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May 5, 2015
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In this Weekly Harvest:    


Today is opening day of The Land Connection Champaign Farmers' Market, and boy, do we have a lot in store for you!


As if the warm air and gorgeous flowering trees were not enough, our new market has so much in store for this first week of May. We will be featuring fresh, sustainably raised salmon from Sitka's Salmon Shares. Meadowbrook Organic Farm will have sweet strawberries (but just a few, get them while they last!). There will be the decadent usuals of early spring, asparagus and spinach, as well as tasty desserts from Hopscotch Cakes and Confections. Don't think about missing out on the fresh made and preservative-free breads from Pekara either. And that is just a teaser, we have 17 vendors signed up!

You may come for the shopping, but you'll stay for the entertainment! This week, we will be graced by the poetry stylings of James Escher, who will be crafting poetry on request for all interested passers by as well as organizing a collaborative poem, created by market shoppers who wish to join.


We will also have Common Ground, one of our generous market sponsors, at the community booth. There you will be able to become a co-op owner (if you are not one already) and learn about upcoming classes (register for them too!).


And don't forget about our Farm Fresh Now! Recipe card series. Each week will feature the recipe of an in-season item and we will be giving away the recipe card for that vegetable for free at each market! This week's feature will be spinach and the Spinach and Bacon Lyonnaise Salad.


There's a lot to see this week at the market... We can't wait to see YOU there! The first 100 customers will receive a free Champaign Farmers' Market bag!


  

WorkshopsWorkshops, Field Days, and Grant Opportunities
THE LAND CONNECTION WORKSHOPS

Farm Dreams Workshops

May 18, Bloomington, Epiphany Farms

June 8, Decatur, DIGG

June 15, Cornell, Antiquity Oaks

June 29, North Salem, Indiana, Blue Yonder Organic Farm

All workshops are from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Farm Dreams is a short workshop in which participants meet experienced sustainable farmers, learn about successful farm enterprises, and ask questions about local farm businesses. Farm Dreams covers resource assessment, goal setting, financial planning, and marketing options. New this year: each workshop will be held on a farm and include a farm tour. Registration is $30 per person. Register online and find more dates here!

Small Tractor Workshop
May 17, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Richland Community College
Decatur, IL 
A small tractor might be your farm's most important investment, but it can become a headache if it's not properly used and maintained. Join us for a workshop on how to use your small tractor better. This workshop goes over basic maintenance
 tasks, safe and efficient operation, and includes supervised tractor driving lessons. Preregistration required. $95 includes lunch. Register online here.
   

OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS

 

USDA Farm to School Webinar Series

Curriculum Integration 
April 16, 1:00 p.m.

Program Sustainability
April 30, 1:00 p.m.

Evaluating Your Program, 
May 13, 1:00 p.m.
 
Tying it All Together and Digging In
May 28, 1:00 p.m.
USDA Farm to School staff and guest speakers have just what you need to start or expand your farm to school program in the new year. This 11-part webinar series will help you build your farm to school skills and develop new strategies for bringing local foods into the lunchroom. Join us for tips and insights on topics like building a team, menu planning, program sustainability, and more! New this year: earn SNA Continuing Education Units for each webinar attended. Learn more here!

Nut Tree Grafting Workshop and Field Day
May 9, 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Participants will learn about grafting nut trees - the reasons that we graft to achieve superior varieties of nuts and other plant material,  the difference between field grafting and bench grafting, and specific types of grafts or grafting techniques. The group will then travel to Keith Etheridge's riparian buffer site near Palmer to see a field grafting demonstration on pecan trees, and to learn about Keith's efforts to improve water quality using trees and prairie plantings along a creek.
Register online here or call 217-561-1062

KRC Women in Farming Workshop - Business, Financial and Legal Training
May 9, 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
On Saturday May 9, the Kansas Rural Center will hold a "Women in Farming" workshop, which will focus on what women farmers and landowners need to know to make good business, financial and legal decisions. The women-only workshop will be from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the American Legion Building in Linn, Kansas, with a farm tour in the afternoon at the farm of Lucinda Stuenkel near Palmer, Kansas. Cost to attend is $15, which covers lunch and conference materials. Click here to learn more and register. 

