Recent News
Midwest Cover Crop Council and NRCS Discuss Cover Crop Tools and Considerations
On the Illinois Cover Crop On-Farm Network's (ICCON) March call, ICCON was joined by Anna Morrow of the Midwest Cover Crops Council (MCCC) and Brett Roberts, IL State Agronomist with Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). The pair discussed the collaboration between the MCCC and NRCS and how that work has led to cover crop species and rate recommendations for farmers...
Saddle Butte Discusses Cover Crop Techniques and Takeaways
On February 12th Illinois Cover Crop On-Farm Network was joined by TJ Kartes of Saddle Butte Ag. TJ is a seed sales representative who covers southern Minnesota, Iowa, and parts of Illinois and Missouri. TJ discussed trends he has observed with customers who are having considerable success with cover cropping and shared basic cover crop recipes and strategies that are...
Henry County Farmer Installs Woodchip Bioreactor to Maximize Conservation Impact
https://youtu.be/NppasqX5o98 “Conservation has always been a part of what my family's done, so that's kind of always been part of my DNA,” shares Brian Corkill who grows corn and soybeans on 1,000 acres near Galva, Illinois. Brian’s family moved away from the moldboard plow in the late 1970s and began no-tilling in the early eighties. “So now I'm trying...
Cover Crop Toolbox: ICCON Features STAR Tool
On January 8, 2025 ICCON was joined by Natalie Kerr, STAR Coordinator for the state of Illinois, to learn about the STAR program and how and why farmers should consider enrolling their fields in the program. Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) was founded in 2017 by Steve Stierwalt and Joe Rothermel – both farmers from Champaign County, advocates for conservation,...
Final Reflections and Lessons from Retailer Cover Crop Trials
In a previous ISAP blog post, we introduced a trial partnership between Illini FS and The Nature Conservancy, with funding from the Illinois Soybean Association. Using Illini FS cover crop drilling and Nu-tracker soil testing services, we implemented seven split-field cover crop trials. These plots were subjected to three rounds of soil and plant tissue testing to better educate retailers...
We are Living in the Future: Reflections on a Changing Climate
One of my favorite artists is John Prine, a notable country-folk musician who was born in Illinois and had an amazing way of writing lyrics that make you think. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the chorus of his song “Living in the Future.” “We are living in the future. I'll tell you how I know. I read it in the...