• Go
 

Section Menu

 

Business Past Newsletters

External Address (Url)
 Flash Animation1
To control the size of the flash movie, you can use the property window and replace the description with the width and height in parenthesis. For ex (300, 400)

September, 2009

GRANTS AND OTHER UPDATES ON THE AGRICULTURAL FRONT

In this Issue:

    Specialty Crops; Growers and Consumers
    Agriculture Key Sector Page Launch

Specialty Crops; Growers and Consumers


Illinois is making progress in its effort to increase the production of healthy foods and to connect producers with customers.

In a month when it seems it would take the Hubble telescope to find signs of hope and civility, they can be found in the agricultural sector. That may sound like “surely you jest” news to farmers who have been flooded-out or otherwise deprived of financial security, but stay with me on this. Many of the hopeful signs come from locally driven initiatives, but some flow from the USDA and ARRA.
On July 27th of this year, the Illinois Department of Agriculture External link opens in a new windowissued a news release announcing a $435,000 grant from the UDSA to help specialty crop growers and to make their product more readily available to consumers. Closing date for application was Monday, August 3rd at 4 p.m.

Specialty crop growers and consumers are probably heartened to see the USDA acting on the connection between diversified food availability and good health. It will be interesting to learn how the grants translate into improved competitiveness and availability of specialty crops to consumers.

In a related news item, the USDA released a June 2009 publication entitled Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food - Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress. External link opens in a new window Kudos to USDA for addressing the link between affordability and accessibility to the occurrence of food deserts External link opens in a new window.

You may recall our March 2009 article which showcased community gardens, particularly those in Chicago and surrounding areas. These good folks have continued their efforts on behalf of growers and consumers. If you read through the above mentioned USDA report, you will learn that food deserts affect both urban and rural citizens. In an effort to change those statistics for Chicago residents, GreenNet External link opens in a new window has developed a very useful website to connect residents to all things good and green. Check the site to locate community gardens in the Chicago area.

The University of Illinois Extension External link opens in a new windowhas a great website filled with links to Sustainable Agriculture information, assistance for beginning farmers, Illinois Farm Direct farmer/consumer connections, workshop opportunities, available grants, farmers’ market calendars, and much more.

The 5th National Small Farm Conference External link opens in a new windowis scheduled for September 15th through the 17th in Springfield, IL. The Pre-Conference Short Courses, including grant writing, computer literacy, and start-up challenges, look particularly interesting.

Finally, if you have not had an opportunity to visit a farmers’ market in your area, don’t miss out on the best locally grown food you will ever eat. Please view the links below to connect with a farmers’ market near you. These links also provide information for those seeking marketing venues.


Agriculture Key Sector Page Launch


The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) External link opens in a new window has been working on a statewide initiative to change the image of Agriculture and help supply the talent that it needs. Agriculture has been identified as a Key Sector, referring to industries that have significant job openings or affect the growth of other industries.

Illinois workNet has just recently launched the Agriculture Key Sector Page. The agriculture page is dynamic and customizable with Career Pathways based on the 16 Career Clusters External link opens in a new window, Job Openings, Training Programs, Free Branding Pages, Free Job postings through our partnership with CareerBuilder, and Regional Economic Snapshots displaying real time labor market information (LMI).

In addition to the great resources available on the Agriculture Key Sector Page, organizations such as Vision for Illinois Agriculture, the Farm Business Development Center and the iBIO Institute have partnered up with Illinois workNet to help business owners develop their entrepreneurial skills, students research career options, and communities collaborate.

If you are looking for a way to attract capital, or maybe need support developing a successful family farm enterprise, the Agriculture Key Sector Page is the place for you. With over 2 million page views per month, Illinois worknet showcases your company or organization to the residents of Illinois. Find out how by creating your own free Key Sector Industry Branding Page, click here to learn more.




Fill in the fields below to subscribe.

 
 

Make this website talk:Browse Aloud logo

  • Get Local Information

    Change zip code to view other local promos on this and other pages.

    :     

  • Local Interest
    Area Agency on Aging for Lincolnland, Inc.
    AAALL serves a 12 county area including Cass, Christian, Logan, Menard and Sangamon counties.  Services available are for persons aged 55 and over residing within these counties include employment and training services and services and resources for family caregivers.  Services for persons aged 60 and over include transportation, congregate/home-delivered meals, legal services, case management, home health, Medicare D and Illinois Cares Rx, Ombudsman Program and Elder Abuse information.  For more information please contact 217/787-9234 or 1-800-252-2918.  www.aginglinc.org

  • Area Consignment and Resale Shops
    SPRINGFIELD

    Avenue Thrift Shop
    719 West Jefferson, Springfield
    528-8580
    Women Only
    Monday - Saturday: 10 AM - 6 PM

    The Clothing Connection
    939B Clocktower Drive, Springfield
    787-5665
    Women Only
    Monday - Friday: 10 AM - 4:30 PM
    Saturday 10 AM - 3 PM

    Resale Shop
    2028 South 15th Street, Springfield
    525-0796
    Monday - Friday:  11:30 AM - 5:30 PM
    Saturday: 9:30 AM - 7 PM

    The Salvation Army Thrift Store
    1762 West Wabash, Springfield
    546-1218
    Clothing for all ages
    Monday - Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM

    11th & Jefferson, Springfield
    528-7573
    Monday - Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM

    The Cedar Chest
    3001 West White Oaks Drive, Springfield
    787-9429
    Women & Men
    Monday - Friday: 10 AM - 6 PM
    Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM
    Sunday:  Noon - 5 PM

    GG's Consignment Boutique
    1704 South Sixth, Springfield
    544-4711
    Ladies Only
    Tuesday - Friday:  10:30 AM - 5 PM
    Saturday: 10 AM - 3 PM

    Goodwill Industries
    800 North 10th Street, Springfield
    789-0400
    Clothing for all ages
    Monday - Saturday: 9 AM - 5:30 PM
    Sunday: Noon - 5 PM

    1333 West Wabash, Springfield
    793-3113
    Monday - Saturday: 9 AM - 7 PM
    Sunday: Noon - 6 PM

    2531 North Dirksen Parkway, Springfield
    753-3620
    Monday - Saturday: 9 AM - 7 PM
    Sunday: Noon - 6 PM

    St, Martin De Porres Center
    1725 South Grand East, Springfield
    528-2851
    Clothing for all ages
    Wednesday & Thursday: 9 AM - 11:30 AM
    Saturday: 9 AM - 11 AM
    NO CHARGE FOR CLOTHING
    Food bank available during same hours.

