Illinois Compost Awareness Week is Coming Up Soon
Over 50 Events in Illinois, Plus Other Nonprofit News and Farmers Market Schedule
International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW USA), which is coming up May 4 to 10, is a great opportunity to learn more about why composting is important — or, if you already compost, to engage your acquaintances with this environmentally (and horticulturally) beneficial practice.
The Illinois Food Scrap and Composting Coalition is an active participant in International Compost Awareness Week, with a schedule of more than 50 in-person and virtual events.
According to the organizers: “Sustainable Communities Begin with Compost! is the ICAW theme for 2025. This theme was chosen with the goal of highlighting composting in all kinds of communities at any scale – from backyard home composter, to community composters, to large-scale facilities to all those who recognize the many benefits of using compost on our soils.”
This Local Food Forum article has the details, including links to find the Compost Week events you want to attend.
Illinois Stewardship Alliance to Hold Black Farmers Lobby Day on May 14
Sign Up If You Are a Black Farmer or an Advocate of Supportive Legislation
Illinois Stewardship Alliance — the leading policy advocate for the state's local food and farm community — is organizing a Black Farmers and Growers Lobby Day to take place at the state Capitol in Springfield on Wednesday, May 14 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Says the Alliance, ”The Lobby Day will bring farmers, growers, and partners from all over Illinois together at our state Capitol in Springfield to meet with our legislators and push for the passage of key policies that lift up BIPOC voices in the food and farm space.”
The event, focused on cultivating legislative support for the historically under-represented black farming community, follows on the heels of the Alliance's broader Food and Farm Advocacy Day that took place at the Capitol on April 8.
Details with a link to register are in this Local Food Forum article.
A Week of Fun and Learning Awaits Kids at Liberty Prairie Summer Camp
Also, Reminder about the Organization's May 10 Farm Festival
Liberty Prairie is a non-profit organization, based in the northeast Illinois city of Grayslake, which believes deeply in imparting the values of better-for-people-and-the-planet food to our youngest eaters — while also providing them a fun time in the country.
They are now accepting signups for their Summer Farm Camp, which will provide week-long experiences for children in June and July.
This Local Food Forum article has details with a link to register... and a reminder that Liberty Prairie's Spring Plant Sale and Farm Festival is coming up two weeks from Saturday!
With Last April Market Openings This Weekend, Outdoor Season Will Begin in Earnest
A reminder to check out the Chicago Region Farmers Market schedule, which is pinned to the Local Food Forum website.
This weekend brings the last of the small group of April-opened farmers markets. Thursday is May 1, and the outdoor season will blossom with dozens of openings through June. Click the button to see what you can expect over the next week.
Love seeing more awareness being built around composting—it’s such a powerful way to close the loop locally and reduce waste going to landfills. Initiatives like Compost Awareness Week really help bring these conversations to the forefront.
On a related note, we’ve had great success using natural microbial cultures from TeamOneBiotech in community composting projects. Their solutions help accelerate decomposition and eliminate foul odors, especially when dealing with food scraps or mixed organic waste. It’s been a great support for urban composters and educational garden programs alike.
If anyone’s working on scaling up their composting efforts, their team is super approachable: https://www.teamonebiotech.com/contact-us/
Thanks again for spreading the composting message!