Field Notes
STAR Annual Report Shows Big Impacts with Voluntary Conservation Efforts
Saving Tomorrow’s Agriculture Resources (STAR) has concluded its third year of reporting conservation efforts in and around the state of Illinois through the Crop Year 2021 STAR Annual Report. The report features a summary of conservation efforts, environmental impacts, and growth of the STAR initiative. STAR is a free nation-wide tool that assists farm operators and landowners in evaluating their...
ISAP Hosts Myth-Busting Risk Management Webinar Series
Throughout the month of June, the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP) brought together experts on cover crops, tile drainage, and economics to tackle common myths in conservation cropping systems. The series was well attended with over 120 individual attendees representing 17 states/provinces across North America. Farmers, ag advisers, Extension staff, and non-profit conservation advocates had the opportunity to learn how,...
Ag Professionals Identify Cognitive Biases in Conservation Agriculture
During ISAP's first convening of Alphabet Soup in 2022, over 60 conservation professionals, farmers, government agents, researchers, and industry representatives came together to talk about how behavioral science impacts their work in advancing conservation. Using eight cognitive biases that were identified in the Sand County Foundation report, “Making Conservation Conventional,” attendees participated in an interactive, task-oriented workshop which created opportunities to...
Partner Spotlight: Midwest Dairy
June is Dairy Month! What a perfect time to introduce Midwest Dairy as June’s Partner Spotlight. Midwest Dairy is the newest member of the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership and represents over 400 dairy farms across the state of Illinois, 94% of which are family owned and operated. As a new member of ISAP, Midwest Dairy plans to connect Illinois dairy farmers...