April 7, 2017 | Blog Post
The use of dicamba herbicide will be greatly expanded in the Midwest this year with the planting of dicamba resistant soybeans on millions of acres. Dicamba has been registered for use since 1965 and is sold widely in hundreds of products for broadleaf weed control for crops, rights of ways, and lawns. The increased use this year threatens specialty crops, prairie, and pollinator habitat.
Agriculture
Farmer Baker Brewer Summit highlights local grains
A farmer, a baker, a brewer, and a distiller walk into an old bakery… It sounds like the setup to a joke, but earlier this month 50 farmers, bakers, brewers and distillers all walked into an historic Alton bakery (now the Old Bakery Beer Company) to talk about something they all have in common – […]
IL Farm Bureau commits money to reduce nutrient pollution
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 […]
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 […]
