Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program
- View the 2021 Nutrient Stewardship Field Days
- View the 2020 Nutrient Stewardship Virtual Field Days
- Questions
Since 2015, Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) has contributed to an impressive statewide effort, the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS). Through leadership and participation from our farmer members across the state, IFB has been able to make meaningful contributions toward water quality efforts in Illinois. From 2016 to present, IFB has committed approximately $2 million of its own funding to build and maintain its sustainability initiatives and programs.
For the past several years, IFB has made it an organizational priority to lead on environmental issues, most notably, the NLRS. IFB’s NLRS efforts focus in four priority areas: 1) education and outreach to farmers, landowners and the general public; 2) supporting research of best management practices to reduce nutrient loss from agricultural fields; 3) supporting farmer implementation efforts across the state; and 4) demonstrating progress toward the long-term goals of the NLRS.
With the first year of work being completed in 2016, the Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program has become a cornerstone of IFB’s work to implement the NLRS, serving as one example of the many ways IFB is creating lasting impacts in implementing the NLRS across Illinois. This program funds County Farm Bureau (CFB) projects focused on improving soil health and water quality throughout the state. Since 2015, IFB has dedicated over $700,000 to CFBs to complete a wide range of unique projects, including planting test plots of cover crops, watershed planning, water testing, hosting education and outreach activities.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021, virtual programs and resources were developed to accommodate for cancelled or capped-attendance field days.
Questions
Raelynn Parmely
IFB Environmental Program Manager
Email: rparmely@ilfb.org