Farm Fresh Cooking Class Series
Common Ground Food Co-op
Starting May 14
The Land Connection, Urbana's Market at the Square, and Common Ground are all collaborating to offer a series of cooking classes using farm fresh ingredients! Every other Thursday starting May 14, the class will feature a local, in-season ingredient and show participants what they can do with it in the kitchen. Registration is $5 per class and you can register online on Common Ground's website. Attend 6 classes and receive a FREE Farm Fresh Now! Recipe Card box set!

Organic Grain Field Day at Janie's Farm
June 26
Danforth, IL 

Learn from a successful and visionary farmer who can help others create a more diverse, resilient, and profitable business model for their farms. 

Harold Wilken, his son Ross, and several employees work together to manage 2300 acres in Iroquois County, Illinois. After 23 years, they made the switch from conventional farming to organic in 2003, and are now moving to access local food-grade markets. Corn, Beans, Wheat, and Red Clover or Alfalfa are the basic rotations used on the farm.  However, Harold is quick to point out that you must be flexible, and several other crops are used to adapt to the unpredictable nature of farming. Corn can be popcorn, seed corn or dent corn. The beans that are grown include clear-hilum soybeans and dry beans like Black Turtle Beans.  Wheat includes spring and fall planted hard and soft varieties.  Pumpkins, oats and ancient grains like Emmer and Einkorn are also part of the mix. Register online here.


Illinois Renewable Energy Conference
July 16
Illinois State University
The conference will include plenary speakers on topics of interest to all areas of renewable energy, plus breakout sessions on renewable energy policy, technology, and case studies from around the state in the specific areas of wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and energy efficiency. Learn more here and register online for the Early Bird rate.
 
blThis Week on the TLC Blog...

Just the Pictures, Please

Today is my day to blog for The Land Connection. It is also the first day of the new downtown Champaign Farmers' Market.
 

So I am going to skip the pleasantries, and get right to the heart of the matter. Fresh spring food is beautiful. The ingredients pictured here, ramps, asparagus, and Shitake were purchased at Prairie Fruits Farm and Creamery's on-farm sales a couple of weeks ago. So I thought, why not make the most gourmet pizza ever, and add all of my favorite spring foods as toppings?
 

Read the rest of Cara's blog here!

agnewsAgriculture in the News:
Something you should know:
The USDA is moving to factor the treatment of chickens into new organic standards. Learn more here. 

Something you should do: 

Learn to make beer! The Center for Crop Diversification will be offering a webinar, Hops 101, on Thursday, May 7, from 2-3:15 p.m To register, please contact Christy Cassady at [email protected], or 859-257-1477.

 

Something to be happy about:

Farm to School advocates visited Washington DC last week to support the 2015 Farm to School Act. Read more here.

 

HAVE SOMETHING? NEED SOMETHING? 
You can post your ad in the classifieds section of our website. To have something listed in the Weekly Harvest, email us at [email protected] or call 217-840-2128.

 

Employment Opportunities:
 

NEW! SUMMER INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

Spence Farm Foundation Internship

Program Development Intern

Cultivating a Healthy Food System through Education. That is what Spence Farm Foundation (SFF) is all about. We believe that by helping to connect the key elements of a healthy food system to one another-farmer, chef, food industry, healthcare providers, educators, students and food citizens-supports sustainable production and leads to personal well-being. We have assisted new farms, developed education programs for professional chefs and culinary students, and educated students and professionals alike in the value of responsibly produced food. This is accomplished through professional Culinary Arts program, workshops, speaking engagements, tours, and providing hoop houses for high schools.

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of Spence Farm Foundation (SFF), Interns will provide assistance to the core programs and administrative functions of SFF. This position provides students with the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in nonprofit operations and project management at an innovative, impactful organization. 

Please contact grow@spencefarmfoundation for more information, to share your resume, or to request a job description.

