BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — As farmers gear up to head back into the fields for another successful planting season, water quality and soil health remain top of mind.

To highlight ongoing environmental stewardship efforts, Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) and its membership will host two Nutrient Stewardship Field Days focused on cover crop management this April.

“Farmers care deeply for their land and work continuously to find new technologies and innovative practices to protect soil and water quality,” said Lauren Lurkins, IFB director of environmental policy. “Field days are opportunities for farmers to share best practices with each other while discussing the research supporting their strategies. It is also the perfect time for farmers to collaborate with community partners and organizations supporting environmental sustainability.”

Farmers across the state, as well as those interested in learning more about agriculture’s role in protecting the environment, are invited to join IFB and its partnering organizations to learn more about past and current Illinois conservation practices and research. 

Hosted through IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program, the upcoming Spring Nutrient Stewardship Field Days will focus on cover crop research in Washington and Knox counties. Eight additional field days across the state will take place this summer.

A schedule for 2023 Spring Field Days is listed below with dates, addresses, hosting county Farm Bureaus (CFBs) and brief summaries of each event.

2023 Spring Nutrient Stewardship Field Days Schedule:

2023 Spring Nutrient Stewardship Field Days Project Summaries:

Washington CFB – April 5

• Washington CFB is hosting a spring field day as part of its multi-year cover crop project. The field day is an opportunity for farmers to evaluate nutrient loss reduction practices and provide outreach to area farmers. Throughout the Washington CFB cover crop project, farmer members have evaluated different cover crop practices and their effects on soil health, cash crop health and return on investment. In addition to hearing from Washington CFB leaders, Dr. Amir Sadeghpour, a Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) associate professor, will present on multi-year manure and cropping systems research that has taken place in a neighboring county.

Knox CFB – April 12

• Knox CFB will share details of its on-going Young Leaders Cover Crop Project. Established in 2019 to support cover crop implementation and young farmer outreach, the project provides financial and technical support for growers across the county. The project aims to implement one cover crop plot in each township. As part of its planned field day event, Knox CFB leaders will share project updates, as well as lead a discussion with the group about the future of the project. Additionally, Dr. Giovani Preza-Fontes, a University of Illinois assistant professor and field crops extension agronomist, will introduce himself to the group as well as present his past research and future research goals. 

The 2023 Nutrient Stewardship Field Days are funded through IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program. The program, now in its eighth year, distributed $150,000 in 2023 to 23 CFBs that will collaborate on 17 projects to further Illinois water and soil conservation efforts. 

“Illinois Farm Bureau, county Farm Bureaus and our agriculture and environmental partners continue to work hard to further the state’s Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy goals,” said Raelynn Parmely, IFB environmental program manager. “Field days are the perfect opportunity for farmers to share ideas with researchers and other organizations that we partner with, while also highlighting ongoing efforts to protect our natural resources. It is also a time for those inside and outside of agriculture to get out into the field and learn more about the important environmental stewardship practices farmers and researchers are using across the state.”

The Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS), released by the Illinois Department of Agriculture and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency in 2015, is a roadmap for wastewater treatment plants and urban and agriculture stakeholders to reduce the loss of nitrate-nitrogen by 15% and total phosphorus by 25% into Illinois waterways by 2025. The eventual target is a 45% reduction in the loss of these nutrients to the Mississippi River and Gulf of Mexico.

For more information on upcoming field days or to browse past events, visit www.ilfb.org/FieldDays.

— Illinois Farm Bureau