Illinois Program Connecting Farmers to Mental Health Resources Hosts Press Conference at NCERC |
|
As part of an ongoing campaign to connect the Illinois farming community to mental health resources, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II visited the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on Thursday, May 12 for a press conference highlighting the Farm Family Resource Initiative (FFRI).
The FFRI was established in Illinois in 2019 to address the mental health needs of farming and agricultural communities. During the last legislative session, the Illinois General Assembly appropriated an additional $500,000 to ensure the program remains operational in all 102 Illinois counties throughout fiscal year 2023.
The press conference at NCERC marked the third of a seven-stop campaign throughout the state with the goal of bringing awareness to this program and increasing accessibility to the farming community. SIU President Daniel Mahony, Representative Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), and Karen Stallman of the FFRI joined Costello as speakers at the event.
The FFRI is led by the SIU School of Medicine and funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It provides a telephone hotline for farmers to call to connect with mental health resources and providers.
“In just a few short years, the FFRI has helped many in our farming communities,” said Costello. “Providing confidential access to mental health providers while also breaking down stigmas in seeking help is critical for those working in our state’s number one industry.”
|
|
|
|
Pictured (L-R): NCERC Director John Caupert, Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello II, Representative Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), SIU System President Dan Mahony, and SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor. |
|
“In recognizing May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we focus on the many faces of mental illness as well as the partnerships, like the Farm Family Resource Initiative, that help our families and neighbors in rural communities who experience mental illness,” said Mahony. “Thanks to State Representative Katie Stuart and her colleagues in the General Assembly, Director Costello and the Illinois Department of Agriculture and our dedicated professionals at the SIU School of Medicine, we’ve created a partnership that not only provides a direct line to services for those in need, but also delivers education and training to rural partners working to improve the health and safety of farm families.”
Spring and fall are often the most stressful times for farmers, and this year will likely bring additional stressors due to weather causing planting delays and inflation influencing the cost of farming inputs.
“As a member of a farming family, I'm acutely aware of the challenges that farmers face that impact their mental health,” said NCERC Executive Director John Caupert. “The incredible tools that the FFRI provides are resources that can help bring some relief to farmers whose roles are incredibly important in our society.”
If you or someone you know needs to speak about stressors on the farm, the Farmer Assistance Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-833-FARM-SOS.
To learn more about the FFRI visit siumed.edu/farm. Help is only a phone call away. |
|
Four Students from NCERC's Research Team Graduate from SIUE |
|
After having served as student workers and graduate assistants on NCERC's research team throughout the 2021-2022 Academic Year, four SIUE students graduated this month with their degrees. Drs. Yan Zhang and Jie Dong served as technical advisors and mentors during their time at NCERC.
Ajay Venigalla - BS in Biological Sciences
Philip Kukielski - BS in Environmental Toxicology
Krystin Polhemus - BS in Biological Sciences (Graduated in Dec. 2021, current NCERC Visiting Research Fellow)
Muhammed Shehu - MS in Chemistry
Alyssa Griffin - MS in Chemistry
|
|
Pictured (L-R): Dr. Jie Dong, Muhammed Shehu, Ajay Venigalla, Philip Kukielski, Krystin Polhemus, Alyssa Griffin, and Dr. Yan Zhang.
Krystin graduated from SIUE in December 2021 with a BS in Biological Sciences and now serves NCERC as a Visiting Research Fellow!
|
|
May was an Active Month for Visitors! |
|
Guest and potential client tours have increased recently and the month of May has been the busiest month in the past two years! A group of ~30 tour guests brought by the Great Rivers & Routes tour group (pictured) stopped by NCERC on May 18 to take a full facility tour and also received an NCERC overview presentation by Director of Business Development Jackie Hayes. In addition to this tour group, NCERC hosted guests from IL Corn on May 19, a potential client throughout the week of May 16, new RFA employee Mikayla McKenna on May 13, and another client visit the week of April 25. |
|
 |
Lab Project Manager Kaitlin Lasseigne gives tour guests an overview of NCERC's laboratories. |
|
|
|
Operations Manager Jared Burns gives tour guests an overview of NCERC's Pilot Plant. |
|
|
|
ALAKA'I 2022 Summer Bootcamps Kick Off in July |
|
Earlier this year, we announced a partnership with the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and Solano Community College to develop industry-relevant training for delivery in Hawaiʻi and across the United States. "Applied Life-Science Academy: Knowledge Advancing Industry" - aka Project ALAKA'I - will...
- Provide professional training to people changing careers, upgrading professional skills, pursuing vocational objectives, or interested in adding bioeconomy to their careers;
- Prepare additional instructors to establish bioeconomy trainings at their home institutions;
- Establish respect and understanding of multiple issues required to advance a sustainable bioeconomy industry, making participants more impactful and successful professionals; and
- Help expand knowledge, cultural appreciation, and approaches to sustainability that create life opportunities, environmental benefits, economic improvement, and sustainable development.
