Field Notes
ISAP Policy Committee Recaps Key Agricultural and Conservation Policy Issues from the 2026 Legislative Session
The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP) Policy Committee recently hosted a webinar reviewing major agricultural and conservation policy developments from the 2026 Illinois legislative session. Representatives from ISAP member organizations shared updates on legislation, funding initiatives, and policy discussions that could impact Illinois farmers, landowners, conservation professionals, and rural communities. The webinar provided a timely look at legislative efforts important...
Meet the 2027 Soil Health Leadership Program Cohort
The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership is excited to welcome the 2027 Soil Health Leadership Program (SHLP) cohort. This group of 25 participants represents the diversity of Illinois agriculture, bringing together farmers, conservation professionals, agronomists, researchers, technical service providers, and agricultural advisors from across the state. These participants will spend the next 18 months deepening their understanding of soil health and...
Recapping Modern Approaches to Conservation Drainage Design
Expanding the adoption of edge of field (EoF) conservation drainage practices, including saturated buffers, bioreactors, drainage water management systems, and constructed wetlands, depends heavily on having trained professionals who can design and deliver them to interested landowners. To help build this crucial technical capacity, ISAP hosted a two-day workshop, Modern Approaches to Conservation Drainage Design, in Danville, IL in early...
What Social Science Reveals About Conservation Adoption
What influences whether conservation practices are adopted, and what does that mean for reaching nutrient loss reduction goals? This April 2026, the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership Science Committee was joined by Chris Morris, rural sociologist and postdoctoral researcher at Iowa State University and soon-to-be faculty at Kansas State University, to discuss how social science can help answer these questions. Drawing...