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Extend Your Farming Knowledge at These Events
Just since yesterday, four excellent farmer training events have come to Local Food Forum's attention. If you are a farmer or know a farmer for whom these courses would be useful, this article is for you.
Kane County, one of the suburban "collar counties" west of Chicago, is the site of a farm learning event that will take place on Thursday, July 25 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
Cover cropping and creating habitat for pollinators are sustainability practices in which many farmers engage, and they are the subjects of "Farmers Field Day: Rowcrops Integrated with Prairie Strips," a collaboration of the Kane County Farm Bureau, Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District, and Iowa State University.
The event will begin at the Kane County Farm Bureau, 2N710 Randall Rd. in St. Charles, then will move on-farm at Prairie Green Preserve, 698 N. Peck Rd. in Geneva.
Registration is open until Monday (July 15). Click the button below for details and important logistical information.
And Kane County is also the site of a brand new Master Urban Farmer Training Program, created by Alexis Barnes (a friend of Local Food Forum), who recently became Extension Educator of Local Food and Small Farms for DuPage, Kane and Kendall counties through University of Illinois Extension.
Here is the information shared by Alexis:
"I am starting a Master Urban Farmer Training Program in Kane County that will be co-taught with Cook County (for reference since Cook has been doing it for a while).
"This is a course meant for aspiring/new/young farmers trying to start a farming operation or gain new ideas for their current practices... Applications open July 8th and will remain open until August 5th. Applicants will be selected after the applications close.
"The fee for the course is $25 once applicants are selected. You do not need to be a Kane County resident to apply, but Cook County applicants should apply here: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1260509130
"Please feel free to have anyone reach out to me with questions, or growers that are located in DuPage, Kane and Kendall. This is a brand-new position for the associated counties and I would like to help the best way I can. Please spread the word that I exist!"
The word is spread, Alexis, good luck with the program.
Click the button below to apply for the Kane County course.
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And — drumroll, please — Illinois Extension Cook County is also accepting applications through August 5 for its Master Urban Farmer Training Program.
The remote (Zoom) learning course will be held for 12 weeks on Monday nights, 6-8 p.m. central from September 23 to December 9, with a field day in south suburban Matteson on Saturday, September 28.
Click the button below for more information.
And finally, University of Illinois Extension Cook County is coordinating with U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service for a Conservation Practices Field Day.
It will be held on Wednesday, July 31 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Star Farm Chicago, an urban farming operation at 5156 S. Carpenter St. and 944 W. 50th Pl. on the city's South Side.
According to the organizers:
"Extension educator Zack Grant, Star Farmer Guadalupe Garcia and founder Stephanie Dunn will explain the conservation practices implemented on their diversified vegetable farm; and speak of their contract experience with the NRCS program.
"Joseph Bridges and Alicia Lozano, reps from the Chicago Urban Ag office, will be on site to meet farmers and answer your questions about applying for these reimbursement programs."
Click below to learn more and register.
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