We plan to launch the first series of courses the week of July 18 at the University of Hawai'i at Hilo. If you're interested in learning more or attending the bootcamp, reach out to Jackie Hayes at jhayes@ethanolresearch.com. |
|
Preview: NCERC Presentations at FEW & BioMADE! |
|
June 13, 2022 at 1:30 PM
ALAKA‘I: Applied Life-Science Academy: Knowledge Advancing Industry Project Update - Presented by NCERC Director of Business Development & Client Relations Jackie Hayes
Fuel Ethanol Workshop Pre-Conference: Ethanol 101 (Agenda here)
June 13, 2022 at 4:00 PM
"What comes next? Maximizing on the Opportunity Before Us: Establishing Biofuels as the Nation's Go-To Low Carbon Transportation Fuel" - Presented by Jackie Hayes
Fuel Ethanol Workshop
June 14, 2022 at 1:30 PM
Track 3: Coproducts and Product Diversification - Operational Strategies Aimed at Unlocking New and Changing Feed Markets for Plant DDGS Streams
"Potential Marketing Corn Ethanol Co-Products for Fish Feed Ingredients" - Presented by NCERC Director of Research Dr. Yan Zhang
June 15, 2022 at 10:30 AM
Biodiesel & Renewable Diesel Summit - Early Thoughts on Keeping Pace with Feedstock Demand as Renewable Diesel and SAF Production Grows
"Bio-jet Fuel Precursor Production in Engineered E.coli from Corn Starch" - Presented by NCERC Director of Fermentation Dr. Jie Dong
June 15, 2022 at 10:30 AM
Track 3: Coproducts and Product Diversification - Maximizing the Value of Available Protein in Plant Co-product Streams
Moderator: Jackie Hayes
|
|
Aquaculture
NCERC's research team has been working on an in-situ fermentation of corn kernel fiber with intentions to produce high-protein DDGS for use in an aquaculture feeding trial. The early results of this study were showcased at the 2021 FEW and a new round of results will be showcased at the 2022 FEW. This project is in partnership with the University of Idaho's Aquaculture Research Institute.
Hemp to Biofuel Conversion
Work on hemp to biofuel conversion will continue this fall through funding provided to NCERC Director of Fermentation Dr. Jie Dong from a special SIUE funding program, COVID-19 Assigned Research Time, that enables assistant and associate professors to address promotion and tenure research activities that have been negatively impacted by the COVID 19 pandemic. The results of this research was recently summarized via NCERC Graduate Assistant Alyssa Griffin who supported this project for the past two years and utilized it as the topic of her thesis research. Alyssa successfully defended her thesis in May 2022.
Isopentenol Scale Up
As a continued effort to scale up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) conversion, NCERC has hired another graduate assistant who is assisting Dr. Dong in this area of his research throughout the academic year. This research is part of a larger group of researchers who submitted a grant proposal to the Dept of Energy's Bioenergy Technology Office in June with plans to commercialize a corn to isopentenol to SAF method. NCERC Graduate Assistant Muhammed Shehu was working on this project while completing his masters degree at SIUE and presented a poster featuring research findings at the 2021 Alternative Fuels and Chemicals Coalition (AFCC). This work will continue when the NCERC research team has time in between contractual research projects.
MSW to Biofuel Conversion
Through funding provided by SIUE's Transitional & Exploratory Projects (STEP) grant program, NCERC will continue our research on the conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW), waste that comes from both residential and commercial sources, to biofuel. Ajay Venigalla, the student who lead this research over the last academic year, prepared this project for scale-up under the guidance of Dr. Yan Zhang. This work will continue when the NCERC research team has time in between contractual research projects. A special thanks to Waste Connections for providing quarterly samples of MSW! |
|
Meridian Society Derby Day
Edwardsville, IL
May 3
SIUE Staff Senate Meeting
SIUE Campus
May 5
Lallemand Biofuels Academy
Des Moines, IA
May 9 - 12
Distillers Grains Technology Council Conference
Omaha, NE
May 10 - 12
FFRI Press Conference
NCERC Facility
May 12
RFA New Employee Tour
NCERC Facility
May 13
Danforth Center Young Friends Meeting
Virtual
May 17
Great Rivers and Routes Tour Group
NCERC Facility
May 18
RFA's Young Professionals Network March Webinar
Virtual
May 25
|
|
SIUE Staff Senate Meeting
SIUE Campus
June 2
Enjoy Illinois 300 at the World Wide Technologies Raceway
Madison, IL
June 5
Fuel Ethanol Workshop
Minneapolis, MN
June 13 - 15
RFA's Young Professionals Network Member Social Hour
Minneapolis, MN June 14
BioMADE Member Meeting
Minneapolis, MN
June 13 - 15
|
|
Don't miss an issue of NCERC at Work! Click here to subscribe.
|
|
National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC)
400 University Park Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
