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ISAP To Host Soil Health Field Day
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ISAP and Illinois Central College are excited to cohost a Soil Health Field Day this summer with Cargill and American Farmland Trust (AFT). You’re invited to join us on Friday, August 12, from 9am - 2pm, for an in-person field day to:
- Experience hands on soil health demos with ISAP experts
- Consult with local resource professionals
- Visit equipment showcase and meet soil health implement dealers
- Hear from a panel of farmers discussing their own soil health journeys
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Cover Crop Incentive Programs
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When properly managed, incorporating cover crops into a traditional crop rotation provides several benefits including reduction of nutrient loss, limited soil erosion, and improved water infiltration capability. Advancing the adoption of cover crops has been identified as a key strategy for Illinois agriculture to meet the goals established in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS). Members of the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership are working to support this goal by establishing cover crop incentive programs. American Farmland Trust and Illinois Corn Growers Association currently have opportunities for Illinois farmers to receive financial payments to support the adoption and continued incorporation of cover crops on their fields. |
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Upcoming Field Day in
Vermilion Watershed
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STAR Releases Annual Report
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Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) has concluded its third year of reporting conservation efforts in and around the state of Illinois through the Crop Year 2021 STAR Annual Report. The report features a summary of conservation efforts, environmental impacts, and growth of the STAR initiative.
For the 2021 crop year, 472 participants utilized the STAR tool on 85,579 acres over 1,579 fields. In Illinois, 69 Soil & Water Conservation Districts locally administered the program, providing one-on-one technical assistance to farmers and landowners interested in improving their STAR Rating.
Learn more by reading the full report, and complete your STAR 2022 field form by visiting STAR Web App or contacting a Soil & Water Conservation District near you!
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Farms Under Threat
Webinar Series
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America’s farm and ranch lands are rapidly disappearing, threatening our rural communities and agricultural economy, jeopardizing future food security, and increasing vulnerability to extreme weather events. Each state faces a choice: let poorly planned development of this vulnerable resource continue or work to safeguard more farmland through better land-use planning and additional farmland protection tools.
Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future, a new report from American Farmland Trust, maps three alternative futures out to the year 2040. Join AFT’s National Agricultural Land Network Director and guests in a series of upcoming webinars to explore highlights of AFT's findings and what they mean for the future of agriculture in your state:
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On-Farm Energy Use Survey
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American Farmland Trust and Argonne National Laboratory are conducting a brief 10–15-minute survey on the energy consumption on farms. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the diversification and installation of alternative energy sources.
These include renewable power technologies (e.g., wind turbines and solar panels) and organic waste streams (e.g., manure and post-harvest residue) from agricultural activities to create energy through processes like anaerobic digesters for combined heat and power generation, biochar production for soil amendment and heat generation, and renewable natural gas production. This project aims to better understand farmer engagement and interest with onsite renewable energy production.
Individual input, opinions, and needs are particularly important to this project, and so your participation is valuable. Answers provided will be kept anonymous and only shared in summary, so please share honest feedback and opinions on all questions.
Please complete the survey by August 15th, 2022 to be eligible for a random drawing to win $150 (4 winners total), and reach out to Shelby Best at sbest@farmland.org with any questions or comments.
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Stay tuned for the full agenda. To register, email KJ Johnson at kj@ifca.com.
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Partner Spotlight:
Illinois Central College
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ISAP is excited to feature the Illinois Central College (ICC) as our July Partner Spotlight! ICC is a founding member of the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership and has been a strong supporter of the Partnership’s programs. The guidance, experience, and expertise of ICC’s ag faculty has allowed ISAP to serve as a leader in building technical capacity of Illinois ag professionals who are advising farmers as they transition to conservation cropping systems.
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The agricultural program at ICC is gaining momentum and reputation within the educational community and industry. Outreach in the local, state, and national agricultural communities continues to be at the forefront of ICC’s agricultural program. The college’s 70-acre farm assists in the hands-on learning and applied research of the program.
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In this episode of IL Soy's CarbonSense Podcast, Abigail Peterson and Sarah Sellars discuss what questions farmers should be asking before enrolling in a carbon program.
Listen to the fourth episode. |
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What questions do farmers have regarding carbon markets? Which questions are the most relevant / urgent? What is stopping farmers from engaging with carbon markets? ISAP has developed a survey to answer these questions and inform our future ecosystem market programming.
Complete the survey. |
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This farmdoc article reviews results from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, with a focus on the extent to which the public is worried about climate change and its effects on the food system.
Read the full report on FarmDocDaily. |
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The Nature Conservancy is hiring a Conservation Agronomist! This position stewards and helps leverage innovative partnerships with farm service providers such as seed, chemical and fertilizer retailers, and crop consultants to implement programs and provide products and services that lead to improved water quality, soil health, and agricultural sustainability. For a complete position description and to apply, visit http://www.nature.org/careers and search for Job ID# 51826. |
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WEBINARS, CONFERENCES, ETC:
ICCON Call: Using Robots to Plant Cover Crops | July 27 | Virtual | Register
AFT's Vermilion Field Day | July 28 | Chatsworth, IL | Learn more
Ewing Demonstration Center Agronomy Field Day | July 28 | Franklin County | Register
AFT's Farms Under Threat 2040: Choosing an Abundant Future | Virtual
Monroe County SWCD Conservation Forum | Aug 6 | Learn more
Soil Health Institute's 7th Annual Summit: Scaling Up Soil Health | Aug 11-12 | Virtual | Register
ISAP's Summer Field Day with Cargill and AFT | Aug 12 | East Peoria, IL | Register
4R Field Day | Sep 15 | Piatt County, IL | Learn more
To find more events related to agriculture and conservation, visit our Events page.
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