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"Illinois farmers are good environmental stewards," Blagojevich
said. "The care they take to protect their land and water has
made them among the most productive and efficient producers in
the world. These grants will help ensure our agriculture
industry practices the most modern production and conservation
techniques and our natural resources are preserved for future
generations of farmers." The grants will fund eight
on-the-farm or university research projects and five educational
outreach programs. Topics to be studied include the effect of
drainage water management on nitrogen and phosphorous movement,
land application systems for swine manure, the use of winter
cover crops in organic farming, and vermicomposting, a method of
recycling food and yard waste using worms.
"Market conditions are causing many farmers to re-evaluate
their operations, and the research funded through this program
can help them make informed decisions," Agriculture Director
Chuck Hartke said. "The quality and diversity of the projects
selected this year is quite impressive."
The Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program was established in
1996 as part of the Conservation 2000 program to research and
implement methods of production that protect natural resources
without sacrificing farm profitability.
The complete list of grant recipients is below. For
additional information, contact the Illinois Department of
Agriculture, Bureau of Land and Water Resources, P.O. Box 19281,
Springfield, IL 62794, or call (217) 782-6297.
The governor's Opportunity Returns regional economic
development strategy is the most aggressive, comprehensive
approach to creating jobs in Illinois' history. Since a
one-size-fits-all approach to economic development just doesn't
work, the governor has divided the state into 10 regions, each
with a regional team that is empowered and expected to rapidly
respond to opportunities and challenges.
Opportunity Returns is about tangible, specific actions to
make each region more accessible, more marketable, more
entrepreneurial and more attractive to businesses. It is about
upgrading the skills of the local work force, increasing the
access to capital, opening new markets, improving
infrastructure, and creating and retaining jobs. Opportunity
Returns is about successfully partnering with companies and
communities, both large and small, to help all of Illinois reach
its economic potential.
[to top of second column] |
 Fiscal 2006 Sustainable Agriculture Grant recipients
(Recipient; project; amount)
-
Growing Home Inc.,
Chicago -- Four Seasons Food Growing Project, $23,000
-
Brown County Soil and
Water Conservation District, Mount Sterling -- Effect of
Drainage Water Management on Nitrogen and Phosphorous Movement,
Crop Growth and Development, and Crop Yield, $7,167
-
Central Illinois
Agricultural Research Farms Inc., Springfield -- Using Yard
Waste Compost in Sustainable Agriculture, $16,000
-
Mike Vincent, Hull --
Okra, a Potential New Oilseed for Illinois, $10,000
-
CSA Learning Center;
The Land Connection, Caledonia -- Illinois Farm Beginnings:
Preparing Farmers for a New Illinois Food System, $25,000
-
Illinois Agriculture
in the Classroom, Bloomington -- Sustainable Agriculture in the
Classroom, $24,940
-
Two Rivers RC & D,
Pittsfield -- Agricultural Diversity in the Two Rivers Area,
$7,580
-
Illinois Grassland
Conservation Initiative, Breese -- Forage Management in
Illinois, $15,000
-
Earth Partners,
Champaign -- Learning About Sustainable Agriculture Using
Science, Math and Reading Lessons for K-12 Grade Teachers,
$11,830
-
University of
Illinois Board of Trustees, Office of Sponsored Programs and
Research Administration, Champaign -- Determining Occurrence and
Distribution of Viruses Causing Cucurbit Diseases in Illinois,
$22,393
-
Southern Illinois
University, Carbondale -- Sustainable Vegetable Crop Production
Using Vermicomposted Flood Wastes from SIUC Campus Cafeterias,
$18,590
-
Illinois State
University, Normal -- Evaluation of Land Application Systems for
Swine Manure to Reduce Non-Point Source Pollution, $25,000
-
University of
Illinois Board of Trustees Office of Sponsored Programs and
Research Administration, Champaign -- Transition to Organic
Systems: How to Improve the Use of Winter Cover Crops to Enhance
Nitrogen Cycling and Reduce Nitrate Leaching, $23,500
Total $230,000
[News release]
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