Farm Finance and Composting Events
It's beautiful out... makes you want to visit a farmers market, yes?
In This Issue
• Today’s Chicago Region Farmers Markets (It’s Going to Be a Lovely Day)
• Liberty Prairie/Compeer Webinar on Farm Business Finance June 24
• U of I Compost Collection Event in Park Forest June 26
Today’s Chicago Region Farmers Markets
Accuweather.com forecast: Mostly sunny and delightful, high 73
Weather.com forecast: Sunny, high 71
(* denotes season opening market)
In Chicago
Andersonville Farmers Market, 1500 W. Catalpa Ave., Chicago, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Garfield Ridge Farmers Market, 6072 S. Archer Ave., Chicago, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Green City Wednesday Market, 1817 N. Clark St., Chicago, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Ravenswood Farmers Market, 4900 N. Damen Ave., Chicago, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Uptown Farmers Market, W. Wilson Ave. & Broadway, Chicago, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
In the Suburbs
Elmhurst Farmers Market, 541 S. York St., Elmhurst, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
* Northbrook Farmers Market, 1975 Cherry Lane, Northbrook, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Palos Heights Farmers Market, 12217 S. Harlem Ave., Palos Heights, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Ravinia Farmers Market, Jen Jensen Park, Highland Park, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Riverside Farmers Market, 10 Pine Ave., Riverside, 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Click links below to find other regional markets at:
Illinois Farmers Market Association
Indiana Grown
Michigan Farmers Market Association
Wisconsin Farmers Market Association
Upcoming Nonprofit Events
If you aspire to own a farm and want expert advice on whether the time is right, don’t miss Liberty Prairie Foundation’s free webinar on June 24 at 6:30 p.m. central. Here is Liberty Prairie’s description of the event… click below to register:
How do you know whether your financial health makes it smart to buy your first farm or whether you’d be better off leasing a little longer? On June 24, we are hosting Paul Dietmann of Compeer Financial to present the resources and frameworks you need to personally and wisely answer this question in a free webinar from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Paul will be introducing you to the basic tools of farm business finance – your balance sheet, cash flow analysis, and business plan – and then explain how those tools can help you think through what your best approach would be. He’ll also share the financial pros and cons of buying vs. leasing so you have a good general framework for making your decision. You’ll learn, too, about different farm purchase mortgage options, like FSA loans, and their advantages and disadvantages. There will be plenty of time to ask questions of Paul as well.
The free online workshop is on Thursday, June 24, from 6:30 - 8:00pm. You can view the attached flyer or click this LINK to go straight to the registration page.
Paul Dietmann is Senior Lending Specialist on the Diversified Markets team at Compeer Financial, a member-owned rural lending cooperative and Farm Credit System institution serving Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Paul and his colleague, Sai Thao, provides loans and technical assistance to farmers who market their products through local food systems. Prior to joining the staff at Compeer, Paul spent 16 years with the State of Wisconsin; eleven years as a county agriculture agent with the University of Wisconsin-Extension and five years as director of the Wisconsin Farm Center.
He is co-author of the books Fearless Farm Finances: Farm Financial Management Demystified and Financial Risk Management for Specialty Crop Farmers, and author of Turning Grain Into Dough: Farm Financial Management for Organic Grain and Crop Rotation.
University of Illinois Extension is hosting the latest event in its Community Compost Collection Series in south suburban Park Forest on June 26 from 7 a.m. to noon central. The event takes place in the parking lot at Forest Boulevard and Liberty Drive, and households are invited to drop off their yard, garden and kitchen waste and pick up finished compost to improve their soil. Here is Illinois Extension’s description (no registration necessary):
“With 40% of food being wasted each year, we want provide our residents opportunities to reduce food waste and divert it from landfills,” explains Carrie Malfeo, Sustainability Coordinator for the Village of Park Forest. “This event will encourage businesses and residents to participate in a personal food waste audit, learn about the harmful impacts of methane gas produced by organic waste in landfills and the benefits of returning food scraps to the earth.”
“These community compost collection events are a way to make composting accessible for all” adds Nancy Kreith, Extension Horticulture Educator for Cook County. “Not everyone has a time or space to compost at home, so we’re excited to provide this alternative. At the event we will also demonstrate various home composting techniques such as using a worm bin indoors. Worm bins, or vermiculture, requires less time and space and is a good entry point for someone just getting started with composting.”
To keep compostable material such as yard waste and kitchen scraps out of the landfill, University of Illinois Extension in Cook County is partnering with the Village of Park Forest to host a Community Compost Collection on June 26 from 7 a.m to noon. Households are invited to drop off their yard, garden, and kitchen waste to be composted and pick up finished compost to use to improve your soil. Help us reach our goal of collecting 5 tons of compostable material and enter a drawing to win a home composting bin.
Accepted materials: grass clippings, leaves, landscape waste, and kitchen scraps such as eggshells, vegetable skins and stems.
Not accepted materials: branches over 2” diameter, products containing oil, dressings, dairy, produce stickers, meat and bones.
Social distancing and face coverings required to participate in these FREE events. Finished compost and other free surprise giveaways are first come first served.
“By diverting organic waste materials from landfills and recycling it into compost we protect our environment by reducing the amount of methane gas released in to the air,” says Kathryn Pereira, Extension Local Food Systems and Small Farms Educator for Cook County. “Food scraps, leaves, and grass clippings can be transformed into compost, a valuable resource used to enrich our soils.”
For those who cannot attend the event, composting may still be an option through their local trash provider, private service, or by starting a compost pile. Our fourth event in the series will be held July 24 in Homewood. To learn more, download Composting 101, in English or Spanish.
ABOUT EXTENSION: Illinois Extension leads public outreach for University of Illinois by translating research into action plans that allow Illinois families, businesses, and community leaders to solve problems, make informed decisions, and adapt to changes and opportunities.
If you have questions about our Community Compost Collection events, please contact Sarah at 217-300-8636 or sbatka@illinois.edu.