blog posts

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  Study tracks PFAS, microplastics through landfills and wastewater treatment plants

  Nov 19, 2024 10:15 am

  Scientists analyzed the liquid waste, or leachate, released by four Illinois landfills and the inflows and outflows of associated wastewater treatment plants to determine the fate of two contaminants: microplastics and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS. The findings are reported in the journal Science of the Total Environment. 

  
  

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  Scientists tackle farm nutrient pollution with sustainable, affordable designer biochar pellets

  Nov 5, 2024 12:15 pm

  What if farmers could not only prevent excess phosphorus from polluting downstream waterways, but also recycle that nutrient as a slow-release fertilizer, all without spending a lot of money? In a first-of-its-kind field study, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers show it’s possible and economical.  

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  Study combines woodchips and biochar to clean water of pharmaceuticals, nutrients

  Oct 21, 2024 10:45 am

  In a new University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign study, PRI and ACES researchers show how a simple system using woodchips and a bit of glorified sawdust can dramatically reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and multiple common drugs in wastewater. 

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  Waste plastic can improve sustainable aviation fuel, researchers find

  Sep 16, 2024 8:00 am

  Illinois Sustainable Technology Center scientists at the Prairie Research Institute have found that waste plastic can be used to improve sustainable aviation fuel.

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  ISTC assists U. of I. campus with waste characterization study

  Aug 28, 2024 11:15 am

  The ISTC Technical Assistance Program assisted with a waste characterization study that found that 34% of campus waste reviewed was avoidable. The report also made recommendations for waste reduction and improved management. Facilities & Services Zero Waste Coordinator Daphne Hulse said, “ISTC’s important and updated insight gives us the ability to turn their work into meaningful results that have an impact across campus. To accomplish our goals, we need to keep looking at how we can all continue to make progress by taking all available actions to properly reduce, reuse, and recycle where we study, work, recreate, and live.” 

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  PRI announces operation phase of world's largest carbon capture pilot

  Jul 1, 2024 2:45 pm

  The Phase III pilot, retrofitting Dallman 4, is the largest of its kind globally. This $80 million initiative is designed to position Illinois as a leader in carbon capture technology.

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  Study tracks emerging contaminants from landfill to treatment plant to application

  Feb 6, 2024 9:30 am

  In a recent study published in an Illinois Sustainable Technology Center report, John Scott, analytical chemist at ISTC in the University of Illinois, studied the fate of microplastics and PFAS as they moved from landfill leachate, or water that filters though the mound of trash, to wastewater treatment plants and beyond. 

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  Cultivating Innovation: The Intersection of Geography, Climate, and Agricultural Research in Illinois

  Jan 31, 2024 8:45 am

  Since its inception in 2008, the Prairie Research Institute has conducted long-term monitoring of Illinois’ water, soil, and climate. These data, including growing and pest degree days, soil temperature and moisture, water table levels, and in-stream sediment, are used every day by thousands of Illinoisans and by the state’s agriculture, renewable energy, and construction industries.

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  Small food businesses in Chicago tackle food waste

  Jan 4, 2024 3:00 pm

  In an Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) pilot project, a few small food businesses in Chicago learned that there are other, feasible options for handling wasted food than throwing it away. Composting, for one, works well for businesses that have access to compost hauling services.

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  PRI tapped to lead feasibility studies for three regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) hubs

  Oct 5, 2023 8:00 am

  This once-in-a-generation investment in infrastructure will support efforts to build a clean and equitable energy economy that achieves a zero-carbon energy system by 2035 and to put the United States on a path to strengthen energy prosperity and achieve net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. 

  PRI is specifically tasked with executing feasibility and pre-feasibility studies of potential DAC Hub locations, ownership structures, business models, CO2 storage/utilization option(s), and technology partner(s) outlined in the following stage 1 of potential multi-stage projects in Illlinois, Colorado, and Florida.

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  PRI joins prestigious Direct Air Capture Coalition

  Aug 29, 2023 9:00 am

  Following an unprecedented win of Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs earlier this month, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), part of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was invited to join the Direct Air Capture Coalition (DAC Coalition), in part, due to the commercial success of its point-source carbon capture and its decades of experience in permanently storing CO₂ underground at a commercial scale.

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  New law fosters farmers’ fresh produce donations to Illinois food banks

  Aug 16, 2023 8:45 am

  With Governor JB Pritzker’s signature on House Bill 2879, the Farm to Food Bank Program has been established in Illinois. The program helps farmers donate their surplus produce to local food banks and assists more than 1 million Illinoisans facing food insecurity. An ongoing three-year Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) effort, which includes a feasibility study and pilot projects, has proven that the program can be successful in Illinois.