    The Walk In Closet
    1933 West Monroe, Springfield
    241-1663
    Clothing for all ages
    Monday - Friday: 10 AM - 7 PM
    Saturday: 9 AM - 6 PM
    Sunday: Noon - 4 PM

    ROCHESTER

    The Cedar Closet
    130 South Job Silo Center, Rochester
    498-9409
    Women & Men
    Monday - Friday: 10 AM - 6 PM
    Saturday:  9 AM - 5 PM
    Sunday: Noon - 5 PM

    SHERMAN

    Second Time ARound
    271 South Sherman Blvd., Sherman
    496-3338
    Women
    Monday - Friday:  10:30 AM - 6 PM
    Saturday: 10:30 AM - 5 PM

    TAYLORVILLE

    Barely Worn
    121 West Main Cross Street
    824-4161
    Clothing for all ages
    Monday - Friday:  9 AM - 5 PM
    Saturday:  9 Am - 3 PM

    PETERSBURG

    Give and Take Thrift Shop
    100 East Sheridan, Petersburg
    Clothing for all ages
    The 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month:  9 AM - Noon

    LINCOLN

    "New Beginnings"
    201 S. Sangamon, Lincoln
    Second hand items:  clothing, jewelry, furniture and a host of other items
    10AM - 5PM, Monday - Saturday

    Pink Shutter
    114 N. McLean, Lincoln
    Clothing
    9AM - 4:30PM, Monday - Saturday

    Mission Mart
    616 Broadway, Lincoln
    Clothing, furniture
    9AM - 6PM, Monday - Saturday

  • Statewide Interest
    Economic Recovery Resources
    AARA emblem
    To learn about the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and identify projects being funded with taxpayer money, look for this emblem throughout Illinois workNet and on the internet.

    Learn more about the ARRA External link opens in a new window

  • IL Department of Transportation - Economic Recovery Information

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) includes $48 billion for transportation infrastructure consisting of highways and bridges, mass transit, rail and aviation.

    The transportation system in Illinois is at a crossroads, and is in need of the additional federal funds provided by the ARRA. ARRA funds will be utilized to support safer transportation systems, address environmental concerns, offset the erosion of the construction dollar, address the crippling levels of congestion/delay and meet the transportation demands of the future.

    In order to access the first half of the highway stimulus funds coming to Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has identified projects that can be awarded quickly to put people to work in the construction industry and to utilize the upcoming construction season. While the list of projects is larger than expected in the first wave of funding, it will allow Illinois to be in a position to spend any funds redistributed from other states.

    Click here External link opens in a new window to get more information and see a list of projects.


  •
    Is Your Business Positioned to Grow?
    IEN Banner Is your business positioned to grow with just a little help from people with know-how and the right connections? If so, the Illinois Entrepreneurship Network (IEN), the umbrella for all Illinois' small business services, can give you that help.  IEN helps you cut through the tangle of resources and find the ones you need to achieve your goals. This one seamless system makes it easy for you to to accelerate your company's growth.

    Visit the IEN website External link opens in a new window today.

  • Looking for the Official Business Link to the U.S. Government?
    Business.gov logo Business.gov provides quick and easy access to business laws, government regulations, forms and agency contacts.

    Visit the Business.gov External link opens in a new windowwebsite today.

  • Low Income Energy Efficient Residential Retrofit Program

    More than $213,000 in grants will help existing low-income homeowners replace items such as refrigerators, furnaces, lighting, dishwashers and air conditioners with energy-efficient models.

    Legislation approved last year created funding for programs and incentives through money from ComEd and Ameren to reduce electrical energy usage and demand by company customers.

    Click here External link opens in a new window to learn who is eligible and  how the process works.


  •
    Mentoring and Volunteerism as a Dropout Prevention Strategy
    Tutor/Mentor Connection In many of our schools, half or more of high school students do not graduate, let alone leave high school prepared to fully participate in civic life. 

    Businesses have an opportunity to get more personally involved in the lives of students in high poverty neighborhoods with failing schools to help end this crisis. 

    Learn more at the Tutor/Mentor Connection External link opens in a new window.

  • Register Your Company with Buy Illinois.Net
    Buy Illinois Logo The "Buy Illinois" initiative is a statewide series of regional trade fairs, procurement workshops and training programs designed to stimulate more in-state, business-to-business commerce and increase the self-sufficiency of the Illinois economy.

    Register your company at the Buy Illinois External link opens in a new windowwebsite.

  • The U.S. Economic Census
    U.S. Economic Census Logo The Economic Census profiles American business every 5 years, from the national to the local level. Detailed information provided by geographic area, zip code, and industry.

    Visit the U.S. Economic Census External link opens in a new windowto increase your knowledge of the business climate.

Footer

Copyright © 2006 - 2009 Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

Illinois workNet Centers are an equal opportunity employer/program. At Illinois workNet Centers, auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice telephone numbers on this website may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment by calling TTY (800) 785-6055 or 711.