2011 Plan of Work Summary
Two significant transitions are occurring in 2011 for NCR-SARE PDP efforts in Illinois. These involve the SARE Coordinator position and the reorganization of University of Illinois Extension. Richard Weinzierl, Professor of Entomology and Extension Specialist in the Department of Crop Sciences, began serving as the state’s SARE Coordinator in February, 2011. He replaces Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant; she filled this role from 1994 until the end of 2010. University of Illinois Extension has reorganized and established several new positions devoted to local food systems and small farms. As result, a significant effort in the 2011 Plan of Work is devoted to increasing the knowledge and experience levels of our Extension educators (and concurrently other educators and agricultural professionals) in a range of topics essential to scaling up local foods.
The three professional development initiatives in the 2011 Illinois SARE PDP State Plan of Work (POW) are:
(1) scaling up local foods
(2) increasing the efficiency of organic production
(3) developing EQIP 595 statewide standards for integrated pest management
For all these initiatives, programs will focus on providing professional development opportunities for a wide range of educators – University of Illinois Extension staff, USDA NRCS employees, and nonprofit organizations committed to sustainable agriculture programming. We also plan to target a new audience for our programs in 2011 and the future – high school and community college agriculture teachers.