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  PRI selected to lead feasibility studies for three Regional Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hubs

  Aug 15, 2023 8:00 am

  PRI was selected to lead an effort to promote promising technologies that can capture carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and store it underground at three different sites in Illinois, Colorado, and Florida. Read the full announcement from the Department of Energy (DOE) here.

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  Scientists study how a diabetes drug affects soils

  Aug 9, 2023 9:30 am

  In a recent study, ISTC environmental chemist Wei Zheng and colleagues investigated the adsorption of sitagliptin in soils treated with sewage wastewater.

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  ISTC TAP offers free sustainability training for Illinois manufacturers

  Mar 15, 2023 3:30 pm

  ISTC TAP recently launched an innovative training program focused on increasing the competitiveness of Illinois manufacturers by reducing environmental impacts and costs. The project is funded by a grant from U.S. EPA. 

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  ISTC Farm to Food Bank project publishes case studies highlighting recent collaborations

  Feb 28, 2023 4:15 pm

  The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center's Farm to Food Bank project recently published six case studies of their work with farmers during the 2022 growing season. Each case study includes a summary of the project, as well as lessons learned.

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  Institutional Water Treatment program service helps combat the spread of Legionnaires’ disease

  Feb 16, 2023 3:00 pm

  The Institutional Water Treatment program (IWT), part of the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center's Technical Assistance Program, provides unbiased, professional water treatment advice to facilities equipped with institutional water systems such as cooling towers, chillers, and boilers. Their services range from presenting on-site training and seminars to providing chemical specifications and making recommendations for a comprehensive water treatment program to control corrosion, mineral scale formation, and biological growth.  IWT now offers on-site water sample collection and two laboratory test methods for L. pneumophila detection.

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  ISTC scientist is set to develop technology addressing water contaminated with PFAS

  Feb 6, 2023 8:45 am

  Man-made per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals,” withstand many treatment options and bioaccumulate in the environment, posing serious environmental and health concerns. With a three-year, nearly $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), Illinois Sustainable Technology Center  (SERDP), Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) scientists are developing a new technology to remove and destroy PFAS from contaminated water using a designer biochar produced from woody biomass or agricultural residues such as corn stalks and cobs.

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  Farm to Food Bank project featured at From Food to Flowers: Everything Local conference

  Jan 26, 2023 12:30 pm

  ISTC's Farm to Food Bank project was featured at the recent From Food to Flowers: Everything Local conference in Springfield. The program included a panel presentation with Farm to Food Bank project partners and the presentation of a Friend of the Food Bank award to Rendleman Orchards for their work with the initiative.

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  Prairie Research Institute breaks ground for carbon capture pilot at CWLP

  Dec 19, 2022 8:00 am

  Officials from the University of Illinois, the City of Springfield, the State of Illinois, and the U.S. Department of Energy for a groundbreaking ceremony for a 10-megawatt carbon capture project at City, Water, Light, and Power’s (CWLP) in Springfield, Ill. The post-combustion carbon capture system is recognized as one of the world’s largest carbon capture pilots.

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  ISTC scientist John Scott featured in new video, "The Plastic Problem"

  Oct 17, 2022 12:00 pm

  Illinois Sustainable Technology Center's John Scott is featured in a new video, "The Plastic Problem," developed by the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment. The video is an excellent introduction to the plastic issue and is just a three-minute watch.

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  Joy Scrogum recognized as P2 Ambassador by National Pollution Prevention Roundtable

  Sep 22, 2022 3:45 pm

  The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR) has recognized ISTC assistant sustainability scientist Joy Scrogum as the recipient of the 2022 Fred Granek Memorial P2 Ambassador Award.

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  ISTC leads extensive portfolio of carbon capture projects

  Jul 8, 2022 1:00 pm

  Visitors from the U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) recently toured multiple carbon capture projects led by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC).

  Because the unique geology of Illinois provides extensive potential to store carbon dioxide deep underground, the state is also an ideal location to develop, demonstrate, and deploy technologies to capture CO2 from point sources, remove CO2 from the ambient air, and beneficially use CO2. ISTC scientists and engineers are leaders in this research, conducting a number of carbon capture, removal, and use projects backed by funding from the Department of Energy.

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  ISTC seeks partner for USDA composting and food waste reduction project

  Jul 5, 2022 1:30 pm

  ISTC seeks an eligible organization to be the lead applicant on a collaborative proposal through the USDA Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production's Composting and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) pilot program. ISTC's TAP staff will provide support on the cooperative agreement through zero waste technical assistance, education, and outreach. Contact TAP to learn more about this partnership opportunity.

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  PRI to lead direct air capture FEED study at U. S. Steel’s Gary Works

  Jun 22, 2022 10:00 am

  The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory has selected the Prairie Research Institute to lead a front-end engineering design study of a carbon dioxide direct air capture and utilization system. By using waste heat and energy from U. S. Steel’s Gary Works in Gary, Indiana, the project's energy and transportation costs can be minimized. 

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  Technology to absorb CO₂ at power plants is promising

  Apr 22, 2022 9:00 am

  Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) researchers have given the thumbs up to an innovative biphasic solvent system for its efficiency and effectiveness in absorbing CO₂ from flue gas in a coal-fired power plant at the University of Illinois (U of I).

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  Microplastics on the move: research projects detect microplastics in water and on land

  Mar 14, 2022 8:00 am

  At the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), researcher John Scott is studying microplastics in landfills, rural streams, and city drinking water to further understand where they are coming from and how they move in the environment.

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  Underwater innovation at Illinois Beach State Park to help mitigate coastal erosion

  Feb 18, 2022 4:00 pm

  This past summer, with funding from the EPA Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, a US Army Corps of Engineers crane carefully placed over 10,000 tons of stone five hundred feet offshore of Illinois Beach State Park (ISBP) and Hosah Park, a Zion Park District property wedged between the north and south units of IBSP. These stones form three “rubble ridges” that are intended to work in concert to lessen storm waves and protect the eroding beach and unique terrestrial ecosystem in the dunes while preserving views and enhancing fish habitat.

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  Divert and convert: Campus project takes plastic from waste stream for fuel production

  Feb 18, 2022 10:30 am

  A new Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) pilot project is gearing up to remove 200 pounds of non-recyclable plastics from campus trash daily and convert it to 140 pounds of crude oil to power university vehicles. The project will demonstrate its benefits to the environment and campus and present unique learning opportunities for students.

   

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  PRI chemist John Scott answers PFAS questions

  Feb 10, 2022 12:00 pm

  Following action by the federal Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois is investigating the occurrence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in community water supplies across the state, with an eye toward developing policies to reduce their use. Exposure to PFAS has been linked to increased risk of certain cancers and potential developmental problems in children. John Scott, a senior chemist with the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, offers perspective on this issue. 

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  Protecting the environment and public health through hazardous waste research and education

  Feb 4, 2022 1:45 pm

  PRI applies the state's Hazardous Waste Research Fund (HWRF) to studies that benefit public health and support pollution prevention and the preservation of natural resource preservation. One current project is assessing the health risk of Legionella in private wells, while another is evaluating the amount of microplastics in landfill leachate.

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  PRI offers applied science internships for summer 2022

  Jan 28, 2022 8:00 am

  PRI is offering hands-on summer internships that will enable undergraduate students from populations underrepresented in graduate study at Illinois to explore careers in applied science. There are opportunities in atmospheric science and climate; biology, ecology, and environmental science; geology; sustainable energy; and water supply and safety. To see all of the internship options and to apply, visit https://go.illinois.edu/PRI-interns

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  TAP project helps Rendleman Orchard get surplus fruit to food banks

  Jan 21, 2022 10:45 am

  Through a grant from USDA, ISTC and Feeding Illinois partnered with Rendleman Orchards during the 2021 growing season to ensure no fruit went to waste. 

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  Scientists study ways to reduce PPCPs transferred from soils to food plants

  Jan 18, 2022 9:45 am

  The debate continues: how much risk to human health is the transfer of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) through soils to food plants when biosolids, sewage effluents, and animal wastes are applied to fields? As scientists speculate and study the factors that affect risk, researchers at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) are finding innovative solutions to remove PPCPs before they contaminate the vegetables and fruits we consume.

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  U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm tours PRI carbon management projects

  Dec 10, 2021 8:30 am

  On Dec. 9, U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm toured several U of I sustainable energy projects, including PRI’s carbon capture efforts at Abbott Power Plant. During the visit she also heard about PRI's extensive work in carbon sequestration.

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  New project uses flue gas and wastewater to make algae

  Dec 6, 2021 3:30 pm

  A three-year, $2.5 million Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) engineering-scale project will be one of the first and largest to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) from a coal-fired power plant with nutrients from wastewater treatment plants to cultivate algae for animal feeds. 

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  Illinois Farm to Food Bank Project connects specialty growers with food banks

  Dec 2, 2021 9:00 am

  This fall, the Illinois Farm to Food Bank program wrapped up its pilot project with Rendleman and Flamm Orchards in Union County. Nearly 375,000 pounds of peaches and nectarines were distributed to food banks throughout Illinois.

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  U.S. Department of Energy announces investment to further develop carbon capture technology via FEED study

  Nov 1, 2021 11:00 am

  The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE-NETL) selected the University of Illinois for $4 million in funding, in addition to cost share contributions by LafargeHolcim and Air Liquide, for research and development to support a front-end engineering design (FEED) study of a carbon capture retrofit at an industrial facility in Missouri. 

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  ISTC-led team to design large-scale system for direct air capture and storage of carbon dioxide in the U.S.

  Oct 20, 2021 8:00 am

  The U.S. Department of Energy has partnered with the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center in a nearly $2.5 million project to develop preliminary designs and determine feasibility for the first commercial-scale direct air capture and storage system for carbon dioxide removal in the United States.

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  ISTC program looks ahead to renewable energy waste issues

  Oct 15, 2021 9:30 am

  As renewable energy is poised to replace fossil fuels long term in Illinois, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center is delving into a looming issue: what to do with solar modules, wind turbines, and electric vehicle batteries that are no longer used. Keeping these products out of landfills is the primary goal.

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  Farmers show interest in Farm to Food Bank Program

  Sep 14, 2021 3:30 pm

  The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC), Feeding Illinois, and other organizations are partnering to explore new, viable ways to connect farmers directly with food banks to increase the state’s food supply for the food insecure and reduce waste.

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  Teamwork and expertise drive success with major decarbonization projects

  Aug 10, 2021 10:30 am

  From 2018 to 2020, ISTC submitted over 200 proposals for technology R&D projects, winning more than 60 percent of those projects and bringing in more than $84 million in external funding. Major partners include the U.S.  Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the state of Illinois.

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  Understanding water’s role in decarbonization

  Jul 27, 2021 4:45 pm

  ISTC researchers needed to find adequate and reliable water sources to keep a carbon capture system running without compromising fragile aquatic ecosystems, local economies, and nearby communities’ water supply. Fortunately, ISTC knew the right expertise was close at hand in another unit within its parent Prairie Research Institute – The Water Survey’s Watershed Science team.

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  ISTC program marks big savings for Illinois wastewater treatment plants

  Jul 12, 2021 2:15 pm

  Illinois municipalities hoping to save money on energy costs for wastewater treatment turn to the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) Technical Assistance Program (TAP) for advice. The Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Assistance Program started in 2018 with funding from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Partnering with the University of Illinois’ Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC), the TAP team visits publicly owned wastewater treatment plants across the state and drafts no-cost assessments with specific recommendations on how to lower energy costs.

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  DOE awards $47 million to PRI and collaborators for carbon capture project

  May 10, 2021 3:45 pm

  The team will build and operate a 10 MWe slipstream of the Linde/BASF post-combustion carbon capture technology at City Water, Light and Power (CWLP) in Springfield, Illinois. The successful construction and operation of this plant will provide a means to demonstrate an economically attractive and transformational capture technology. 

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  Three new DOE-funded PRI projects set to design energy storage systems for power plants

  May 7, 2021 10:15 am

  It is challenging to integrate renewable resources into the distribution grid of fossil-fueled power plants when energy is most needed. The results are often intermittent and unpredictable, which makes it difficult to match energy demand with supply.

  In three new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-funded projects, scientists in the Prairie Research Institute will design systems and explore the feasibility of combining the use of renewable and fossil energy sources to ensure both short and long-term reliability in electric power delivery.

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  DOE-funded project to find beneficial uses for coal combustion wastes

  Mar 23, 2021 10:00 am

  Scientists at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) are beginning a $1 million, two-year project to find new and value-added uses for fly ash, a powdery remnant of burning coal. Confining the ash in vegetable oil will potentially reduce the amount of fly ash waste and lessen the risk of heavy metals from waste piles leaching into surface and groundwater. 

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  Farm to food bank survey extended to end of March

  Mar 12, 2021 8:00 am

  Farmers throughout Illinois are encouraged to complete a short online survey that will help identify the mix of incentives and program interventions to overcome the current barriers to efficient flows of fresh food produced in Illinois, to Illinois residents, with as little waste as possible. The survey closes March 30.

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  ‘Plastics don’t ever go away’—ISTC scientist John Scott studies impact of microplastics

  Feb 16, 2021 3:45 pm

  Plastic products permeate our environment and over time they break down. The microscopic size of particles, how long they last, and what is associated with them raise health concerns. Although the health effects are still largely uncertain, recent research at the Illinois Sustainability Technology Center (ISTC) has provided some insight into what happens to plastics once they’re used and thrown away.

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  Sustainable Technology Center collaborates to connect surplus food with hunger relief agencies

  Feb 2, 2021 7:00 am

  The University of Illinois, Feeding Illinois, the Illinois Specialty Growers Association, and the Illinois Farm Bureau are collaborating to collect and collate information on the locations, types, and quantities of “surplus” specialty crops in Illinois, including potential acquisition costs. Through a producer survey, a series of focus groups, and implementation of pilots across the state the team looks to uncover the optimal mix of incentives and program interventions to overcome the current barriers to efficient flows of fresh food produced in Illinois, to Illinois residents, with as little waste as possible.