217 Today: Collard enthusiasts are using science and preservation to lift up rare varieties of the leafy green

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DeZha Smith, at 21-year-old farmer from north St. Louis, surveys dozens of collard green plants at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St. Louis, Ill. The plants are part of a study examining the roots of heirloom varieties of collards.
  • Photo: Brian Munoz / St. Louis Public Radio

Friday, December 27, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • Next year, state officials will start working on a plan to allow residents to use a digital copy of their driver’s licenses and I-Ds on their cell phones.
  • The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is collecting the trees to be used as fish habitat in local lakes.
  • Starting today, Memorial Health hospitals in Decatur, Jacksonville, Lincoln, Springfield and Taylorville are implementing temporary visitor restrictions.
  • There’s a new Illinois law on the books addressing student discipline in non-public schools.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn how collard enthusiasts and scientists use science and preservation to lift rare varieties of the leafy green.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Jim Meadows, Mawa Iqbal, Reginald Hardwick and Kate Grumke.

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.