Rantoul Foods is a hog slaughterhouse located just west of Rantoul, Illinois. They slaughter almost 4,000 hogs a day and produce about 1 million gallons of sludge annually during the processing. This sludge is causing a problem for neighbors and the environment because the sludge is being stockpiled in nearby agricultural fields. Thanks to WICD Channel 15 and The […]
Agriculture
Tell Congress to put conservation compliance in the farm bill
UPDATE: On Wednesday, June 19, Congressman Fortenberry introduced his amendment on the House floor, and then withdrew it. It is likely that he felt there was not enough support for passage. Unfortunately, this means the House farm bill will not link conservation compliance to crop insurance subsidies. However, the Senate farm bill does establish this linkage. Once the House passes […]
Illinois to Write State Nutrient Reduction Strategy, but Will It Be Tough Enough?
Prairie Rivers Network recently attended the kickoff meeting of the Illinois State Nutrient Reduction Strategy. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Agriculture announced they will be writing a state plan to reduce nutrient pollution. The plan is being written because Illinois is one of the leading contributors of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that […]
PRN Talks Farm Bill with Congressman Davis
Prairie Rivers Network has a new neighbor, Congressman Rodney Davis of the 13th District. He is occupying the office of retired Congressman Tim Johnson on Fox Drive in Champaign. So it was an easy stroll to meet with him recently about our priorities for the federal Farm Bill. During the meeting, we requested that Congressman […]
PRN on the Smile Politely Radio Podcast
Traci Barkley and Robert Hirschfeld of Prairie Rivers Network sat down with the Smile Politely Radio team to discuss a number of important issues facing Illinois’ waters. The conversation covered agricultural and landscape runoff, a proposed Central Illinois coal mine, Asian carp, green infrastructure, and the effects of improperly disposed pharmaceuticals and other household chemicals. […]
