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<body class='hmmessage'><div style="text-align: left;"><br></div><br><br><br><hr id="EC_stopSpelling">Subject: Locally Grown Events: Mill Creek Farm Tour and Local Flavors Dinners<br>Date: Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:37:09 -0500<br>From: cedgar@illinois.edu<br><br>
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<b><font size="2" color="#ff6600" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Local Flavors: A Taste of
the Seasons</span></font></b><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Quincy Steamboat Company, in concert with University of Illinois Extension, is hosting a series
of locally-grown dinners that celebrate the uniqueness of each season. Held
in the ever-popular Quincy Steamboat Company, the celebrations will highlight
the culinary talents of Sondra Bartley and Clyde Nall and a seasonal menu
featuring foods produced by local and regional farmers. Diners will also have
the opportunity to meet some of the farmers who grow or raise the food
highlighted at each dinner. </span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Dates of the seasonal dinners are October 2,
2008, January 29, 2009, May 14, 2009 and July 16, 2009. Each dinner will begin
at 6:30 pm with appetizers followed by a three course dinner. The dinners will
be accompanied by coffee and tea and diners may bring their own wine and
spirits to enjoy with the meal. </span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">A very limited number of tickets are available
for each dinner and the cost is $40 per person. Tickets for each of the dinners
may be purchased at University of Illinois Extension at 330 S. 36 St. in Quincy or on-line at <a href="http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/adams" target="_blank">www.extension.uiuc.edu/adams</a> .
Reservations for the first dinner must be received by Monday September 29,
2008. Checks should be made payable to University of Illinois
Extension. </span></font><BR>
<b><font size="2" color="#ff6600" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">Mill Creek Farm Tour</span></font></b><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Mike and Theresa Roegge planted their first
crops of strawberries and pumpkins in 1995. Today their farm has grown to
include sweet corn, asparagus and an educational agri-tourism business complete
with a corn maze. Roegge's Mill Creek Farm in Quincy,
is the site of the final University
of Illinois Extension
small farms tour this year. The tour will run from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on
Friday, October 3.</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Mike Roegge said that the farm has evolved by
listening to what their customers say and following through on it. "We had
been growing strawberries with Theresa's folks in Mt. Sterling
for a couple of years, and really enjoyed it," he said. "We both felt
that Quincy was ready again for such activities,
as years ago Quincy
hosted quite a few commercial vegetable and fruit operations. However, to our
knowledge, there were really only one or two strawberry farms in the area then.
Since then, we've added additional crops and continue to modify our crops based
upon what our customers want."</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Mill Creek Farm is best known in the area for
its strawberries, sweet corn and pumpkin patch. Roegge said that their sweet
corn is sold both on the farm and also in local stores. The pumpkin patch hosts
several thousand kids each October during the school week and families on the
weekends.</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">On the tour, Mike and Theresa Roegge will talk
about how Mill Creek Farm grew to what it is today and why growing local food
is important. "Theresa will be hosting school classes and we'll listen in
on her educational message that she gives a class that day," said Mike
Roegge. "And if we can get some warm weather, we'll venture out to the
corn maze." Roegge said that the corn maze was planted late so it needs
some warm days to grow.</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">"Mill Creek Farm is a great example of a
local foods operation that has grown and flourished by responding to what the
community wants," said Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant,
Extension Specialist, Small Farm and Sustainable Agriculture. </span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">A registration fee of $20 per person will be
charged for the tour, which includes lunch. Registration at least one week in
advance is required. Visit <a href="http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/" title="blocked::http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/" target="_blank">http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/</a>
to register and for more details about each of the tours including a map and
agenda. To register by phone, contact Donna Cray at 217-241-4644. For more
information, contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant
(217-968-5512; cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu).</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">For more information about Mill Creek Farm,
visit <a href="http://www.millcreekfarmquincy.com/" title="blocked::http://www.millcreekfarmquincy.com/" target="_blank">www.millcreekfarmquincy.com/</a>.
</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">This tour is sponsored by University of Illinois
Extension, Mill Creek Farm, North Central Region Sustainable
Research and Education Program, Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois,
and the University
of Illinois Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture
Program.</span></font><BR>
<font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">University</span></font><font size="2" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"> of Illinois Extension is
a statewide educational network that links the resources and research of the University of Illinois
to the people of Illinois.
The programs and workshops, which take place throughout the state, address
issues involving youth, families, community development, agriculture, and
natural resources. If reasonable accommodations are needed in order to
participate in any of the programs, call 217-241-4644 or 217-223-8380.</span></font><BR>
<em><i><font size="1" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"><img id="EC__x0000_i1031" src="cid:image002.jpg@01C91716.9ECEEB90" width="74" border="0" height="90"></span></font></i></em><BR>
<em><i><font size="1" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;">Locally Grown</span></font></i></em><font size="1" color="black" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: Verdana; color: black;"> is a comprehensive program to help develop a sustainable local
food system. <em><i><font face="Verdana"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Locally
Grown</span></font></i></em> provides an approach to target all levels of the
local food system network by creating learning opportunities and increasing
availability of locally grown products for consumers. The project creates
awareness and understanding between farmers and consumers resulting in a more
sustainable food system. For more information call the U of I Extension office
at 217-223-8380.</span></font><BR>
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<p class="EC_MsoNormal"><font size="2" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="EC_MsoNormal"><strong><b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy;">Carrie Edgar, County Director</span></font></b></strong><b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy; font-weight: bold;"><br>
</span></font></b><font size="2" color="navy" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy;">University</span></font><font size="2" color="navy" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy;"> of
Illinois</span></font><font size="2" color="navy" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana; color: navy;"> Extension - Adams/Brown Unit<br>
330 S. 36th St.
Quincy, IL
62301<br>
217-223-8380 217-223-9368 (fax)<br>
cedgar@illinois.edu<br>
</span></font><a href="http://www.extension.uiuc.edu/adams" target="_blank"><font size="2" face="Verdana"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;">www.extension.uiuc.edu/adams<br>
<br>
</span></font></a></p>
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