FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 24, 2012
For More Information Contact: Paige Buck, State Public Affairs Specialist, (217) 353.6606
                                                  Terry Bachtold (815) 848.4455
                                                  Christa Jones jones@ctic.org

Indian Creek Watershed Field Tour July 10

Pontiac, Ill. —Farmer leaders of the Indian Creek Watershed Project invite agricultural producers to a field tour July 10, 2012, to learn more about products, practices, equipment and technology to boost farm profits and conserve water quality. Register at 815.844.6127 for the tour which begins at 7:30 AM at the First Baptist Church of Fairbury, Illinois.

Farmers and other interested individuals can learn about the Indian Creek Watershed Project facilitated by Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District (Livingston County SWCD) and Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) and led by local farmers who demonstrate and test conservation practices on their land. Producers are participating through conservation programs with technical and financial assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

A number of Agribusinesses, universities, agricultural associations, and conservation organizations lend support and expertise to the project, which aims to conserve Indian Creek’s water quality and improve soil and water resource stewardship on Indian Creek farms.

Goals include measuring water quality changes as 50-75 percent of Indian Creek watershed producers (representing approximately half the watershed’s acres) adopt on-the-ground comprehensive agriculture conservation systems.

With cooperating farmers, the project’s agronomists conduct field trials and demonstrations, such as those to be featured during the July 10th field tour. These solutions will show the effectiveness of conservation practices for working lands.

The 2011 field trials delivered interesting results, including significant yield increases when the farmer applied fertilizer in the spring, as opposed to fall application. In addition, plots treated with half fertilizer in spring the other half in fall (split application) did not fare as well as spring application plots.
Project leaders emphasize the potential for savings and net profit increases when the farmer enhances nutrient use efficiency. They also note these measures may hold significant water quality benefits as well. Terry Bachtold of Livingston County SWCD commented, “I encourage producers to attend this tour to see more results from our trials. We’re finding that nitrogen application placement, amount and timing can have a big impact on profitability. These kinds of practices can keep excess nutrients out of Indian Creek.”

The field tour’s agenda includes a review of available financial and technical assistance resources to support producers implementing management changes.

The day begins with coffee and refreshments at 7:30 AM at the First Baptist Church of Fairbury, Ill., 701 North 7th Street, Fairbury. Participants will return to the church at noon for lunch. Please join us to see these solutions first hand—and visit with the farmers who are using them!
Register by calling Livingston County SWCD at 815.844.6127, extension 3. Or email Christa Jones at jones@ctic.org.

The following organizations support the Indian Creek Watershed Project: Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IL EPA) with funds provided by Section 319 of the Clean Water Act, Agri Drain Corporation, Agrium Advanced Technologies, Brandt, Case IH, Crop Production Services, Cropsmith, Inc., The Fertilizer Institute, Growmark, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Soybean Association, the International Plant Nutrition Institute, John Deere, Koch Agronomic Services, The Mosaic Company, Monsanto, New Leader and Syngenta, and funding from NRCS’ Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative, Cooperative Conservation Partnership Initiative and Conservation Innovation Grants.

CTIC (www.ctic.org) seeks additional sponsors for this project. Visit www.ctic.org/indiancreek/  for more information.

The Livingston County SWCD is an arm of local government working closely with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to implement conservation management programs for agricultural producers in Livingston County, Ill. The Livingston SWCD provides conservation practice technical assistance, and administers State conservation programs and educational programs for students, educators and the general public. To learn more, visit http://sites.google.com/site/livingstoncountyswcdgov/.

CTIC, a not-for-profit organization located in West Lafayette, Ind., champions, promotes and provides information on productive and profitable technologies and sustainable agricultural systems that conserve and enhance soil, water, air and wildlife resources. To learn more, visit www.ctic.org.
The mission of IL EPA is to safeguard environmental quality, consistent with the social and economic needs of the State, so as to protect health, welfare, property and the quality of life.
 

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