For more information please contact: For editorial content opportunities:

GREENSCENETHE

Spons

CREATING THE FUTURE FOR THE KANKAKEE RIVER VALLEY

North Street at Railroad

OUR COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITYMinimize Conserve natural resources

Environmental Energy conservationImprove overall performance

YOUR COMMITMENT TO SAVINGOur products reduce maintenance,

painting, and replacement . . .

SAVING resources, energy, and money in the long run!

Summer 2013 publication Issue #18

Copyright ©2013 Kankakee Daily Journal Company, L.L.C. All rights reserved.

All works herein are property of The Daily Journal unless otherwise indicated. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any manner of retrieval system or transmitted by graphic, electronic, mechanical or other

means including photocopying, computer scanning, etc. without the prior written permission of the copyright owner(s) or the publisher.

Why buy and sell locally? By Meridith McKenna

KCC studentMany of the vendors at the Kankakee Farmer’s Market

grow their food and produce locally. There are many benefits to growing and buying locally.

One of the main reasons people believe local produce is better than commercial produce is that they know where the product originated. Fresh produce does not stay fresh for too long. The closer the farm is to its consumers, the better it will be for consumption. Buy-ers know locally grown produce does not have to be imported on large trucks and stored in a warehouse for days where the crops will lose freshness and nutrients. Crystal Gray of Gray Farms said, “We love to give the community a product they can trust. They know how we grow our plants and they know we actually care about them. They trust us, and we also trust them. We have very loyal customers and it’s rewarding.”

Consumers in the area come to the Kankakee Farm-

er’s Market because they can trust the products. Bradley resident Sean O’Connor said, “I grew up on a farm in Irwin so I respect local farmers. I know where my food comes from and how it was grown and that is why I buy local produce. I am able to go down town and hand-se-lect what I want and know it is still good for my family.” Buying local also has more than just health benefits.

Supporting the local farmers is a good way to support the community. Beryl Gardner, a visitor from Tennes-see, came to the farmers market while visiting her rela-tives. “I love coming to this farmers market. The food is great, and I love supporting the farmers and vendors. It is always a great part of my trip.”

It is a win-win situation for both farmer and consumer if people buy and grow locally. The community can rest assured that they are consuming the very best produce while helping to support family farms in their area.

FEATUREDBusinessThe Kankakee Farmers’ MarketNow in its 15th season, the Kanka-

kee Farmers’ market has become an important late spring and summer destination for the area. Held every Saturday morning beginning in late April through October, it has become a premier event, featuring over 20 ven-dors during the spring and swelling to more than 30 during the summer mar-kets. Vendors offer a wide variety of fresh, locally grown produce, plants, flowers, breads, meats, baked goods, olives, and cheeses as well as conces-sions and specialty items. The market has become a central gathering place where area residents purchase great local foods and enjoy live music and friendly con-versation in a welcoming atmosphere.

Merrill Marxman was the market manager in the early years and got the event well established. Then, Bill Yohnka took over the manager duties until this year, when Jim and Liz Lipofski have taken on the job. In addition to continuing the successful programs visitors have come to expect, Jim and Liz have plans to add some new fea-tures. They want to further enhance the “family friendly” nature of the market by adding more activities for children. There will be weekly inter-active lessons for kids about topics ranging from beekeeping, electricity, technology, solid waste management and recycling to health issues. The expertise of the U of I Extension, the Farm Bureau, and Kankakee School District as well as other resources will be tapped to provide these lessons. They plan to continue to develop in-ternship opportunities for local college agriculture students with some of the market vendors and producers. In a similar vein, they want to create ad-ditional partnerships with area high schools and colleges to encourage students to earn “service hours” by getting involved in the market activi-ties in various ways. Liz urges anyone seeking to take advantage of either of these opportunities to contact her.

The Kankakee Farmers’ Market is operated by Kankakee Development Corporation with the cooperation of the City of Kankakee and a host of community minded people and or-ganizations. Support of the Kankakee Farmers’ Market ensures a continued, bountiful supply of fresh, good tast-ing, locally grown produce, supports the local small farming economy and enhances the quality of life in the com-munity.

For more information go to www.downtownkankakee.com and click on Kankakee Farmers’ Market.

Gray FarmsBy Meridith McKenna

KCC student

Marty and Crystal Gray represent Gray Farms at this 15th season of the Kankakee Farmer’s Market. They live in Donovan and grow their products in Urbana. They are very proud of their locally grown plants.

They offer a huge selection of plants such as kale and zebra plants which are actually striped just like a zebra. Crystal said, “We are work-ing on being certified organic; that is one of our biggest goals. We hope to have that accomplished in the next few years. ” In order to be certified organic, farmers need to follow the policies set by the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA). The guidelines include agricultural, biological, and mechanical practices that must be followed accurately in order to receive certification approval. Crystal added, “We still have some work to do, but we are working hard to get certified. We want to ensure that our customers are getting the best. They trust us to pro-vide them with clean produce, so that is what we want to give them.”

