The Illinois Farm Bureau is committing $100,000 to a new grant program to help county Farm Bureaus implement strategies next year that will improve soil health and water quality and reduce fertilizer runoff in their area. The grant program is designed to engage county Farm Bureaus in the effort to increase nutrient stewardship practices by […]
Agriculture
Livestock waste spill into Stony Creek results in fish kill
Last week, concentrated livestock waste from a nearby cattle operation spilled into Stony Creek and the Vermilion River. Inspectors observed pollution impacts several miles downstream from the site of the spill, including in the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River. The Oakwood public water supply, located seven miles from the livestock facility, was identified as […]
State Strategy Falls Flat as Overload of Nutrients Harms Illinois Waters
CHAMPAIGN, IL — Yesterday’s release of the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture importantly recognizes one of the state’s most serious water pollution problems: Nitrogen and phosphorus pollution from farms and sewage treatment plants harming Illinois waters and contributing to the dead zone in the Gulf of […]
Farm Bill Passes with Important Conservation Requirement
Finally, we have a federal Farm Bill! President Obama signed the long-awaited bill into law on February 7, bringing an end to a multi-year effort to pass the legislation. And fortunately, the environmental community has something to celebrate: conservation compliance was re-linked to federal crop insurance subsidies! The relinkage of conservation compliance to crop insurance […]
Recreational tillage not good for Illinois’ soil or water
In the fall after crop harvest, some farmers perform what is known as “recreational tillage.” Like the name indicates, this activity is largely a family tradition or just something to do. But soil experts are trying to shift farmers to reduced tillage or even no tillage. A less disturbed soil is a healthier soil. Illinois […]
