Program Supports Year-Round Food Access Initiatives in the C-U Community [Español] (Champaign, Illinois) Beginning January 30, 2021, Champaign-Urbana farmers markets will launch a Universal LINK Match Program as part of the LINK Up Illinois network, a SNAP incentive program administered by Experimental Station in Chicago and funded in part by the USDA. The Land Connection, […]
SARE is Here to Help Local Farmers
by Doug Gucker, State Co-coordinator, Illinois SARE Looking for the latest research information on sustainable farming? Needing a grant to fund needed farmer-driven research to solve a current problem in your sustainable food production? If you are, then the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program is here to help you with timely research information […]
The Role of Farmers Markets in These Uncertain Times
by Lisa Bralts, Vice-President of The Land Connection’s Board of Directors Central Illinois’ 2020 growing and market seasons, like those everywhere else, found themselves perched unsteadily on top of a global pandemic. Farmers and eaters here rose, unsurprisingly, to the occasion – attendance at C-U’s weekly markets (TLC’s own Champaign Farmers Market on Tuesdays and […]
Can I roast My Own Coffee Too?
by Joseph Wetzel, Board President As an amateur coffee roaster, this is the question that I most often receive after delivering a small bag of “Wetz’s Coffee.” The answer is yes. When moving to Champaign in 2014, I wanted to start a new hobby. In my close group of friends, each one of them is […]
Kid’s Kits Week 6 – Happy Halloween with Pumpkin Carrot Bread!
The holiday season is all about family, no matter what you observe or believe in, and no matter the size, shape, or composition of your tribe. From October through the middle of January, there is something in the autumn air that brings people together, it seems. Or, maybe it’s just the threat of a chill […]
Your Tree-Torial on the Upcoming Champaign County Forest Preserve District Referendum
by Sarah Livesay, Vice President, Champaign County Forest Preserve District Since opening its doors in 1948, the Champaign County Forest Preserve District (CCFPD) has not received a voter-approved increase in its property tax rate, attesting to its outstanding stewardship of taxpayers’ money. In the mid-1990s, the Forest Preserve’s budget for construction and maintenance projects was […]