Last week we had a great time hanging out at Riggs Brewery, drinking beers and talking soil and nutrient retention with more than 40 of our region’s row crop farmers and farmland owners. The purpose was threefold: Grow your local network of farmers that you can turn to for insight and advice. Learn about the […]
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Starting the Illinois Chapter of the Farmer Veteran Coalition
by Caynan Sherwood, Illinois Farmer Veteran After leaving the military in the fall of 2016 I still wanted to be able to work with the veteran community even though I had no real idea on how to achieve that moving back to Illinois from Washington state. Once back in Illinois, I started to feel distanced […]
What is The IDEA Farm Network?
by Kim Erndt-Pitcher For the past several years The Land Connection has partnered with Prairie Rivers Network and numerous other organizations across the state in an effort to regenerate Illinois’ food system. In fact, that is what we have named our collaborative: ReGenerate Illinois. By using each organization’s unique mission, vision, and resources we are […]
A Peck of Peppers
The beautiful variety of peppers is truly a joy to behold. At least for me. I love working in the pepper area at BlueMoon’s booth at the market because it is the most colorful and appealing section. Seeing the brilliant reds, greens, yellows, chartreuses, purples, blacks, and oranges is almost mesmerizing. There is just so […]
So Many Bunching Greens, So Little Time…
I’ll keep this short because there is a lot of information to get through in this blog. Some of the most common questions I get asked while working for BlueMoon Farm at Urbana’s Market at the Square include “what is the difference between kale and chard?” Or, “which kale is better for __________ ?” Or […]
Sweet Potatoes (Aren’t Yams)
When I was younger, I disliked sweet potatoes for the same reason I disliked many carrot dishes…they were too sweet. I would say “I didn’t like sweet potatoes,” and huff around a bit. What I meant was that I didn’t like them prepared with brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, or any additional sweetness. I just […]








