Travel along rural roads in our area this winter, and you just might see an unusual sight. Those standing corn rows, still there weeks after the fall harvest? Those are no mistake: They’re helping keep the road in front of you clearer and safer. The McHenry-Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District has partnered withContinue Reading Hammer: Standing rows of corn in fields help prevent snow, ice from blowing onto roads

One conservation practice that greatly benefits water quality, yet is often overlooked, is wetlands. Consider promoting this practice in your District or constructing one on your land in an area with consistent low yields, or in a tucked-away corner that could infiltrate tile water. For more urban areas, a rain garden would be a similarContinue Reading Improving Water Quality in Illinois

NLRS News from Around the State by Steve Fulling My name is Steve Fulling and I live in Palestine, located in Crawford County. I am co-chair of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Subcommittee, alongside Knox County Resource Conservationist Kara Downin. In conversation with the AISWCD andContinue Reading NLRS News from Around the State

(Via The News-Gazette) Champaign – If a homeowner wants an energy-efficient washing machine, they can look for an Energy Star appliance. If a college wants to show that it’s newest building is “green,” it can be certified under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, program. But if a farmer wants to showContinue Reading Champaign County group hopes farmers reach for the STAR

(Via Herald & Review) Decatur – Illinois farmers are losing their soil at record rates. Conservationists know how to stop the problem, but they say improvements aren’t happening because of an industry-wide trend. Farmers don’t own the land they work on. Nonfarming landlords own 80 percent of U.S. farmland, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.Continue Reading “Soil health protects farmers, taxpayers”

The Stewardship Committee of the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District has developed a FREE tool to assist farm operators and land owners in evaluating their nutrient and soil loss management practices on individual fields. The S.T.A.R. (Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources) evaluation system assigns points for each cropping, tillage, nutrient application and soil conservation activity used on individual fields.Continue Reading LEARN ABOUT THE S.T.A.R. PROGRAM!

SPRINGFIELD (June 15, 2018) – Gov. Bruce Rauner joined the Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture Raymond Poe, local officials, and the Stremsterfer family at Stremsterfer Farms in Pleasant Plains today to announce the release of $16M in agriculture grants. The funds being released from the fiscal year 2018 budget will fund soil &Continue Reading Gov. Rauner announces release of funding for Department of Agriculture programs

Associated Press writer Andrew Taylor reported on Wednesday that, “A Senate panel approved a modest, bipartisan rewrite of federal farm and nutrition programs on Wednesday, sidestepping a fight for now but setting up a clash with House Republicans intent on beefing up work requirements for food stamps. Read more …HERE.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) sent a letter to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry outlining the organization’s reaction to The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 released on Friday. The letter applauds Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS), Ranking Member Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and members of the committee forContinue Reading NACD Reacts To Senate Ag Committee’s Farm Bill Draft

DTN Ag Policy Editor Chris Clayton reported on Friday that, “The farm bill that will be taken up by the Senate Agriculture Committee next week will look a lot like the current farm bill with some tweaks to commodity and conservation programs, but no radical changes from current law. Read more HERE…