As with much of Illinois agriculture, DeKalb County’s most plentiful commodities are corn and soybeans, followed by hogs and beef cattle. But don’t forget the apple orchards. Or the dairy cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens. Or the pumpkins. Or the fresh vegetables and greens destined for Chicago markets. Or the hay, oats, raspberries, strawberries, and […]

STAR farmers make positive changes on their land, knowing greater soil productivity and resilience thanks to healthy soil is a better investment, said Collin Nye, one of the Conservation Planners who contributed to STAR verification. Nye is based out of Grundy County Soil & Water Conservation District, and is one of 40 planners stationed around […]

Consumer interest in where food comes from is accelerating a long-overdue meeting of the minds between conservationists, environmentalists, and farmers. Public landowners are helping by viewing their farm leases as “demonstration projects” to encourage adoption of agriculture practices that prioritize soil restoration and ecosystem health. That was Ed Collins’ message in a recent webinar. Collins […]

Dick Lyons, former Lincoln Land Community College and Illinois State University agriculture professor, had the highest yields in corn and wheat, and fourth highest in soybeans, during a census in 2018. Dick credits using no-till, cover crops, and other conservation practices for helping to release nutrients in his soil while keeping water runoff clean. Dick […]

Agroecology educator Connie Kollmeyer of The Conservation Foundation. Suburbanites tend to think of agriculture as something that’s “far away”—vast fields in rural areas.  Or the “urban agriculture” phenomenon—vegetable patches popping up on vacant city lots. “I like the term community-centered agriculture,” says Connie Kollmeyer. “Community-centered agriculture means crops can be grown anywhere that people live.”  Kollmeyer […]

Celebrate Soil Health Week with the Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Agroecology + Innovation Matters, and Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) March 4-10, 2024 at the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield.  Soil is the foundation of life. Along with giving us clean air and water, healthy soil is responsible for food security, rich forests, abundant prairies, […]

Steve Stierwalt is one of the farmers who wondered how to encourage neighbors to prevent nutrient runoff from fields and improve soil health, leading to the creation of STAR.Watch videos | Steve Stierwalt | Joe Rothermel | Kris Reynolds In 2017, two Central Illinois farmers wondered how they could encourage neighbors to find new ways to prevent nutrient runoff from fields […]

Kris Reynolds has added cover crops and conservation practices to his farm near Nokomis in Montgomery County. Reynolds serves as a member of the STAR board and is Midwest Director of American Farmland Trust.Watch videos | Steve Stierwalt | Joe Rothermel | Kris Reynolds On-farm conservation practices in Illinois have largely focused on nutrient runoff in recent years, but some […]

In 2017, two Central Illinois farmers wondered how they could encourage neighbors to find new ways to prevent nutrient runoff from fields. Steve Stierwalt and Joe Rothermel were successful using reduced-tillage and cover crops to improve soil health and reduce runoff, and they thought there must be a simple, straightforward way to help make such […]