Leslie Cooperband is an Extension Specialist in Sustainable Agriculture and Community Development in the Department of Human and Community Development at the University of Illinois. Prior to moving to Champaign-Urbana in 2003, she was an Associate Professor of Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her area of expertise is composting and organic matter management. Currently, her work at the University of Illinois involves documenting the state of food systems in Central Illinois and helping communities build locally based food systems. In addition to her academic work, she and her husband, Wes Jarrell are the proud owners of Prairie Fruits Farm, Illinois' first farmstead goat cheesemaking facility and certified organic fruit orchard.

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