soil health
PatternAg seeks cooperators to evaluate soil microbe populations across management systems
PatternAg seeks cooperators to evaluate soil microbe populations across management systems By: Megan Baskerville | Illinois Ag Program Director, The Nature Conservancy | ISAP Chair ISAP member, The Nature Conservancy, has invested in PatternAg and other emerging technologies to scale conservation adoption. Before the 2022 planting season kicks off, PatternAg, a soil microbiome analysis company, is seeking cooperators to join …
Read MorePrairie Strips Winter Webinar Series
Prairie Strips Winter Webinar Series By: Craig Ficenec, Sand County Foundation Much of Illinois was once covered in a diverse prairie ecosystem: wildlife thrived and water flowed clean. Today, recreating a small fraction of that native vegetation could move us toward our water quality and habitat goals, while improving farm profitability. Sand County Foundation, Pheasants Forever, and Iowa State University …
Read MoreNew “Soil Health Check Up” Video Series
A new three part video series called “Soil Health Check Up” was recently co-created and released by Dr. Stacy Zuber, Illinois State Soil Health Specialist with NRCS, and Jennifer Jones, Extension Watershed Outreach Associate with University of Illinois Extension. Each video describes and demonstrates at-home soil health tests that farmers, landowners, or homeowners could use to visually assess the health of …
Read MoreQuantifying Economic and Environmental Benefits of Soil Health – American Farmland Trust
Farmers face increased erratic weather conditions while constantly trying to cut costs and improve profits all while responding to society’s call to reduce unintended water quality and climate issues associated with agriculture. American Farmland Trust found “soil health successful farmers,” and conducted benefit-cost analyses. American Farmland Trust used partial budget analysis to estimate the net economic benefits eight farmers have …
Read MoreBuilding Evidence on Soil Health for Illinois
To ensure a sustainable future for the land there’s one place more and more farmers know they can turn: the soil beneath their feet. American Farmland Trust partnered with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service on four new case studies that show healthier soil on farmland brings economic benefits to farmers and environmental benefits to both farmers and society. One of those farms …
Read MoreAlphabet Soup is Happening Soon!
Alphabet soup is back! Join colleagues and friends for discussion and networking at our first Alphabet Soup gathering of 2020. Dr. Laura Gentry of the Illinois Corn Growers Association will provide a brief recap of the NLRS findings. Dr. Linda Prokopy of Purdue University will lead an in-depth discussion on communications strategies related to land stewardship. Lexi Clark of Field …
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