They will have more of their produce available during the summer market for the community to enjoy. Visit grayfarmsproduce.com.

Doggy Delights By Tyla Burge

KCC student

An admitted dog lover, Terri Olszewski first began making natural homemade treats for her four-legged friends five years ago and has since gained a host of happy customers throughout the Kankakee community.

The idea for her business, Doggy Delights, came to life while Olsze-wski was glancing over a box of doggy treats and realizing that she was not familiar with any of the listed ingredients. She was very concerned that she was allowing her dogs to consume something that she knew nothing about. With that in mind, she took it upon her-self to make a difference.

So, with a little encouragement from family she decided to obtain a license so she could provide the dogs she loves so much with home-made snacks, and since then she continues to produce yummy treats for her canine friends. “I started with one table and five treats,” says Olszewski. Now, she has even more options that include beefy bones, pooch pizzas, cheesy paws, chicken biscuits, and meatballs.

Doggy Delights treats are produced weekly and are also tested by her local veterinarian. Olszewski also accepts special orders for vegan and gluten-free treats. She is even planning on providing “doggy ice-cream” during the summer months. Each treat contains ingre-dients such as eggs, milk, flour, oil, and lots of love. Doggy Delights is all about quality and welcomes all dogs to a bite of their tasty treats. For more information go to terrisdoggydelights.com or call 815.935.1853.

Cindy’sBy Tyla Burge

KCC student

Cindy DeYoung has been producing her own vegeta-bles, herbs, flower bouquets, lotions, and glycerin soaps for quite some time. In fact, her self-titled business, Cindy’s, began 12 years ago in the comfort of her own home.

The sweet smell of her homemade glycerin soaps is the first thing that grabs the attention of those who may find themselves wandering near the Kankakee Farmers Market. DeYoung handcrafts each bar of soap from blocks of melted glycerin to which she’s added “essential oils.”

She begins by melting 40 pounds of glycerin, separating it into two cups at a time. To-day, glycerin is usually extract-ed from the soaps that most individuals use making them less cleansing and dehydrat-ing. The glycerin bars, on the other hand, are a humectant making them absorb moisture which causes healthier skin. Once DeYoung has completed the separating process, she molds the glycerin into all dif-ferent shapes that everyone can enjoy.

DeYoung takes pride in pro-viding quality products that anyone can benefit from, but the process isn’t a quick one. “It takes a while,” says DeYoung. In fact, one batch takes her about a week to complete.

She also loves beautiful floral bouquets and enjoys putting them together for her community to enjoy, as well. She looks forward to the beau-tiful weather and being able to showcase her fresh flowers and tasty vegetables that she puts so much energy and love into. For more information email cindysoaps@yahoo.com or call 815.474.9782.

Green Byte:

10. Fewer toxic chemicals into the environment

9. Less greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (no transportation)

8. Fewer toxic chemicals into our bodies

7. Freshest produce possible which has higher vitamin content

6. Saves money5. Improves the diet of the whole family4. Builds relationships (family,

neighbors, friends)3. Improves your level of self-reliance2. You can teach others and continue

the legacy1. Tastes awesome!

EventsKANKAKEE COMMUNITY GARDEN PROJECT

There is a group developing a plan to create a commu-nity garden in the City at N. Fifth Ave. and Chestnut Street. The group is hoping to kick off the project on June 15th.

For more information contact Mayor Epstein’s office or Alderman Tyler Tall, Sr. KANKAKEE FARMERS’ MARKET – 15TH SEASON

The Farmers’ Markets will occur from 7 to Noon every Saturday in Downtown Kankakee through October 26th, 2013 Farmers’ Market Special Events

June 15 – Paint Recycling / Jacqueline Sylvie and “Acting Out” scenes from CHICAGOJune 22 – Farm Share Breakfast (waiting for confirmation from Chad Miller)June 29 – music by Paul GermanoJuly 13 - Library Family Fun DayJuly 20 – music by Rebecca RegoJuly 27 – music by Heartland BluegrassAugust 3 – music by Jacob MauAugust 10 – Sweet Corn - Knights of Columbus / music by Lupe CarrollAugust 17 - Pro Chef Challenge / Paint RecyclingAugust 24 - Amateur Chef Challenge August 31 – music by Jack Avery’s KinSept. 21 – music by Lupe CarrollSept. 14 - Hispanic Arts and Heritage Day for EducationSept. 28 - Zonta Empowerment Walk / music by Tracey DeMarcoOctober 5 – music by Rebecca RegoOctober 12 – music by Lupe CarrollOctober 19 – music by Heartland BluegrassOctober 26 – Last Day of market KANKAKEE COUNTY EXTENSION OFFICE PROGRAMS Contact the Extension office at 815/933-8337 or uie-gkw@illinois.edu for more information about these and other programs:

— June 25th, International Tasting Tour – One pot meals incorporating locally grown vegetables; July 30th, Preserving Summer’s Bounty – Canning and freezing on a small scale

— August 13th, 10:00 a.m. at 1650 Commerce Drive, Bourbonnais. Learn from the Kankakee SWCD about developing rain gardens to capture and utilize rainwater runoff in your yard.

