‘We’re Very Grateful’: For Some Farmworkers, U.S. Work Visas Provide Opportunity For Vaccination
On a recent Saturday, white vans shuttled small groups of migrant farmworkers from the southern Illinois orchard where they work to St. Joseph’s…
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One-Dose Vaccine Is Easier And Quicker For Farmworkers, But Some States Fear Backlash
Some states are saying they won’t use Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine to immunize vulnerable, harder-to-reach populations, including…
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Midwest Can Tackle Farm Nitrogen Pollution Without Sacrificing Crops, Study Shows
Many researchers have looked at nitrogen pollution hotspots around the country. But a new first-of-its-kind, multi-year study from the University of…
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Home Gardeners Are Driving Up Demand For Seeds, And Seed Companies Can’t Keep Up
Steve Larimore was hoping to triple the size of his garden this year. Once the seed catalog arrived at his home near Bend, Ore., Larimore excitedly got…
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More Farmers Are Planting Cover Crops Thanks To State Incentive Programs
Last month, the Illinois Department of Agriculture opened applications for its second annual Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program — which provides a…
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‘It Was An Incredible Experience’: U of I Professor Tapped By Biden Administration To Transition USDA
URBANA – A University of Illinois professor helped the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) transition from the Trump to the new Biden-Harris administration. Jonathan Coppess is one of hundreds of people — including researchers, professors and scientists — who volunteered their time on the effort. Coppess, an assistant professor within the U of I’s agriculture…
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Sen. Tammy Duckworth Asks Biden Administration To ‘Restore’ Renewable Fuel Standard
A group of senators is pushing the incoming Biden-Harris administration to “restore” the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) — a program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by requiring oil refineries to blend in a minimum volume of biofuels. Under the Trump administration, oil refineries were granted numerous waivers for meeting that requirement. Critics argue the…
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A Third Of Champaign County Health Care Workers Declined The Vaccine, Health Officials Say
URBANA – Despite more Champaign County residents becoming eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, one-third of health care personnel in the county still aren’t vaccinated due to their own concerns about the vaccine, according to the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District (CUPHD). Champaign County is currently in the middle of Phase 1b of its vaccine rollout…
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Farmworkers Who Help Put Food On American Tables Struggle To Afford It Themselves
It’s been a tough year for essential workers — nurses, first responders, grocery store workers. But among the hardest hit are agricultural workers, who have been working non-stop to keep food on our tables while struggling to make ends meet themselves. Organizations like the Farmworker & Landscaper Advocacy Project (FLAP) are trying to help by…
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Midwest Hemp Is Still Getting Its Footing, But Growers Aren’t Giving Up Yet
Hemp is a hard crop to grow — just ask Jay Kata. “We were filthy and we were dirty and we were sweaty and it sucked and it was hot and it was miserable…
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Lawsuit Alleges Farmworkers Sickened After Pesticide Exposure
In late July 2019, a group of migrant farmworkers from south Texas was working in a cornfield in DeWitt County, Ill., when suddenly a crop duster flew…
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Biden’s Win Leaves Farmers Less Optimistic About The Future
In October, Purdue University’s Ag Economy Barometer recorded its highest-ever index, meaning farmers were at an all-time high level of optimism….
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Food Insecurity Disproportionately Affects Certain Regions, U Of I Study Shows
URBANA – Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of food insecurity were lower than they had been in more than two decades, according to hunger relief nonprofit Feeding America. Now that trend is reversing, and millions more Americans are facing hunger this year due to loss of employment and reduced access to school meals. Feeding America…
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Food Banks Brace For Cold Weather, Holiday Season
URBANA – Since March, Eastern Illinois Foodbank has distributed almost nine million pounds of food. At this point last year, that number was just over seven million pounds. And demand isn’t slowing down. “The volume of food that we’ve been putting out has definitely changed because of the pandemic,” says Molly Delaney, Vice President of Development…
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Farm Tools Were Designed For Men. That’s A Problem For The Increasing Number Of Female Farmers.
Dusty Spurgeon is proud to be a female farmer. She and her mother-in-law, Eloise, run Spurgeon Veggies, a small vegetable farm located in Rio, Illinois….
