Page 8 - Fall Covers News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

This is the final story in a three-part series of about the impact of farm runoff and the Central Illinois agriculture sector.

Legislation to expand soil-conservation programs stalled in Illinois General Assembly; Advocates hope to insert funding in state budget talks.

KRIS REYNOLDS Midwest regional director, American Farmland Trust Illinois is blessed with the black gold that feeds America: rich, deep soils that make it one of the highest producing regions in the world. Agriculture is the largest economic sector in the state, and Illinois is among the top producers of corn and soybeans in the nation. My family has been part of this proud farming tradition for five generations. Unfortunately, despite the stewardship of dedicated farmers, erosion is steadily taking its toll on this irreplaceable resource. We’ve lost about half of the organic...

Richard Lyons Two years ago, Governor Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Agriculture made a wise investment in the future. They funded Fall Covers for Spring Savings (FCSS), a program incentivizing farmers to plant cover crops and keep our valuable soil covered year-round. As the Legislature hashes out the state budget in the coming weeks, our lawmakers should remember, even in this lean time, that short-term savings can be very costly in the long run. This small but extremely effective program will save our state, the Mississippi watershed, and the planet much greater expens...

Olney, IL, USA / WSEI Freedom 92.9 FM | The Best Country in America Jan 11, 2021 8:19 AM (SPRINGFIELD) Applications are available on the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s (IDOA) website for the state’s second year of the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program with funding of eligible acreage available on a first come, first serve basis. The program is for Illinois acreage planted to cover crops in the fall of 2020 that will be planted to an insurable crop in 2021. Applicants are required to certify their cover crops with their local FSA office before applying, along with other requirem...