Heads Up: Soil Health Week Coming in March
Apply with Illinois Stewardship Alliance to present an event or workshop
Apply by 2/9 to Share Your Soil Health Story
Maintaining or restoring soil health is central to ensuring a sustainable food supply. It is at the heart of the rising interest in regenerative agriculture practices — including carbon sequestration to combat climate change — and there is much scientific evidence that healthy soils produce healthier, more nutrient-dense foods.
To engage more public interest and support on this topic, Illinois Stewardship Alliance is holding its 3rd annual Soil Health Week from March 4 through 10. And they are seeking maximum community participation by soliciting applications for events and workshops to be presented during Soil Health Week.
Applications may be completed by February 9. Here are the details from the Alliance:
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You, your idea, your farm, or your organization could be front and center at the upcoming annual Soil Health Week!
The application is now open for you to propose an event, workshop, speaker, screening, field day, or anything you dream up to celebrate one of our state’s most precious resources: our soil.
Whether it's a virtual presentation or a field day exploring soil health practices, we invite you to submit your idea.
2023 marked the second annual Soil Health Week and the first time the power was in your hands to host an event.
Last year, 18 different partners hosted 24 events during the week.
Soil enthusiasts had the opportunity to attend in-person and virtual farm tours, dive deep into climate discussions, and hear from experts across the U.S. on why soil should be protected and celebrated.
Due to the success of the 2022 Soil Health Week, we knew that we had to keep this new tradition going by again giving you the opportunity to bring your soil ideas to the table and make Soil Health Week a powerful celebration that reaches even more audiences across the state.
What do you need in order to host an event during Soil Health Week?
An event idea! Events may be virtual or in-person. Perhaps a presentation on a topic relating to soil health or climate change, a coffee chat to discuss best practices, an invite to a farm tour/field day, or something else entirely.
Propose a date and time during March 4-10. Weekend dates may also be considered. You may need to be flexible to accommodate multiple events.
Have a location in mind (online or in-person).
Proposals are due on February 9.
If your event is given the green light for Soil Health Week, here’s what you can expect to receive as a host:
A unique online registration form for your event you can share widely
Support for marketing your event and adding your event to the Soil Health Week Event Calendar
A marketing toolkit complete with tips and template copy to promote your event
Your logo and social media handles will be added to Soil Health Week material
Learn more and submit your proposal here. If you'd like to discuss your idea first or brainstorm possible partners, please reply to the email address below and I will put you in touch with the Soil Health Coordinator.
Looking forward to celebrating Soil Health Week with you!
Liz Rupel
Lead Organizer
Bob’s World, and Welcome to It
Today is the last full day of autumn. Alas, we’re into a cloudy stretch with a forecast of intermittent rain (“I’m dreaming of a wet Christmas…”), so it may be hard for me to capture the first sunrise and sunset photos of winter. Just in case, here’s a record of my last photos of a spectacular fall sunset.