Recent News
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...
Using Citizen Science to Understand Cover Crop Performance in the Great Lakes Region
On November 9th, 2023, ICCON was joined by Etienne Sutton, a PhD candidate and National Institute of Food and Agriculture fellow from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability. Etienne shared her research on cover crop performance in the Great Lakes Region which used citizen science, participation by the public in the scientific process, to gather field data...
Cover Crop Mixes for Wildlife Habitat and Biodiversity
On September 13, 2023, ICCON was joined by Tyson Seirer from STAR Seed, an independent seed supplier based in Osborne, Kansas. Tyson helps growers access the unique seed resources at Star Seed Inc., including custom native grass mixes, CRP, wetlands, and wildlife planting such as pollinator, cover crops, and food plots. He has previous experience with the USFWS, Kansas Dept....
Cover Crop Solutions for In-Field Concerns
On August 9, 2023 ICCON was joined by Bethany Bedeker, Cover Crop Education Specialist in the Center for Regenerative Agriculture at the University of Missouri at Columbia. Bethany focused on cover crop species and mix considerations for addressing specific field or resource concerns related to soil compaction and weed control for cash crops. According to Bethany, addressing resource concerns begins...
Rate Calculations for Cover Crop Mixes
On July 12th ICCON was joined by Chase Brown of Brown Seed Sales in Central Illinois to discuss the considerations and mechanics of rate calculations in multi-species cover crop mixes. Chase has spent the last 10 years diving into cover crops and regenerative ag practices. In that time, he has had plenty of opportunities to learn about using cover crop...