Field Notes
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...
Cover Crop Toolbox: ICCON Features SmartMix Calculator
On December 11, 2024 ICCON welcomed Keith Berns, Co-owner and Sales Marketing Manager of Green Cover Seeds based in Bladen, NE. Keith shared the SmartMix Calculator, a unique and user-friendly tool which helps farmers and farm advisors develop cover crop seed mixes. Keith says the best way to bring additional diversity to a corn/soybean or corn/soybean/wheat rotation is to have...