Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom awarded 29 project grants and 77 book grants to teachers around the state. “We’re excited to see the incredible lessons and experiences teachers will add to their classrooms this school year because of this grant funding,” said Kevin Daugherty, IAITC education director. READ MORE

Illinois released $37.3 million to launch innovation hubs at five universities for the Illinois Innovation Network. The funding was made possible by the bipartisan Rebuild Illinois Capital Plan with state investments matched dollar for dollar by university, private and philanthropic sources. Find out how the five hubs will use the funds.

There’s a lot to be thankful for this time of year. For Lance Moritz, it’s the one-year anniversary of a successful liver transplant. Although there’s been some challenges along the way, he was back in the planter in his family’s soybean field this past spring, and combined corn for the first time this fall. Now, the 20-year-old is looking to the future while still advocating for living donors. READ MORE

During a visit with RFD Radio, Jerry Costello II fondly remembers the late State Senator Scott Bennett and his contributions to the Farm Family Resource Initiative. He also provided an update on the Fall Covers for Spring Savings program, Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership program, agritourism tax credits and more. LISTEN HERE

In his weekly update with RFD Radio’s Rita Frazer, Illinois Farm Bureau’s Mark Gebhards recaps a recent visit to Washington, D.C., where issues stand as Congress wraps up its session, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act, USMCA, U.S. EPA Hypoxia Task Force and more. LISTEN HERE

For the 2021-22 school year, Illinois school districts started or reopened 13 ag programs, and 33 more ag teachers entered classrooms. The good news about new programs and expansion of others is exacerbating the shortage of ag teachers. And despite the expansion, roughly 1.157 million middle school and high school students are not exposed to careers in agriculture, food or natural resources because their districts lack curriculum. The Illinois Leadership Council for Agricultural Education recently discussed the continued growth of ag education programs and a new thrust to reach students whose schools don’t offer ag classes. READ MORE