Producers, students donate pork

The Illinois Pork Producers Association and the Illinois Central College Agri-Business Club recently teamed up to provide the college’s food pantry with a donation of 100 pounds of ground pork. Pork Power is a donation program made possible by contributions from Illinois pig farmers, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and Illinois Soybean Association Checkoff Program.

IPPA matched the student donations the Agri-Business Club collected to purchase ground pork from Chenoa Locker Inc.

“We realize there are many college students who are struggling to make ends meet. Many students hold a job, or jobs, trying to support their families,” says Grant Grebner, ICC agriculture professor. “Our ag students want to help where they can. Providing a quality source of pork to the ICC food pantry seems like a good fit.”

Since its inception in 2008, Pork Power has generated more than 625,000 pounds of pork — enough for nearly 2.4 million meals — for families throughout Illinois. Pork, soybean and corn farmers commit funds from their respective checkoff programs to support this campaign. Illinois pig farmers are proud to help their neighboring communities.

For more information and a list of food pantry hours, visit the pantry website.

American Agri-Women Convention in Springfield

The 2018 American Agri-Women Convention is taking place Nov. 15-18 at Wyndham City Centre in Springfield, Ill. 

Members and nonmembers are welcome. Single-day registrations are available, as are guest and student registrations.

The annual November convention brings women together for tours, professional development sessions and speakers. There’s also an annual business meeting for the organization.

American Agri-Women has a history of involving the entire family by often inviting spouses and school-aged children to participate. While convention attendees hear from speakers on Nov. 16, guests will tour Precision Planting and Sinn Turkey Farms at Tremont and the Caterpillar Visitors Center and Museum at Peoria.

Families can also enjoy some local sites like the Festival of Trees at the state fairgrounds, games at the destination store of Scheel’s, and walking tours — even a haunted tour of Springfield one night.

Complete registration information can be found at the Illinois Agri-Women website. Hotel accommodations must be booked through the Wyndham City Centre.

NIU joins U of I System-led Illinois Innovation Network

Northern Illinois University is building a new research center focused on food systems, water resources and environmental change on its far west campus.

The recently announced $22 million Center for Community Sustainability is part of a University of Illinois System-led Innovation Network. It’s the first of four hubs to be built outside of the three-campus system.

The center’s mission, says NIU President Lisa Freeman, is to “create locally based innovative solutions focused on improving food systems and water resource management in a world facing shrinking natural resources.”

“The center will support interdisciplinary research, policy development and public-private partnerships to stimulate economic development and job creation, as well as to attract and develop talent,” Freeman says.

She says the center’s work will be supported by a collaborative partnership between NIU and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as governmental agencies and the private sector.