The Capacity Building Initiative promotes bottom-up agroecology, fostering sustainable innovation at the local level, and sharing progress through Agroecology + Innovation Matters (AIM) initiative communications.
The AIM project was initiated through a state/federal leveraged funded Capacity Building Initiative between the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Services (NRCS). Our 40 Conservation Planners and Coordinators aim to enhance soil health, reduce nutrient loss, maintain clean waters, and bolster the advancement of best conservation practices by collaborating with NRCS field offices, soil and water conservation districts, producers, and landowners across the state.
Our team strives to communicate best practices stories and provide educational resources for our community. AIM empowers producers and landowners to explore agroecology and innovative infield and edge of field practices like cover crops, conservation tillage, vegetated buffers, grassed waterways, prairie strips, and constructed wetlands.
RECENT NEWS
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Soil Health – Former Buffalo Farm Continues to Provide Precious Habitat For O’Fallon Wildlife
Although the bison have been gone for quite some time, many of the O’Fallon area residents still fondly refer to the Brown Family’s property as The Buffalo Farm. According to Stephen Brown, the family’s involvement with… Read more
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Conservation Planner Spotlight — Aidan Woltman & Olivia Winters
Working in the collar counties of Illinois, Conservation Planners Aidan Woltman and Olivia Winters were like two peas in a pod. Although Aidan was the McHenry County Conservation Planner and Olivia represents Kane County, they were… Read more
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Soil Health Summit
On March 10-11, AIM hosted the Soil Health Summit for Conservation Planners and the Admin Team in Macomb, Illinois. The goal of the Soil Health Summit was to provide the in person lab trainings for those… Read more
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Conservation Planner Spotlight — Leticia Taliafero
When she’s not helping farmers as a Conservation Planner in Rock Island County, Leticia Taliafero spends her time working on her own certified organic operation, Sowing Seed Urban Garden Center, where she specializes in microgreens that… Read more
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Featured Producer: Al DeCrane
Wildlife habitat enhancement is a family affair for Al DeCrane on his farm in Galva, IL , which includes pollinator plots, three large ponds, and over 20 acres of trees, including white pine and a few… Read more