Godwin Akpan has a dream—a dream to revitalize a struggling community in Central Illinois using specialty vegetables, pastured poultry, and goats.

Akpan is executive director of United Human Services Center (UHSC), a not-for-profit organization that has been operating within Chicago for more than three years. "UHSC caters especially to abused women and involves citizens in gardening activities," he says. "In the summer of 2007, the gardens produced enough vegetables for everyone and to share. Participants learned simple and effective techniques of vegetable production in small spaces, weeding, trellising, and storage of produce."

From this experience, UHSC recognized the need to educate more people in a larger area, so they purchased a 25-acre plot in Pembroke Township—a community about 60 miles south of Chicago in the southeast corner of Kankakee County. A number of the residents are African-American organic farmers.

Through organic farming, Akpan says he hopes to help create a community thatwill improve the general lives of youths and adults in Pembroke Township economically, socially, and educationally.

The interest in organically grown vegetables, herbs, and livestock is growing in Chicago and surrounding cities. The Muslim and Hispanic populations are a particularly strong niche market for goat meat.

With that in mind, Akpan and UHSC intend to develop a mixed-farming operation consisting of livestock and vegetables on a 3- to 5-acre model farm within the 25-acre farm—using the SARE grant to jumpstart his dream. The goal is to have a self-sustaining system in three years.

His plan is to start small and trust nature.

"We'll start with four does and a buck," says Akpan. "Assuming that they are good mothers, they will each produce twins. Half of those are expected to be females, ready to breed in a year."

By the end of the second year, he expects there to be approximately 20 goats in the herd. The males will be sold for meat and the income reinvested in the farm.

Vegetables to be planted in raised beds will include peppers, tomatoes, garlic, greens (turnips, mustard, collard, kale, and Swiss chard), okra, sweet potatoes, peanuts, and various herbs. Plans also include planting blackberries, blueberries, and peach and apple trees. A major market will be the farmers market in Kankakee. Vendors at the farmers market can buy from the farm and eliminate transportation costs.

Structures on the small farm will be kept to a minimum. A water source will be established by sinking a borehole. Because of the presence of predators, dog- and coyote-proof fencing will be erected on two of the acres. A simple shed for a goat refuge during adverse weather and pasture poultry hoops will be constructed. Additionally, a simple set-up for vegetable washing and packing will be located within the farm. Although it will be necessary to purchase some equipment to work the farm, the bigger machinery will be leased as needed.

"The people of Pembroke are organic farmers, and they will learn some simple techniques such as trellising for higher productivity from this project," says James Theuri, Extension educator at the Kankakee County Unit. "

Godwin Akpan will also be an inspirer of younger people to get into farming. A lot of Pembroke people are aging and do not have young farmer entrepreneurs to take on the land after them." Akpan is realizing his dream to bring sustainable agriculture practices to the residents of Pembroke Township - starting small in hopes of benefiting the environment and improving the lives of an underserved population in Central Illinois.

- Debra Levey Larson

New Publication Summarizes Health and Environmental Benefits of Organic Food Production

eOrganic certification group leader Jim Riddle and Bud Markart of the University of Minnesota recently released a 6-page publication entitled What is Organic Food and Why Should I Care? which explains USDA National Organic Program requirements in simplified terms. It also presents footnoted summaries of scientific studies about the health and environmental benefits of organic food and farming. The full publication is available at: http://www.organicconsumers.org/documents/OrganicFoodhandoutforwebv.2final.pdf

Farmer Grant Writing Workshop
October 26, 2010

The University of Illinois Extension, in collaboration with the Central Illinois Sustainable Farming Network (CISFN), will host a grant writing workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Information will be presented on the basics of grant writing as well as specifics on grants available through the NCR SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program and the Illinois Department of Agriculture (AgriFIRST, Specialty Crop Grant Program and the C-2000 Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program). Online registration is available at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/ or by calling Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at 217-968-5512 by October 25. Cost is $15 (there is no charge for CISFN members).

2010 NCR-SARE Youth & Youth Educator Grant Call for Proposals is now available

These grants are a part of the Farmer Rancher Grant Program. Their purpose is to provide opportunities for youth in the North Central Region to learn more about Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is good for the environment, profitable, and socially responsible. A total of approximately $34,000 is available for this program.
There are two options:

1. YOUTH GRANTS. These grants are for on-farm research, demonstration, or education projects by youth ages 8-18. Research and demonstration projects are for hands-on efforts to explore Sustainable Agriculture issues and practices. Education projects can involve teaching others about Sustainable Agriculture or attending a Sustainable Agriculture conference, workshop, or camp. $400 maximum.
2. YOUTH EDUCATOR GRANTS. These are grants for educators to provide programming on sustainable agriculture for youth. $2,000 maximum.

Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal at http://www.northcentralsare.org/Grants/Types-of-Grants/Youth-and-Youth-Educator-Grant-Program.

Proposals are due by 4:30 pm, Friday, January 14, 2011 at the NCR-SARE office in Jefferson City, MO.

