by Elliot Brinkman, Executive Director of Prairie Rivers Network I remember the feeling well–it sat in the pit of my stomach, somewhere between dread and panic. I’m sure many of you felt it, too, when, in early spring, you arrived at the grocery store to find aisles packed with people, and once fully-stocked shelves decimated. […]
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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 […]
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 […]
Artisan Cup & Fork 2020 – Event Recap
For three Thursdays spanning late September into October, 150 of Champaign-Urbana’s food lovers visited a restaurant in town for a dinner curbside pick-up style. While this wasn’t how we envisioned our annual Artisan Cup & Fork taking place, it’s what the year of COVID brought to us. Reflecting on the experience and reading the many […]
4th Annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day – Recap
The 4th Annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day is officially in the books! Yes, things were a bit different this year, and sure, we ran into some challenges, but it was all worth it to be able to talk cultivation and mechanical weed control for even just a few hours this September. Instead of […]
