Dr. Nancy Sweet, dean, Workforce Institute at LLCC, wrote the Aug. 20 essay in the State Journal-Register, “Employers: Meet your future employees!” She also discussed the upcoming Workforce Careers and Ag Expos on the WTAX Morning Newswatch Aug. 18.
Category Archives: Ag
LLCC at the Illinois State Fair
LLCC is at the Illinois State Fair! Linc, LLCC’s mascot and No. 1 fan, took part in the fair’s kickoff event yesterday.
College representatives from public relations and marketing, natural and agricultural sciences and the Workforce Institute will be in the Governor’s Tent Sunday, Aug. 13, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., providing hands-on activities and sharing information on educational opportunities.
You can catch an LLCC Culinary demo Aug. 17 at 4 p.m. in the Hobbies Arts & Crafts Building.
The LLCC Ag Club will be volunteering at the Pork Patio on Saturday, Aug. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
LLCC invites employers, high school students to Workforce and Ag Expos Sept. 21
LLCC invites employers and area high school students to its annual Workforce Careers and Ag Expos Thursday, Sept. 21.
The outdoor Workforce Careers Expo connects high school students with local employers to learn about careers in the skilled trades. Two sessions will be held: 8-11 a.m. and noon-3 p.m. Students can also observe professional line workers competing in the Association of Illinois Electric Cooperatives Line Workers Safety Rodeo. Registration for employers and high schools wishing to bring students to the Workforce Expo is available at www.llcc.edu/expo. Last year, approximately 500 high school students attended and visited exhibits and displays of interactive equipment and simulators brought by 50 employers.
The Ag Expo will begin at 9 a.m. in LLCC’s Kreher Agriculture Center. Students will participate in sessions led by LLCC ag faculty, tour the facility and hear from current ag students. Students and teachers may also visit the afternoon session of the Workforce Expo after lunch. More information and registration are available by emailing liz.bland@llcc.edu or calling 217-786-2868. Another Ag Expo will be held on Dec. 1.
In the news
Dr. Nancy Sweet, dean, Workforce Institute, was interviewed by FOX Illinois for a story on workforce programs and financial assistance for students.
Alex Sidener, LLCC Ag student, was interviewed yesterday by RFD Illinois about the 10-day Ireland agricultural industry tour he participated in as part of LLCC’s agriculture program.
LLCC dedicates new West Lake Nature Grove
LLCC dedicated its newest learning space yesterday, 2.1 acres of land at 2321 West Lake Shore Drive now known as West Lake Nature Grove.
The outdoor lab adjacent to the LLCC campus contains an apiary (beehives), fruit trees, bushes and other plantings, along with benches.
“This land was generously donated to LLCC by Robbie Robert Jr., president of Robert’s Seafood in Springfield,” said Karen Sanders, vice president of advancement and executive director of the LLCC Foundation. “Robbie donated the property in memory of his good friend, Lloyd Inslee Jr., who lived in a house here for more than 50 years. Lloyd was a great lover of nature and wildlife. In his honor, Robbie specified that this land be used to educate students, to carry forward Lloyd’s legacy.”
Brent Todd, LLCC dean of natural and agricultural sciences, noted the opportunity to use the Grove for various biology and agriculture classes. “The West Lake Nature Grove complements our existing curriculum by incorporating its amenities into science and agriculture labs. Apiaries, orchards, succession plots and pollinator gardens are just a few of the ways faculty are incorporating this living learning lab into their curriculum.”
Biology Professor Dave Cox partnered with local beekeeping groups to establish the apiary and harvest honey. “I see the West Lake Nature Grove as a community resource to promote education and awareness of agriculture and environmental topics,” said Cox. “Thank you to those who have assisted with the apiary, including the Prairie State Beekeepers, Lincoln Land Beekeepers Association and Steamship Bees, along with LLCC workforce students.”
