Illinois NRCS Success Stories

Along the Mississippi River in southern Illinois, are diverse landscapes of woodlands, open wild areas and farmland. However, that wasn’t the case just 20 years ago. Back then, much of the land was cropland for corn, soybeans, and wheat. The area generally experiences frequent flooding, but nothing like the Great Flood of 1993, which ravaged the area. That was when the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offered landowners access to an easement program that does two things: helps landowners who lose crops to floods year after year and restores the area back to a fully functional wetland.

Radishes, oats, and annual rye grass have one thing in common – producers use them as cover crops to improve their most valuable asset: soil. But do you know anyone using them? Livingston County, Illinois sees many producers giving cover crops a try.

It all began with Abe Lincoln, the tomato that is. As the Illinois NRCS point of contact for People’s Garden initiative, I wanted to share the tomato with a local organization here in Champaign. After visiting with fellow employees, we discovered an unofficial People’s Garden just up the road from the office.

Just a few miles outside the sprawling urban communities of Chicago, Matt Kellogg farms land that has been in his family for generations. His ancestors homesteaded the land in 1846.

In February, 2011, a big story emerged in Illinois when two unusual looking birds were seen foraging in a recently restored floodplain. They were migrating whooping cranes--one of the most endangered wetland-dependant species in North America. It was big news, but there’s more to it than just the endangered birds.

Who would believe that within a year of restoring a floodplain, an endangered species could find a newly restored wetland along an Illinois River? But more important, it is a breeding pair of whooping cranes. These cranes are considered one of the most endangered wetland dependant species in North America. To have a pair stop along their migration, well, “it was spectacular,” said Dave Hiatt, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wildlife biologist.

Many of us think projects created through the Administration’s America’s Recovery and Reinvestment Act only target road construction, public safety, community centers, public schools and health care facilities, or other highly visible activities in our communities. However, some Recovery Act projects are less visible, but still play an important role – benefitting us economically and environmentally.

Duane Baker made the switch to organic but he started long before organic was “cool.” He did it a long time ago and he did it right. “I’ve been farming my whole life,” Baker explains, “and I’ve always had a strong desire to grow things and do things the right way.” Duane’s Father and Grandfather were early organic farmers who used a simplistic approach that was common, sensible protocol back then. Over the years, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and many other partners helped him find success along the way.

Josh Brown started out as one of the first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm in Southern Illinois. In a CSA, consumers buy “shares” in the spring and every week they get a basket of whatever produce is in season. This allowed him to get started because the capital was paid up front. He was able to focus on production, not marketing or advertising early on in the venture.

Dave Campbell has been involved in organic farming since 1967 when his father started. At that time, Campbell sold organic meat to a local health food store. Later, he operated an organic dairy farm with his father in Illinois and eventually in Wisconsin. Today, Dave and wife Mary own and operate a 224-acre certified organic “Lily Lake Organic Farm” which is located in northeastern Illinois between Chicago’s suburbs and DeKalb County.

Of the new conservation options available in the new Farm Bill, one targets producers with organic operations and those ready to make the transition to organic. It also offers tremendous avenues for success for livestock operators who want to kick it up a notch to a complete grazing operation—one that is sustainable AND profitable.

When it comes to farming, Duckworth is a great—and successful--experimenter. He began an intensive grazing program years ago when the concept was still new. He and wife Judy also grow fruits and vegetables in a field across the road from their pastures.

Grazier Ron Freeman took rolling land in Morgan County, Illinois his Father had raised crops on for decades and converted it into a high quality pasture that supports his profitable grass-fed beef operation.

Jeff Glazik converted a 400-acre farm located near the start of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River in Ford County, Illinois. He runs certified organic cropland and the rest of his operation is in pasture, natural areas and other conservation practices, including a
number of trees.

Carzella Pritchett owns and operates a 10-acre farm in Sangamon County, Illinois. A former horse farm, she purchased it in 2005. You could say it’s a hobby farm since Carzella works full-time for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). However, looking closer you can easily see this too is a full-time job with 5 cows, 13 goats, 13 sheep and 250 chickens.

“Our herds are happy with this rotational grazing system,” Dave explains. “They are healthy,
my ground is in the best shape imaginable, and our operation is back in the black and making
money.”

In June of 2008, a major storm system moved across Illinois, triggering extensive flooding in several counties. The damages left behind were a perfect fit for the NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) projects.

Meet three landowners who participate in the Wetlands Reserve Program: Jack Huffington in Clark County, IL; Cliff McMahan in Union County, IL; and Joyce Winch in Bureau County, IL.