Illinois Stewardship Alliance Honors Outstanding Farmers & Conservation Leaders

[Viable Food News Desk]

Publisher: Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Published: August 17, 2026
Source: Read at Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Category: Food Access

Illinois Stewardship Alliance presented two awards to Illinois farmers. Monte Bottens of Bottens Family Farm in Cambridge received the fourth annual Woody Woodruff Conservation Award. Chicago farmer Christal J. Tarver of Community Roots Garden received the 2026 Local Food Changemaker of the Year Award. Community Roots Garden NFP includes 15 raised beds, and Tarver advocated for HB4922, the Emerging and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer Grant legislation.

Why this matters: The awards highlight potential partners for independent grocers and food-access groups, including a diversified farm connecting consumers with meat, poultry, and eggs and an urban garden focused on local food production and farmer access to resources.

This post summarizes and links to the original source. It does not reproduce the full article.