Latest news with #KevinBrooks
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Windblown dirt from Illinois farm fields caused Illinois dust storm, expert explains
Chicago has been hit with some strange weather this month, in particular the historic dust storm on Friday evening. Now that the dust has settled, many are wondering just how and why such an out-of-the-ordinary weather phenomenon happened. The dust blanketed downtown Chicago last Friday — leaving people with filthy cars and with big questions on social media. "A dust Strom in Illinois? I don't know," said Ana Ibarra in a TikTok video. "I feel like in my 29 years of life, I've never heard of a dust storm in Illinois." The dust that hit Chicago was windblown from farm fields in Central Illinois. Video shot by University of Illinois Extension farm management educator Kevin Brooks along Interstate 74 showed motorists cautiously pulling over before driving into near-blackout conditions. "Yes, it was dry. Yes, it was windy," Brooks said. "But those winds weren't that unusual." Brooks has been cautioning the farming community about some of the factors that contribute to such powerful dust storms. "What's changed in the last 10 years is the speed of farming," he said. Brooks said the severity of dust storms is increasing, and can be traced back to technological advances in farm machinery and the speed of tilling soil — which leaves fields bare and dirt loose. "It creates a powder, and if you put powder in your hand and blew it, you'd have powder all over the place," said Brooks, "and that's what's happening with the dust storm." Not only are dust storms a risk to air quality — they can also be deadly. In 2023, eight people were killed when dust from farm fields blew onto I-55 near Springfield, causing dozens of cars to pile up. As for this most recent dust storm, Brooks said it is significant that dust made its way all the way to the city. "With those winds, I found it absolutely amazing that it could do that," he said. Brooks, who also manages farms, admits that it can be hard to get farmers to change their ways — especially when it comes to their bottom line. But he encourages farmers to consider reducing or even eliminating tilling, and also to consider adding cover crops to help the soil.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Procurant Expands Retail Grocery Connections for Perishable Goods Suppliers
Expansion offers suppliers a cost-effective and compliant solution for order management and FSMA 204 related information. WATSONVILLE, Calif., March 11, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Procurant, a leading collaborative software platform for retail grocers, today announced a major expansion of its network of retail grocery connections, now available to all suppliers on the Procurant platform. Additionally, perishable goods suppliers currently trading with these retailers can connect via Procurant's EDI or API solutions, offering a more cost-effective and streamlined way to manage orders and invoices, and to comply with increasing regulatory data requirements. This expansion introduces seamless digital connections to some of the largest and most influential grocery and foodservice retailers, including: ALDI Associated Grocers of New England Costco Gelson's H-E-B Stater Bros. Target Trader Joe's US Foods Wakefern WinCo "With these new retail connections, Procurant is helping suppliers reduce costs and consolidate their sales activity for smoother transactions and fewer order errors. They now have a more affordable, flexible and modern alternative to outdated EDI systems to better serve their customers and more easily comply with FSMA 204 traceability requirements," said Kevin Brooks, Chief Revenue Officer, Procurant. Key benefits for suppliers include: More Retail Connections, Fewer Errors – Consolidate transactions with leading retailers and foodservice companies to save costs and reduce errors through Procurant's secure digital platform. Cost-Effective EDI Alternative – Avoid the high support costs and inefficiencies of legacy EDI solutions while improving order and invoice management. FSMA 204 Compliance Made Easy – Handle FSMA 204-related traceability requests from multiple retailers through a single connection, reducing complexity and ensuring compliance. Flexible Integration Options – Choose between Procurant's web-based platform, API, or EDI to match business needs. For more information or to get started, visit About Procurant Procurant provides a software platform for retail grocers, foodservice organizations and their perishable goods suppliers to collaborate, transact business and manage food safety across the supply chain. From farm to store, Procurant provides the visibility, accuracy and actionable insights that food industry professionals need to ensure quality, safety and efficiency every step of the way. For more information visit View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Brooks, 669-221-6428 | media@ Sign in to access your portfolio
