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| ISA Welcomes New Board President!
Illinois Stewardship Alliance begins 2010 with some new faces on the board of directors while long-time board president and organic farmer Paul Gebhart steps down after eight years of board service. "Times are changing and I feel like the organization is on the right path for a new decade," Paul said. "The public is more concerned about their food than ever and the ISA is doing an excellent job serving both the people and the producers."
Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, University of Illinois Extension Small Farms Specialist, steps in to lead ISA in the new decade. Deborah started her term as president with a strategic planning retreat for the board to clarify the direction of Illinois Stewardship Alliance over the coming years. "The strategic planning process was really exciting to see the level of committment and enthusiam, by both board and staff, to continue our work of promoting ecologically sustainable, economically viable, socially just local food systems through policy development, advocacy and education." said Deborah.
Other new board members include: Dayna Conner, Executive Director, Food Works, Carbondale; Carrie Edgar, Extension County Director, Adams-Brown Unit, Quincy; Chef Chip Kennedy, 5Flavors Catering, Springfield; Sheila Walk, Retired Teacher, Springfield; Will Reynolds, Director of Lincoln Land Community College Volunteer Center, Springfield; and Robert Haugland, Illinois Cancer Care and Part-time Farmer, Dahinda. |
Marketing and Communications Intern Joins Illinois Stewardship Alliance Staff 
Erika Helmerichs joined ISA as an intern to assist with planning and execution of the Buy Fresh Buy Local campaign and to work with ISA staff members on general communication and marketing tasks and development. Erika is finishing her undergraduate education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this spring with an off-campus internship at the Illinois Stewardship Alliance in Springfield. In May, Erika will walk the stage for graduation, having earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications, with a focus in corporate and institutional media markets, and a minor in philosophy.
Prior to beginning her internship at the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Erika spent a year and a half working in the public relations department for SIUE's College of Arts and Sciences, where she had a hand in writing, graphic design, outreach, photojournalism and organization of the newsletters and web pages for the school. She also spent a year as a general reporter for the university's newspaper, the Alestle, where she was quickly promoted to managing Opinion Editor on the newspaper's student-run board. As a side-project last summer, Erika created, compiled, wrote for, edited, published and distributed three issues of a local music magazine for the Central Illinois region, titled 3989 . Read more here. |
| Upcoming Ilinois Stewardship Alliance Events
7th Annual Composting Symposium: Backyard, Business, & Beyond
February 8, 2010
12:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit, Springfield, IL
The symposium will provide an excellent opportunity to learn about composting organic materials from national and local experts, and 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.
For more information on the symposium and registration information, visit http://www.ilstewards.org/calendar/8808.
Film Showing: "Big River: A King Corn Companion"
February 23rd, 2010
6:30pm
Lincoln Library Main Branch - Carnegie Room North, Springfield
ISA is co-sponsoring with the Sierra Club Sangamon Valley Group a showing of the film Big River. Agribusiness... It's in the Water! For more information, visit http://www.ilstewards.org/calendar/9438. |
Legislative Update
Farm Groups Call for New Review of Syngenta's Atrazine to be Unbiased & Science-Driven
A coalition of Midwest farmers and organizations representing family farmers, farm workers, and people concerned about scientific integrity in the regulatory process, lead by the Land Stewardship Project, are asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to take a closer look at the herbicide atrazine. There is strong concern about the safety of atrazine and how Syngenta, the manufacturer in the U.S., has manipulated the regulatory process and continues to promote its use to farmers as completely safe. In a letter recently sent to U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, over a dozen groups maintain that only a completely transparent process that rejects biased research produced by the herbicide's primary manufacturer, Syngenta, will result in a review that serves the interests of farmers, the general public and the environment.
Many of the concerned farmers and members of the organizations that are calling on the U.S. EPA to take a closer look at atrazine use herbicides and pesticides as part of their farming operations. Many of the concerned and represented farm workers also work on farms where these chemicals are applied. These farmers and farm workers rely on the U.S. EPA in registering pesticides to use a transparent process that is guided by science and places protection of human health and the environment above corporate profits.
Read the rest of this story and learn what you can do here. |
Job Announcement: Illinois Stewardship Alliance is Hiring for Office Manager Position
Interested candidates send resume and cover letter February 1
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. | |
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Upcoming Events
Composting Symposium Monday, February 8, 2010 12:30pm - 6:30pm University of Illinois Extension Sangamon-Menard Unit Springfield, Illinois Click here for more info
Familyfarmed.org Expo
March 11-13, 2010 University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
MOSES Organic Farming Conference
February 25-27, 2010
La Crosse, WI
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Join Illinois Stewardship Alliance!
You can support ISA and become part of the good food movement by becoming a member. We offer individual and organizational memberships.
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