August 13, 2014

by William C Bailey
School of Agriculture at Western Illinois University

Over the past number of years, I have discussed food safety issues in China several times. One column discussed contaminated pet food, imported from China, while another column centered on contaminated infant formula that was manufactured and sold in China. The most recent Chinese food scare has a local spin – two Illinois firms are involved, one that produced the questionable products and the other that unknowingly sold them. The two firms, with headquarters 45 miles apart, are working together to solve a problem from half way around the world.  Read More

August 6, 2014

by Kim Riedel
Master Gardner

It’s August already? Where has all the time gone? Time seems to be going faster and faster especially when I keep myself busy.

July was a great month in the garden and has really kept me running. Even though the berries have been coming to an end, the peppers were producing, tomatoes were coming in, and the plums have been picked. The thought of moving my aquaponic system out to my garden has crossed my mind, and I am in the process of planning it out; it will be nice to be able to watch the growth of my plants in the system from the sunroom. 

There were some sweet potatoes that started sprouting on my counter so I took them out to one of my raised beds and planted them with the hope that I will get additional sweet potatoes.  Read More

July 30, 2014

By Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

For the past decade, College of DuPage (COD) president Bob Breuder has been pushing state lawmakers to allow two-year community colleges to offer four-year baccalaureate degrees in technology-oriented fields.

Breuder makes a good case. Expect another push in the next session of the state legislature.

Since Joliet (IL) Junior College became the first such college in the nation in 1901, Illinois has been a leader in the community college movement.

When I was a legislator in the late 1960s, public two-year colleges had dotted the mushrooming suburbs and major downstate cities, covering the whole state.

Today there are 39 community college districts and 48 campuses, enrolling 42 percent of all higher education students in the state.

The two-year colleges have advantages over the older, more traditional colleges and universities. First, many located in population-dense markets, while small colleges often constructed their “Old Main” a century earlier in frontier towns that never blossomed. Read More

July 16, 2014

by Tyler Harvey
Mo-Do Farm Bureau Manager

It is amazing how time flies. It doesn’t feel like we are past the Fourth of July, but here we are in the middle of the month. I hope everyone had an enjoyable Fourth with family and friends. I honestly cannot remember the last time it was so cool on the summer holiday.  Read More

July 9, 2014

By Jim Nowlan
Outside Columnist

“Illinois is still a competitive state that leans Democratic in statewide elections,” declares John Jackson, professor of political science at Southern Illinois University, based on a statewide survey he conducted recently.

Jackson says the national perception that Illinois is a deep blue (strongly Democratic) state is belied by the fact that Republicans hold a U.S. Senate seat and two statewide offices (treasurer and comptroller). Read More