Will County Farming 101: This is a Corn Crib

Historically, agriculture has been a big industry in Will County.

Dotting the Will County landscape are several corn cribs, such as this crib in front of the new Dollar Tree Distribution Site in Joliet:

Ear corn is placed in the crib, and the slats between the boards allow air to circulate and dry the corn.  

Corn that is harvested by combine is dried by an electric dryer before being stored in bins.

Here is a picture of a farmer getting ready to get corn out of a crib:

Here's a video of the corn removal, it's pretty shaky, but gives an idea of the process:

New York Times Reports Increased Interest in Organic Farming

The New York Times
has a great article today on increased interest in organic farming.

The article reports the number of small farms has increased since 2003, according to Katherine L. Adam of the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.

Will County agriculture is comprised mostly of corn, soybean and wheat production. Some farmers do, however, grow fruits and vegetables, such as John Moore of Wilton Center.

As the public becomes more concerned with knowing where their food comes from, it will be interesting to observe Will County agriculture.

Memorial Day Service at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery

Veterans who served in conflicts ranging from World War II through the current Iraq War will participate in the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery’s Memorial Day Observance at 11:30 on Monday, May 25^th at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood.

“Lincoln’s Legacy” is the theme of this year’s ceremony, featuring aerial flyovers, musical performance and military re-enactments.

The 2009 Veterans Administration Lincoln Bicentennial Traveling Exhibit will commemorate the 200^th birth anniversary of America’s 16^th president Abraham Lincoln. The exhibit will be on display from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday (May 21) through Wednesday, May 27 at the Public Information Center.

Director of the Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs Daniel W. Grant is the keynote speaker.

The annual event will feature a musical prelude by the Joliet American Legion Band, beginning at 11 a.m. For more information, contact Roseann Santore or Lynne Phelan at 815-423-9958.

Pictures from Will County Earth Day Event, May 17th at Lockport's Dellwood Park

Hundreds of attendees enjoyed a variety of exhibits by local groups at the Earth Day Event at Dellwood Park sponsored by Citizens Against Ruining the Environment.

Here are some photos of the event (you can click on the pictures for a larger view):

Will County Environmental Network will meet May 20th, New Members Welcome

The Will County Environmental Network will meet at 6:30 p.m., WEDNESDAY, MAY 20 at Laraway School in Joliet.

Agenda items include work on an upcoming environmental roundtable to be held to seek a holistic, regional approach to reviewing permits for environmental impact.

Members will also enjoy a slide show of their participation in the Earth Day event held Sunday at Dellwood Park in Lockport.

New members interested in "working to protect and defend" the environmental are always welcome!

Entertainment: Tina Fey mentions Joliet during David Letterman!

I was watching a Tina Fey video on Youtube, and was surprised to hear her mention Joliet at around 4:00!!  Here is the video if you are interested in watching! 

Check out this site for some great Will County photos!

The website reallyboring.net has some really awesome pictures of Will County!!!

I found this site while searching for photos of the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.

The site has pictures of: a trip along the Wauponsee Glacial Trail to Midewin, Joliet,
Lockport, the I & M Canal, and many, many more!

Check this site out for a great photographic journey through Will County!

Earth Day May 17th at Dellwood Park

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS is the goal of the Earth Day event Sunday, May 17 at historic Dellwood Park in Lockport.

Organized by Citizens Against Ruining the Environment (CARE), the event will feature over 80 exhibitors, recycling, speakers, entertainment and fun!

People should bring things to recycle, Ellen Rendulich of Care said.

"I'm telling people to bring shoes--old and new;

bicycles--old and new; electronics, and

eyeglasses, she said.

"It's a fun educational event for all ages--and it's all related to health or the environment," she said.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. and cotinues until 4 p.m. Dellwood Park is at Route 171 and Woods Drive in Lockport.

For more information, visit: www.willcountycare.org

Braidwood Memorial Day Services

BRAIDWOOD--The Braidwood American Legion Koca Post 39 will present the traditional Memorial Day service beginning at 9 a.m., on Memorial Day.

Speakers include U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, Illinois State Rep. Careen Gordon, and Mayor Sue Grygiel.

Commander Jim Canup said the service will begin with members marching from the post to the Reed Township Veteran Memorial across the street from City Hall.

Everyone is invited to attend the service, he said.

The Reed-Custer Band and Chorus will present the National Anthem,

God Bless the U.S.A, and God Bless America.

"A medley of service songs will recognize each branch of service," Canup said.

Dignitaries will lay a wreath to honor the war dead, and all veterans.

Friends of Offerman School has formed to restore the historic one-room school in JOLIET TOWNSHIP.

Former graduates recalled the early days of the school during an open house hosted just before the school was sold to CenterPoint Properties.

They recalled helping the teacher, Mrs. Winifred Barra, keep the school in order. Most recalled how much fun they had skating on a frozen field at recess, and remembered how much they learned from each other.

CenterPoint agreed to community requests to save the school. It is now on wheels, waiting an appropriate home.

Students from Offerman School were consolidated into Laraway School, a new school just east of Offerman on Laraway Road.

The Friends of Offerman School visualize a restored school house where today's generation of students will experience an earlier time in American history first hand.

Welcome!!

Welcome to Will County News!!

This blog seeks to share news and views on events affecting Will County.

It is no secret that Will County is experiencing rapid growth, both residential and industrial. For example, the CenterPoint Properies Intermodal Center in Joliet is under construction. This blog will pay special attention to issues of growth affecting Will County. Here are some photos of the CenterPoint project taken from Laraway and South Patterson Road:

What do you think about growth in Will County? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.