Recent News

Probing Into Soil Health Tests: Dr. Patrick Freeze Recaps the Haney Soil Health Test

To kick off the first call of ICCON's Probing Into Soil Health Tests: Which Test is Best? series, ICCON hosted Dr. Patrick Freeze from Ward Laboratories, Inc. to delve into the intricacies of the Haney Soil Health Test. While soil health testing is a relatively novel concept for many farmers and agricultural professionals, there's a growing interest in understanding its...

ICCON Discusses NLRS Challenges and Feasibility of Achieving Interim Goals

During the January ICCON call, the network had the pleasure of hosting Adrienne Marino, Water Quality Program Manager at the Nature Conservancy in Illinois. Marino shared a comprehensive overview of the 2023 Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) Biennial Report, shedding light on the state's progress and challenges. The NLRS was initiated in response to the 2008 Gulf Hypoxia Action...

ICCON Recaps The 2023 National Cover Crop Survey

On December 13, ICCON welcomed Dr. Rob Meyers, the Director for the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Missouri, for an insightful discussion on the outcomes of the 2023 National Cover Crop Survey. Conducted in March of 2023, the survey provides a comprehensive reflection of cover cropping data from the 2022 agricultural season.  The online survey, comprising 110...

Celebrating Agriculture at the State Fair

Ag Day at the Illinois State Fair is an annual event bringing together the best and brightest in the Illinois farm and food sectors. This year’s celebration took place on August 16, kicking off with breakfast and awards program in the Orr Building on the Springfield fairgrounds. The Agriculture Breakfast celebrates agriculture as Illinois’ #1 industry and recognizes ag professionals...

ISAP Provides Technical Expertise at Soil Health Field Day

In August, ISAP members joined American Farmland Trust and Cargill, Inc. to host a Soil Health Field Day at Illinois Central College (ICC). The day-long event brought together over 75 farmers, retailers, local resource professionals, and conservation experts and featured the importance of soil health to a successful farming operation. A recent blog post by American Farmland Trust highlighted the...

Connecting Ag Tile Drainage to Conservation

Over the span of a week in late August, three ISAP partners – the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (IL LICA), The Wetlands Initiative (TWI), and Pheasants Forever Quail Forever Illinois (PFQF) - collaborated with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to build two wetlands in northern Livingston County. Jill Kostel, The Wetlands Initiative (second...