Soil Health
Illinois Farmers and Farmland and Part of the Climate Solution
This 2-page document recaps findings from a report titled “Potential for Conservation Practices to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sequester Carbon on Croplands and Grazing Lands in Illinois” that provides an overview of county-level GHG emission estimates for croplands and grazing lands in Illinois and highlights the significant potential for Illinois cropland to reduce GHG emissions and sequester carbon. The full report and information for additional states are available from the Farmland Information Center.
Download DocumentsCombating Climate Change on US Cropland
This report, produced by American Farmland Trust, highlights potential for US cropland to sequester carbon and reduce GHG emission through the adoption of cover cropping and no-till. Values are based on analysis conducted in CaRPE.
Download DocumentsISAP’s Cover Crop Incentives Directory
ISAP’s Cover Crop Incentives Directory provides an overview of cover crop incentive payment opportunities for farmers in Illinois. The directory includes both publicly and privately funded programs as well as a “Stacking Matrix” so farmers can easily determine if they may be eligible to stack payments from multiple programs. If there is information in the directory that needs to be updated, please contact ISAP at hello@ilsustainableag.org
Download DocumentsIllinois Climate Smart Agriculture Brief – AFT
This Illinois specific brief, developed by American Farmland Trust (AFT), demonstrates the scale of potentially achievable reductions in estimated state-level greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for cropland and grazing land through the adoption of soil health management practices. They are intended to provide a snapshot of how much Illinois’ agricultural sector can contribute to state climate mitigation goals with a subset of practices. Accompanying these briefs is an updated Carbon Reduction Potential Evaluation Tool (CaRPE Tool™) and upcoming full reports that states can use to estimate climate mitigation potential from the agriculture sector.
View WebsiteConservation Effects Assessment Project: Publications
USDA’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project, CEAP, provides a suite of publications highlighting the effects of voluntary conservation across the nation’s working lands. The site compiles reports, articles fact sheets, and webinars on topics including crop lands, grazing lands, wetlands, wildlife, and watersheds.
“Cover Crops Economics” Report – SARE
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education’s “Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops” looks at the economics of cover crops in corn and soybean rotations to help farmers answer that big question, when do cover crops pay?
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