Bill Harmon, LLCC agriculture program coordinator, uses the Grove in ag and horticulture classes. “Illinois is an important producer of more than 64 vegetable and 15 fruit crops on more than 100,000 acres, with an annual sales volume of close to $400 million dollars. Illinois leads the nation in production of pumpkins and is 10th in peaches and 19th in apples. This project will allow LLCC to demonstrate the importance of bees to the pollination and production of these crops. As a result, our students will have a wider understanding of specialty crops and their potential as a part of a profitable business.”
Among the attendees at the ceremony were several young men from the Outlet, who sponsored and decorated one of the beehives.
Enhancements to the land were made possible through the Kreher Farm Perpetual Charitable Trust within the LLCC Foundation.
Following the ceremony, an open house was held at the college’s newly constructed greenhouse, adjacent to the Kreher Agriculture Center, also made possible by the Kreher Trust.
In the news
Matt Crow, LLCC Ag student, was interviewed June 22 by The Source about the 10-day Ireland agricultural industry tour he participated in as part of LLCC’s agriculture program.
Welcome Liz Bland
Liz Bland joined the college June 1 as agriculture program specialist. She earned an associate in science from LLCC and a bachelor’s degree in crop and soil science from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Liz previously worked in ag recruitment at SIUC.
She can be reached at elizabeth.bland@llcc.edu.
Welcome Liz!
LLCC students study ag in Ireland
(l-r) front row: Pierce Gwinn, Logan Armstrong, Liz Hayden, Peri Andras, Shaylee Maddox, Morgan Black, Grace McCurdy, Kaitlyn Zeedyk, Kylie Schakel, Maggie McClelland, Maycee Cordes, Caedyn Finneran; middle row: Matt Crow, Wyatt Mahoney, Mallory Bowers, Genesis Stockton, Hadley Broadwater, Morgan Edwards, Elisabeth Lee, Natalie Lavin, Lizzy Hoppe, Brittany Slightom, Luke Adams, Blaine Gilley, George Jacaway IV, Wes Bland; back row: Cole Repscher, Alex Sidener, Will Jenkins, Klayton Komnick
Thirty LLCC students participated in a 10-day agricultural industry tour in Ireland May 13-23.
Tour stops included Kilkenny Mart to watch a sheep and dairy cow sale, visits to local farmers’ beef and dairy operations, and Castlecor Potatoes where a father-and-son team showcased their farm and packaging facility for potatoes and onions. Students had the opportunity to see Macroom Buffalo, which is the only water buffalo milk farm in Ireland, watched as the buffalo came in for milking and sampled the farm’s cheese products. Students also visited Fernville Connemara Pony Stud, which specializes in the Connemara Pony Breed, and toured an aquaculture company dedicated to the cultivation of abalone.
The trip also included visits to iconic locations and historic sites including the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher, Rock of Cashel, the Blarney stone at Blarney Castle, Clonmacnoise and EPIC – the Irish Emigration Museum. The immersive and educational experience totaled over 1,000 miles and allowed students to see agricultural, cultural and historical sites in Ireland.
The LLCC Agriculture study abroad experience was made possible by the Kreher Agricultural Trust.
In the news
Bill Harmon, professor of agronomy, spoke to the Illinois Farm News Association about LLCC’s ag program during the 95th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention at the Bank of Springfield Center.
Ag communication judges needed
LLCC Agriculture is hosting the Illinois FFA State Ag Communications Contest on June 12 and 13 and is in need of a few more judges.
On June 12, teams will be working on their individual practicums which consist of web design, video production and writing a letter to the editor. After the students are done with their area, the student work and scoresheets will be emailed to judges to evaluate and score. We are looking for three judges willing to evaluate the individual practicums remotely.
In addition, teams will submit a media plan ahead of June 12, which will be sent with the scoresheets to the judge. We are looking for one judge to evaluate the media plans remotely.
On June 13, teams will be presenting their marketing plan to a panel of judges at the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel next to the BOS Center. Judging will begin at 8:30 a.m. and go through 3:30/4 p.m. with lunch and snacks/drinks provided. We are looking for one or two individuals willing to judge the team presentations.
Please email Bill Harmon or Holly Bauman if you are interested in helping or have questions.