Chicago’s Chef Duenas showed 3rd graders how to make a delicious, nutritious salad as part of the First Lady’s Chefs Move to Schools.

When Chicago heard about First Lady Michelle Obama’s effort to match chefs with schools, the city popped! Inspired by a unique partnership between locally-based Healthy Schools Campaign and Chicago Public Schools, the city saw an impressive number of Second City chefs sign up to participate in the effort. Read more »

After partnering with government at the municipal, state and federal levels, Bushy Hill Orchard is thriving.

Allen and Becky Clark have been farming for 17 years. When they started their small business, they grew flowers, pumpkins and corn stalks. Four years ago, they began raising goats for milk and cheese and eventually started making soap as well. The Clarks had long wanted to expand their farm but couldn’t afford the high cost of land. But thanks in part to the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program (FRPP) of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), they recently realized their dream.  Read more »

Seeding a lake with wild rice (photo provided by the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission)

When summertime begins to transition to autumn in northern Wisconsin, towards the end of August and early September, Native Americans wait with anticipation for the Wild Rice Moon, the sign it is harvest time for the grain of such cultural importance to local tribes. Read more »

Earlier this month, Vice President Joe Biden announced a “Recovery Through Retrofit” initiative aimed at boosting energy efficiency in homes across the country. As part of the effort, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has developed Home Energy Score software that will standardize home energy audits, providing homeowners with a score, a list of possible upgrades, and a breakdown of the costs and benefits of recommended upgrades. Read more »