INA, Ill. (July 26, 2023) — Rend Lake College partners with the Young Farmers and Rancher Grant to bring two educational workshops to the community.
Beginning farmers - are you looking to increase your knowledge and skills? Rend Lake College will be hosting two educational workshops to assist you, whether you are starting a new farm, have started a new farm, or are planning to acquire an existing farm.
Join us on August 22, 2023, to expand your knowledge of the poultry industry. Stephanie Stewart, Broiler Service Technician at Pilgrim’s, will present on various topics including:
- Introduction and journey into the poultry industry
- The vertical integration processes in the poultry industry, and how this relates to different departments of Pilgrim’s.
- Misconceptions about the poultry industry and how this relates to consumers and marketing.
Stephanie Stewart grew up in rural Johnson County, Illinois on a small row crop farm. She graduated from John A. Logan College in 2012 with an AA, and from Murray State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Economics and a Master of Science in Agriculture in 2020. After graduating from Murray State in 2014, she began working for Pilgrim’s in Mayfield, Kentucky. She started off in accounting before becoming a broiler service technician, a position she has held for over seven years.
This workshop is perfect for those who are just starting or acquiring a farm, expanding their farm operations, or just curious about the poultry industry. The workshop will be 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the RLC Event Center.
Registration is required. Deadline to register is August 17, 2023. Contact Emily VanDeveer to register (618) 437-5321 x. 1261 or vandeveere@rlc.edu.
Join us on August 29, 2023, to learn from an expert in the finance field. Mark Kabat, Regional Manager of Farm Credit Illinois, will present balance sheets and loan programs that include Farm Credit Young Farmer Program “Fresh Roots” and FSA loan structure.
Mark Kabat graduated from Rend Lake College with an associate degree in agriculture business, Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Economics, and Graduate of Banking at Colorado. He is the Regional Manager for the Mt. Vernon Branch of Farm Credit Illinois where he is responsible for eight counties. He has worked for Farm Credit a total of sixteen years and for Peoples National Bank for nineteen years. He and his wife, Lori, have three grown children.
This workshop is perfect for those who want to learn more about how to run a business in farming and agriculture, whether you’re just starting out or have been in the industry for a long time. The workshop will be 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. in the RLC Event Center.
Registration is required. Deadline to register is August 24, 2023. Contact Emily VanDeveer to register (618) 437-5321 x. 1261 or vandeveere@rlc.edu.
"This work is supported by Rend Lake College [grant no. 2021-49400-35606/project accession no. 1027320] from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. “Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture."
