07 Feb 2022 “Community Impact Grant” Recipient – University of Illinois Extension
The goal of the Clinton County Farm Bureau’s 2nd annual “Community Impact Grant” program was to create partnerships with other groups and organizations for projects that would improve our communities. For 2022, the Clinton County Farm Bureau awarded a total of $5,000 to six (6) groups to assist with these types of community projects. This edition’s featured recipient is the University of Illinois Extension’s Horticulture Educator and Master Gardeners.
The Extension was awarded $500 to develop Hydroponic Table-Top Displays. Extension staff and Master Gardeners utilized the displays with schools, FFA chapters, and 4-H youth to illustrate the process of producing their own kits while learning about food production.
Horticulture Educator Christina Lueking said, “The completed project included 2 tabletop hydroponic systems that included new seed pods for each system. The project also had an educational component of planting and labeling each of the herbs planted in raised bed containers at both the Clinton and Marion County Extension offices. Each raised bed had labels that included QR codes linked to a website for more plant care information and recipes on how to use the fresh herbs. The demonstration tabletops were also taken to local events and fresh lettuce and herbs were harvested to donate to local senior centers. Fresh herbs in grocery stores are currently at a higher price point and may be limited if seniors have a limited food budget.”
2022 was the 2nd year for the Clinton County Farm Bureau’s “Community Impact Grant Program”. The grant program had a great response this year, receiving seven (7) applications that requested over $17,000 in funding. With a total of $5,000 budgeted for the program, the Farm Bureau could only fund portions of many of the projects that were awarded this year. In the program’s inaugural year (2021), the Clinton County Farm Bureau awarded a total of $1,950 in Community Grants to two organizations.
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- Herbs and other produce started in the hydroponic display were then transplanted to raised garden beds at the Extension offices in Clinton and Marion Counties.
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- Christina Lueking used the tabletop hydroponic display to introduce new technologies and answer questions about a new way to produce food locally at the “Kids Day” event in Marion County.– Christina Lueking used the tabletop hydroponic display to introduce new technologies and answer questions about a new way to produce food locally at the “Kids Day” event in Marion County.
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- Clinton CFB officers Mark Litteken (L) and Ray Krausz (R) presented Extension Horticulture Educator Christina Lueking with a $500 check and signage for their 2022 “Community Impact Grant”.
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