FARM TO TABLE KITCHEN LEAD

The Prairie Farm Corps is seeking a kitchen supervisor/instructor to lead teams of high school students to cook healthy food raised on our farm. Successful candidates will be compassionate, well organized, creative problem solvers with a love for youth development, sustainable agriculture, and healthy affordable food.

 
We are looking for someone with a love for healthy eating and cooking (ages 19 and older)
with strong planning, organizational, and time-management skills and the patience to work with high school students from a variety of backgrounds and skill levels.  Formal teaching experience or culinary arts training not necessary.

Compensation: $12.50/hr.  On-farm housing provided.  Access to fresh produce 24-7! Please send cover letter, resume, and 3 references to Eric Carlberg, Liberty Prairie Foundation, 32400 North Harris Road, Grayslake IL 60030 via email to [email protected].
 

FIELD OPERATIONS MANAGER, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR AND FARM HAND


INTERNSHIP - COOK FARM

We raise mixed produce for a CSA, farmer's markets and wholesale customers.  We'll work side-by-side from seed to sale in hopes that you finish the season with a solid grasp of what it takes to run a small farm. Interns are expected to work quickly and efficiently in good and bad weather, to ask questions, and to learn from mistakes. Intern will receive a monthly stipend and food from the farm as well as shared housing for the right candidate. Full-time and part-time positions available. Contact Dylan at [email protected] or click here for more information!


BEEKEEPER AND BEEHIVE WANTED

With the decline in the honeybee population, we would like to place a bee hive or two on our property.  We are busy enough with off-farm jobs and our meat goats, that we don't want to spend time on the front-end of the learning curve of beekeeping.  Ideally, we would like to supply the land, while the beekeeper would be responsible for supplying & maintaining the hive(s).  Our goats are pasture-raised, so there is plenty of red clover for the bees as well as a small orchard. Visit our website for more farm information or contact Andy or Jen at 217-688-2043 or email [email protected]


 

Land, Equipment, and Other:

 

NEW! PARTIALLY COMPOSTED MISCANTHUS 

I have about 160 tons of partially composted Miscanthus that I need to have it
hauled away. It is about a mile south of Easton, IL. I can help defray the hauling expense. If someone is interested in having part or all of it, contact John Caveny at [email protected] or call 217-621-7767.

 

FARMLAND AVAILABLE FOR VEGETABLE FARMERS

We own and run a small farm 15 minutes outside of Springfield, and are looking for someone to partner with who will run vegetable production. Right now, we raise Cattle, Hogs, Goats, Chickens and Turkeys. I have plenty on my plate with working off the farm, and running the livestock side, building barns, fixing equipment, etc. We are looking for someone able to take on the vegetable side of the operation, and are open to working out a deal to benefit everyone.  This would be a great opportunity for someone who doesn't have land, but wants to farm. For more information, contact Jim at [email protected].


OPPORTUNITY FOR NEW FARMERS

Antiquity Oaks LLC assists new and aspiring Central Illinois farmers, whether they want to have a market garden, grow mushrooms, produce honey or maple syrup, or raise animals for meat, milk, or fiber. In addition to having classes and internship programs, we will have partnership opportunities for those with education and experience who want to start their own farm businesses on our farmland.  For more information, read more here and contact [email protected]

SEEKING EXPERIENCED FARMER/FARM FAMILY FOR 500 ACRE DIVERSIFIED FARM ON THE GARDEN PENINSULA OF UPPER MICHIGAN

The farm is located in Delta County near Garden, MI.   There is an updated four bedroom house on the property. 

The local school is excellent, and there is good hunting and fishing nearby.  
We are looking for an experienced farmer to care for the land, woods, animals, buildings, and equipment as if they were their own.  The farm includes cattle, chickens, fruit, grain crops, and syrup trees. For a detailed list of responsibilities, contact [email protected].

 

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Thank you to all the sponsors, donors, and supporters that make the daily operations and programs of The Land Connection possible. We couldn't do it without you!
               


          


   









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