Illinois 4-H names 2023 winners

Nobody works harder than a 4-H volunteer or a 4-H member, and the Illinois 4-H Alumni Association has recognized several individuals with its 2023 awards. The winners will be honored Aug. 11-13, during the Illinois State Fair. Here’s a look:

Illinois 4-H Family Spirit Award. The Hugh Moore Jr. family, originating in Jersey County, Ill.

Illinois 4-H Alumni Award. Craig Pessman, a Whiteside County 10-year 4-H alum from Champaign, Ill.; and Charlie Durbin, a Fayette County nine-year 4-H alum from St. Peter, Ill.

Illinois 4-H Young Alumni Award. Blake Hennenfent, a Knox County 11-year 4-H alum from Gilson, Ill.; and Codie Koester, a Jo Daviess County 10-year 4-H alum from Shullsburg, Wis.

North-Central Region 4-H Salute to Excellence Lifetime Volunteer Award. Jerry Hicks, Sangamon County 4-H alum

In addition to these award winners, Ctrl-Z Robotics Team of Champaign County, Ill., was recently named the world champion robotics team at the First World Robotics Championships, held in Houston this spring. Other Illinois teams also qualified to compete internationally: Metal Cow Robotics of McLean County, Binary Bullets of Knox County, and Super Scream Bros of Macon County.

Most of Illinois still unusually dry

Illinois state climatologist Trent Ford says the next week shows continued drier weather with only a few chances of rainfall, and near to above-normal temperatures. “Without significant rain in the next week, conditions will likely worsen, and more drought impacts may occur,” he says.

Outside of a few areas of heavy rain, most places have had only 25% to 60% of normal precipitation in the past 30 days, and parts of northeastern and western Illinois have had less than 25% of normal precipitation since the start of May. Chicago had its fourth-driest May on record, and April and May total precipitation in Quincy was the third lowest on record.

The seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service shows some chances of rain across the state, but with totals mostly less than a quarter of an inch. “It is likely the drought conditions will worsen before we see improvement, if we do shift to wetter weather in June,” Ford says.

Meet Illinois Leopold Conservation Award finalists

Three finalists have been selected for the inaugural Illinois Leopold Conservation Award, given in honor of Aldo Leopold to farmers, ranchers and landowners in 27 states in recognition of their dedication to land, water and wildlife habitat in their care. The winner will be announced at the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill., Aug. 29-31, and will receive a $10,000 prize. The award is presented by IL Corn, Illinois Soybean Association, Sand County Foundation and American Farmland Trust. The finalists are:

Frey Family Farms. Located near Dahlgren in Hamilton County, Dennis and Jackie Frey have planted more than 20,000 trees, and created wetland areas to refurbish groundwater supplies and provide wildlife and beneficial insect pollinator habitat. Cover crops and no-till practices are used on corn and soybean fields to reduce erosion, increase biological activity, sequester carbon and retain moisture. Dennis has served as a member and chairman of the local soil and water conservation district for more than 25 years.

Rademacher Farms. Located near Gifford in Champaign County, Frank and Eric Rademacher have adopted a crop production system that uses no-till practices and roller-crimped cover crops before corn and soybean crops to improve water quality and soil health. High-biomass cover crops provide weed control and prevent runoff. The Rademachers offer outreach to other farmers and policymakers to explain how conservation practices allow them to maximize profit while minimizing environmental impact.

Jean Stewart. Located near Rossville in Vermilion County, Stewart has used no-till practices on his farmland for the past 36 growing seasons to improve soil health, prevent erosion and reduce diesel costs. In addition to being an early adopter of cover crops to increase soil fertility, he grows alfalfa to improve soil health on fields that had long been in a rotation of corn and soybeans. He installed buffer strips and terraces to control soil and water erosion, and has served as a drainage district commissioner for 15 years.

Dairy donates thousands of pounds of milk

In early June, the Illinois Milk Producers Association donated nearly 10,000 pounds of milk, including lactose-free, to local food banks. Made in partnership with Prairie Farms, the donation included 2,088 half-gallon containers of milk and 396 half-gallon containers of lactose-free milk to the Central Illinois Foodbank and the Eastern Illinois Foodbank.

“We know that many families are struggling with food insecurity amid rising prices at the grocery store,” says Don Mackinson, IMPA president. “Everyone deserves access to fresh, nutritious food, which is why Illinois dairy farmers wanted to find a new way to support our communities.”