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 […]
Agriculture
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 […]
“Troubled Waters” to be shown in Champaign-Urbana
One of the goals of Prairie Rivers Network is to improve the health of Illinois’ rural rivers by reducing farm chemical pollution. The documentary Troubled Waters does a nice job of describing the issue. Thanks to the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center for publicly screening this film on Tuesday, October 22! Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story […]
Illinois Land Conversions Result in More Crop Acres
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released new data that show a net national loss of non-cropland (e.g., prairie, forest) due to conversion to cropland. In a one year period from 2011-2012, Illinois netted a 10,000 acre gain in cropland. This means we are losing habitat for recreation, wildlife, stormwater management, and open space. The reasons […]
PBS to Air “Troubled Waters” Tonight
A big thank you to WILL-TV for broadcasting the documentary Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story. This one-hour program airs at 9pm on Monday, August 5. Troubled Waters tells the story of the unintended consequences of farming on the health of the Mississippi River. Fertilizers and pesticides leave farm fields during storms and make their way […]