2010 NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals is now available

Farmers and ranchers in the North Central Region are invited to submit grant proposals to explore sustainable agriculture solutions to problems on the farm or ranch. Proposals should show how farmers and ranchers plan to use their own innovative ideas to explore sustainable agriculture options and how they will share project results. Sustainable agriculture is good for the environment, profitable, and socially responsible.

Projects should emphasize research or education/demonstration. Grants can range from $6,000 for individual farmers up to $18,000 for groups of 3 or more farmers. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 50 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region with this call.

Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal at http://www.northcentralsare.org/Grants/Types-of-Grants/Youth-and-Youth-Educator-Grant-Program.

Proposals are due on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. at the NCR-SARE office in Jefferson City, MO.

Potential applicants with questions can contact Joan Benjamin, Associate Regional Coordinator and Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator, at benjaminj@lincolnu.edu or 573-681-5545 or 800-529-1342 or contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, Illinois SARE Coordinator, cvnghgrn@illinois.edu, 217-968-5512. For information about Illinois SARE funded projects, http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/sare/

A hard copy or an emailed copy of the call for proposals is also available by contacting Joan Benjamin. We make slight revisions to our calls for proposals each year, which means it is crucial to use the most recent call for proposals.

NCR-SARE has funded more than 700 farmer rancher grants worth more than $4,300,000 since the inception of this program.

National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference

Join a host of SARE grant recipients plus staff from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program at the largest annual small farm trade show in the United States-The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference. Now in its 18th year, the Conference takes place on Thursday, November 4th through Saturday, November 6th, 2010, in Columbia, Missouri, at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

Can you farm or ranch while protecting the environment, making a profit, and benefiting your community? These speakers say, "Yes!" and will show you how to do it. There will be more than 30 Farmers Forum talks featuring North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant and Youth & Youth Educator Grant recipients. Sessions are 25 to 55 minutes long and run continuously throughout the three-day event. You'll hear about composting, beneficial bees, agroforestry, heritage turkeys, community gardens, local food systems, freshwater shrimp farming, weed control with goats, elderberries, and much more. After the talks, meet the speakers and pick up free sustainable agriculture resources at the SARE Trade Show booths. Call NCR-SARE for Farmers Forum details: 1-800-529-1342.

Choose from 19 one-hour seminars at the show. Don't miss the Financial & Technical Opportunities for Your Farm seminar on Nov. 4 by Lauren Cartwright, NRCS Agricultural Economist, or the Improved Egg Quality seminar on Nov. 5 by Kelly Klober, poultry producer and NCR-SARE grant recipient.

Six short courses give you the opportunity to get in-depth information on topics ranging from sweet potato production to building a parasite resistant sheep flock.

The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference is sponsored by Small Farm Today and sustained by Missouri Department of Agriculture, NCAT-ATTRA, SARE (USDA-NIFA), and Truman State University.

This manual was developed by Heartland Local Food Network, Inc., based on its experience supporting implementation of a LINK program at the Downtown Bloomington Farmers' Market in Bloomington, Illinois. By sharing this information, we hope to make it easier for other markets to achieve the same goal – and to expand access to fresh, healthy food for low-income residents throughout the state of Illinois.

http://www.hlfn.org/LinkGuide.pdf

October 16, 17, 18, & 19
Living Downstream

Illinois screenings of the new documentary that explores the connections between chemicals in our environment (including agricultural chemicals) and cancer.

Visit: http://www.thelandconnection.org/?page_id=169

October 26, 2010
Intro to Organic
Production Workshop

This intensive 3-hour (1:00-4:00 pm), farmer-led workshop will educate both new and current farmers interested in growing and marketing organic products, and the agricultural professionals who work with them.

Location: Dunn-Richmond Economic Development
Center, Carbondale, IL
Visit: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/ag_tours.cfm

January 29, 2011
Creative Approaches to Distribution Partnerships

A comprehensive look at a viable working model of education, marketing and delivery for local food system. Legal structure, bylaws and operating procedures will be shared.

Location: University of Illinois Extension, McLean County Unit Office, Bloomington, Illinois
Visit: http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/events.cfm

Introduction to Pest Management for Season Extension (November 1, 3, 8, 16, and 18)

Learn more about pest management in season extension production systems such as high tunnels by registering for a new webinar series sponsored by the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group, the University of Illinois Extension, and a NCR SARE PDP grant. There will be five 1-2 hour webinars produced on November 1st, 3rd, 8th, 16th, and 18th. The first three webinars will focus on an introduction to pest management in various season extension systems, focusing on tomatoes and winter crops. The last two webinars will be geared toward soil, water, and nutrient management, plus a summary of the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) high tunnel pilot project initiated in 2010.

Pre-registration for this webinar series is mandatory and can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/season_ext. The cost for the series is $30 whether you attend one or all five webinars. Each webinar will be recorded and available on several state IPM or vegetable oriented websites for viewing soon after its original airdate. For people who do not have a broadband connection, we are identifying several sites throughout each state to host the webinar series.

For more informationcontact: Martha Smith, University of Illinois Extension, 309-734-5161, smithma@illinois.edu

Fall 2010 Illinois Small Farm News