Center for Agrarian Learning Past Workshops and Events

• 2022
  • 2/12/2022 Hemp Today! Growing and Marketing Industrial Hemp – The half-day event featured seven speakers, mostly farmers, providing detailed information on the production and marketing of CBD, fiber, and grain varieties and experts providing state and federal regulatory updates.
  • 2/14/2022 Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference - An annual event organized by U of I Extension in Lake/McHenry and Jo Daviess/Stephenson/Winnebago counties.
  • 2/24/22 Farming and Funding Opportunities for Northern IL Producers - Offered in partnership with MC Soil and Water, MC Farm Bureau, U of I Extension Lake/McHenry, Kane County, and the Farm Foundation. The half-day event was geared toward larger-scale farmers interested in grants, conservation, and other programs.
  • 4/12/2022 Harvest of Loneliness: The Bracero Program - Free film screening and discussion in partnership with The Land Conservancy of McHenry County, featuring Maggie Rivera of the Illinois Migrant Council whose father came to the United States from Mexico during WWII as part of the Bracero Program, and worked in McHenry County.
  • 4/19/2022 Farm Bill 2023 Information and Listening Session - CAL hosted the Northern Illinois Young Farmers Coalition Chapter, providing area farmers with an overview of the Farm Bill and how it impacts their businesses, followed by a listening session to help set policy priorities for the next Farm Bill.
• 2021
  • Workshops/Events
  • Forefront Series

  • 1/13, 1/27/2021 - Market Farm Workshops, Atina Diffley
  • 1/19/2021 - What's Growing in Winter? series featuring Prairie Wind Family Farm
  • 2/9, 2/11, 2/16/2021 - Online Sales (and delivery!) for Market Farmers, Taidghin O’Brien
  • 2/16/2021 - What's Growing in Winter? series featuring Closed Loop Farms
  • 3/16/2021 - What's Growing in Winter? series featuring Windy City Harvest's Farm on Ogden
  • 4/13/2021 - Food Shed Co-op Presentation
  • 5/10-13 - Student Farm Week

  Past Speakers Series Dates

• 2020
  • Workshops/Events
  • Forefront Series

  • 1/27/2020 - Rancher, Farmer, Fisherman Film Screening
  • 2/4/2020 - Introduction to Apple Tree Pruning: The Older and Neglected, Grant McCarty
  • 2/5-2/26/2020 - BeeKeeping 101, Larry Krengel
  • 2/18/2020 - Cultivating Your Legally-Resilient Farm, Eva Moss, Sara Vaile, Tim Brown, Cliff McConville
  • 3/4/2020 - Seven Ways to Raise a Queen, Larry Krengel
  • 3/10/2020 - Raising Backyard Chickens, Jen Reimer
  • 3/12-8/20/2020 - Dig, Grow, Eat: Garden Talks for the Whole Season, Lisa Hilgenberg
  • 4/2/2020 - Seasons of Change on Henry's Farm Film Screening, Ines Sommer, Terra Brockman

  • 1/26/2020 - Using the Lean System to Earn a Comfortable Living on a Farm, Ben Hartman
  • 2/23/2020 - Rotational Grazing: Improve Soil Health and the Farm's Bottom Line, Rod Ofte
  • 10/11/2020 - Soil Sisters: How Women are Changing the Food System, Lisa Kivirist, Dulce Morales, Beth Vercolio-Osmund, and FL Morris
  • 11/15/2020 - Whole Grain Food Supply Chain, Erin Meyer, Rachel Bernier-Green, Andy Hazzard
  • 12/13/2020 - Regenerative Agriculture: Details of a Profitable Journey, Gabe Brown