Recent News
What’s New in Conservation Ag Policy?
On May 9th, the Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Partnership’s Policy Committee hosted a “Policy Round-Up" over Zoom entitled “What’s New in Conservation Ag?” The webinar included updates from individual ISAP members on their organization’s policy priorities and other updates of farm-related legislation at the state and federal level. To kick things off, Eliot Clay, executive director for the Association of...
Considerations for Overwintering Barley
As farmers emerge from winter and go about spring field activities, those who use cover crops are also evaluating their stands for success in establishment and overwintering. This year we are seeing more instances of certain species not overwintering as well as we might like. Barley is a winter cereal grain that has seen increased interest as a cover crop...
From Farm to Filtration: A Tour of Conservation in Action
By Chloe Chiles Troutman On April 3rd, Illinois farmers, agriculture professionals, water treatment experts, and the newly elected Mayor of Bloomington came together bright and early at Davis Lodge in Hudson, IL, for a day-long event entitled “From Farm to Filtration: A Tour of Conservation in Action.” The event was hosted by Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP), Illinois Nutrient Research...
Edge-of-Field Practices Take Center Stage at ISAP Training
The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP) gathered experienced drainage engineers and technical service providers to offer A Practitioner's Guide to Advancing Conservation Drainage Practices. The half-day training was held Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in conjunction with the Conservation Drainage Network's 2025 Annual Meeting at the Illini Union Hotel on the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois. The focus of...
Shining a Spotlight on How Conservation Practices and Ag Tile Drainage Can Stop Nutrient Loss
Every quarter, a group of conservation professionals from non-profit groups, government agencies, and the tile drainage industry get together to share news and learn from one another. These 2-hour meetings are hosted by the Wetlands Initiative, but they are led by Wes Lehman. Wes is a sales rep and conservation specialist for Springfield Plastics, Inc. Wes started the meetings in...
Insights from ISAP’s Alphabet Soup Training
The Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership and Environmental Initiative hosted three half-day workshops in February to help participants “Reach Farmers Faster.” The events were held in Effingham, Bloomington, and DeKalb in early February. This farmer-centered outreach program was developed over two years when Environmental Initiative, Trust in Food (a Farm Journal organization), and the Midwest Row Crop Collaborative joined forces to...