How an ACES alumna is sweetening Valentine’s Day with science and innovation

Longtime Chicago residents may miss the chocolatey fragrance wafting from Blommer Chocolate Company's now-shuttered West Loop factory. However, despite the closing of the factory, the Chicago headquarters and laboratories of one of North America’s largest cocoa processor remain. 

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ACES hosts Illinois Ag Leadership Program for international perspectives training

Twenty-five members of the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program participated in two days of seminars at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on Feb. 6-7 to broaden their international perspectives and understanding of Illinois’ place in global agriculture. 

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Online weight loss program is effective way to reach rural populations, study shows

People living in rural areas are at greater risk for obesity than the general population, and they often have limited access to healthy, affordable food, physical activity facilities, public transportation, and health care institutions. Weight loss interventions are more successful with support from a dietitian, but many rural residents do not have preventive care providers nearby.

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How are migrating wild birds affected by H5N1 infection in the U.S.?

Each spring, roughly 3.5 billion wild birds migrate from their warm winter havens to their breeding grounds across North America, eating insects, distributing plant seeds and providing a variety of other ecosystem services to stopping sites along the way. Some also carry diseases like avian influenza, a worry for agricultural, environmental and public health authorities. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign professor of natural resources and environmental sciences Michael P.

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Dating is not broken, but the trajectories of relationships have changed

According to some popular culture writers and online posts by discouraged singles lamenting their inability to find romantic partners, dating is “broken,” fractured by the social isolation created by technology, pandemic lockdowns and potential partners’ unrealistic expectations.

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Farmer at heart and lawyer by trade: Remembering Steve Gerdes

The world lost a humble giant on July 30, 2023. Steve Gerdes (ACE, ’77) was a man of boundless dreams and even greater determination. His deep love for farming, family, community, and life itself was evident in everything he did and continues to inspire through the legacy he leaves behind.

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Waste to wealth: Pomelo peel can be used for electricity generation and sensing devices

Pomelo is a large citrus fruit commonly grown in Southeast and East Asia. It has a very thick peel, which is typically discarded, resulting in a considerable amount of food waste.

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Voices of ACES Blog

NASDA Next Generation: 2 ACES students make their mark

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In September 2024, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) held their annual Next Generation program.  A cohort of 14 students from 8 universities travelled to Indianapolis for committee meetings, trainings, and networking with NASDA members, state staff, and industry professionals.

New agroforestry maps plot environmental, social, and economic benefits of trees

There’s a longstanding attitude in many farming communities that trees and agriculture don’t mix. But agroforestry — the intentional integration of trees and shrubs in agricultural systems, such as planting trees as windbreaks, integrating trees on pastures, or growing tree crops intercropped with annual crops — can provide a multitude of benefits to both farmers and landscapes. So far, in the U.S. Midwest, these benefits have gone unrealized, with vanishingly small adoption rates.  

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