— September 10th, 10:00 a.m.at 1650 Commerce Drive, Bourbonnais. Learn to build up poor and exhausted garden soils as well as maintain fertility in good ones by growing green manure cover crops.

MIDWEST PERMACULTURESee www.midwestpermaculture.com for upcoming events.

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITYSee www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org for upcoming events.

How proper lawn care can help protect our

natural resources

Courtesy of the National Association

of Conservation Districts and The Scotts

Healthy soil is the foundation of a good lawn. Healthy soil supports earthworms, microbes and beneficial insects that improve soil structure, air and water flow, and plant growth.For mature grass, always choose a fer-tilizer that is phosphorus free, unless a soil test shows a need for this nutrient. Generally, only new grass plants re-quire additional phosphorus for initial root growth.The best time to feed your lawn is in the spring and fall when the grass is actively growing.Use a drop spreader or rotary spreader with a side guard to keep fertilizer on the grass.Set your mower at its highest setting. Taller grass is stronger grass. It builds deeper roots that enable the plant to find water and nutrients and better withstand periods of heat and drought.Use a mulching mower so that grass clippings can be returned to the soil where they will break down and add nutrients and organic matter to the soil.In the fall, mulch leaves that fall on your lawn using your lawn mower. Leaves will break down and enrich the soil.Sweep leaves, grass clippings and fer-tilizer that land on driveways and side-walks back on to the grass to help keep nutrients out of waterways.

Keep rainwater in place to reduce ero-sion and pollution. Rainwater that falls on your roof is usually directed away from your yard and it typically moves down the curb into the street. This water and the pollution load it picks up go into the nearest storm sewer and, from there, to the nearest stream or river. You can help keep stormwater on your property and pollutants out of the waterways by using rainwater the way nature intended – to water the grass, trees and plants in your yard. Grass is one of the best ground covers for absorbing water. Healthy grass can ab-sorb most of the runoff from roofs, pa-tios, driveways, sidewalks and streets that would otherwise go directly into storm sewers, lakes and streams.

For a truly ‘green’ lawn

Career CornerKristen Larson – mother, professor and gardener

Kristen Larson is a mother of two boys, a full time professor at Kankakee Community College and an avid gardener. She manages to infuse sustainability into all three of these with dedication and good humor. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Biology at Purdue University – Calumet and began her teaching career there as a grad student Lab instructor (Environmental Biology). She moved on to become an adjunct professor at Prairie State College in Chicago Heights and South Suburban College in South Holland. Courses taught included Microbiology, General Biology, and Environmental Biology. In 2010 came a full time teaching assignment at Kankakee Community College where she has taught those same courses as well Human Biology. Three years of hard work has earned her tenure status which will be conferred in fall 2013.

Kristen traces her interest in nature and especially her passion for gardening to her childhood. She grew up with her mom and dad in Chicago’s south suburban Riverdale where her mother always had a “good sized” garden. They grew everything from tomatoes to potatoes and even as young as 5, she was involved in every step of the process. “I still remember the smell of the dirt in the spring when we would turn over the plots with a pitchfork”, she says. Something she admits that she now does with a tiller. She also picked, watered, and weeded. Though she may not have fully appreciated then how great it was to have a garden, gardening became “a part of her soul.” The garden grown fruits and veggies always tasted better and there was plenty of it. Usually, there was more than her family could use so they shared it with their neighbors who loved it. She still remembers the look on their faces when she would drop off bags of freshly picked veggies!

She admits that it wasn’t until her college days that she fully understood why gardening was so good for people and the earth. Today she is a self -proclaimed “Tree hugger and Gardening Pusher”. Now she has her own “good sized” organic garden at her home in Manteno and is happy to share its bounty with friends and neighbors. Kristen learned about gardening from her mother who had learned from Kristen’s grandfather, so she feels it’s a family legacy. Trying to continue the legacy, she involves her two young boys as much as possible in her gardening, hoping that they will also catch the gardening bug. As an educator, Kristen considers gardening to be a learned skill that is very useful because it provides us with one of our most basic needs – healthy food. That’s why she includes information about gardening and its many benefits in her Environmental Biology course. Apparently, the “legacy concept” is valid since several of her students have started gardens of their own. She uses creative class projects, field trips and other unique assignments to introduce her students to a wide range of sustainability concepts and engage them in discussion of this important issue. Her dedication and enthusiasm is apparent to all who know her.

ld h h d

Larson as a young gardener in 1982.

Professor Larson’s Top 10 Reasons to Garden Organically

Belson Steel Center Scrap, Inc.

815-932-7416

GET G PAIDPPTo RECYCLE!T

Aluminum Cans, Copper,uminum Brass, Stainless Steel, Iron, Tin,less StSt Batteries,

diators, Farm Equipment,iatRadElectronics & MORE!E

We buy: