Pat Quinn gave out the 2009 Environmental Hero Awards to 22 people and groups from across the state. The honor, which is given out annually, is bestowed upon those in the state who have worked to protect the health of the state's environment.
"I am proud to salute them for their work to make the Land of Lincoln a cleaner, greener and better place for everyone," Quinn said.
One of the people who received an award was Garry Griffith, who serves as Augustana College's dining director. Griffith has played a lead role in the college's Farm-to-Fork program, which takes students from the school to local farms to help produce crops that are used to make meals in its dining system.
Griffith also helped convert 80,000 pounds of food waste into compost for area farms while also converting used cooking oil from the school into biodiesel for farm equipment.
Relying on locally-grown food has become a popular trend across the country. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has put forward efforts to encourage consumers to become more acquainted with farmers in their area.
