conducted to showcase the following conservation structures and practices: Wetland Restoration and Enhancement, Rock Chute Construction, Pervious Paver Installation, Wetland Garden, Bio-Swale Construction, and Turf Reinforcement Matting Installation. Static Septic Systems will also be on display. Tour guides will be at each of the sites throughout the show to discuss installation techniques, cost of construction, and benefits to the landowner and the watershed.

The hours of the Conservation Expo are Tuesday thru Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. There is no admission charge, and everyone is welcome to attend, including landowners, farmers, agri-businesses, conservationists, planners and the general public.Food and drink concessions will be available at the show site.

The Illinois Conservation Expo is sponsored by the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (ILICA), in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Macon County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), University of Illinois Extension and more than a dozen conservation-related organizations and agencies. For more information, go to the ILICA website www.illica.net/ or contact Janet Burtle-Doubet, Ex. Director of ILICA, ph. 309-446-3700, e-mail janet@illica.net.

An invitation to participate with city and state leaders to share strategies and discuss policies to protect our natural resources. This international conference on river management and ecosystem services - or the economic and societal benefits provided by healthy ecosystems.

Free public lecture, Rethinking the Economics of Energy, Climate, and Food by Dr. John Ikerd, Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics, University of Missouri-Columbia and author of Sustainable Capitalism and the Return to Common Sense.  The challenges of  "peak oil," climate change, and food scarcity are all symptoms of the same basic root cause, an unsustainable economy. The industrial era of economic development was fueled by cheap fossil energy. We are not necessarily running out of energy, but we are running out of "cheap energy," and all of the remaining sources of fossil energy represent serious risks to the environment -- global climate change in particular. In addition, replacing fossil energy with biological energy, as from ethanol and biodiesel, threatens the earth's ability to produce sufficient food for a growing human population. We humans are biological beings; we rely on biological energy for our survival. To meet the triple challenges of peak oil, climate change, and food scarcity, we must replace the old industrial economic paradigm of extraction and exploitation with the new sustainable economic paradigm of renewal and regeneration. We must rethink the purpose and meaning of nature, society, and economy.

Presented at the University of Illinois-Springfield (UIS) Public Affairs Center Conference Room C/D on September 29 at 7:00 p.m.  Sponsored by the UIS Speaker's Series, Students Allied for a Greener Earth (SAGE), UIS Department of Environmental Studies, University of Illinois Extension and Slow Foods Springfield.  For more information (217) 206-7895.