<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[AIM Illinois]]></title><description><![CDATA[Aim Illinois]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 08:23:24 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.aimillinois.org/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Soil Health – Former Buffalo Farm Continues to Provide Precious Habitat For O’Fallon Wildlife]]></title><description><![CDATA[April 21, 2025 Although the bison have been gone for quite some time, many of the O’Fallon area residents still fondly refer to the Brown Family’s property as The Buffalo Farm. According to Stephen Brown, the family’s involvement with the farm dates to around 1860, and his grandfather was born on the farm around 1890. During the 1950’s, there was a drought out west that caused buffalo to start starving. Stephen explained that an appeal went out for people to house some, and his grandfather...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/soil-health-former-buffalo-farm-continues-to-provide-precious-habitat-for-o-fallon-wildlife</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd315cf7044e6cf7a5c8b7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:55:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_1b166340c55a406ba0f0f64a46855930~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conservation Planner Spotlight — Aidan Woltman &#38; Olivia Winters]]></title><description><![CDATA[April 16, 2025 Working in the collar counties of Illinois, Conservation Planners Aidan Woltman and Olivia Winters were like two peas in a pod. Although Aidan was the McHenry County Conservation Planner and Olivia represents Kane County, they were able to split up their workload between Lake, McHenry, Kane, and DuPage counties. When asked about their favorite part of the position, both said, “Working together.” However, after spending two years as a Conservation Planner, Aidan began a new...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/copy-of-conservation-planner-spotlight-aidan-woltman-olivia-winters</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd3170f7044e6cf7a5c8e6</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:54:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_223247f9373749d49ee1983dc01e11fa~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Soil Health Summit]]></title><description><![CDATA[April 7, 2025 On March 10-11, AIM hosted the Soil Health Summit for Conservation Planners and the Admin Team in Macomb, Illinois. The goal of the Soil Health Summit was to provide the in person lab trainings for those enrolled in Soil Health Courses with WIU’s Dr. Joel Gruver as well as to build team unity amongst the Conservation Planners. “We chose WIU for this summit because of its strong reputation in soil health research and applied conservation practices,” said Whitney Miller, AIM...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/soil-health-summit</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd30cecf5ec76e29706e9d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:53:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_32ee37d3bca64f1fb67ed402b3a0f9d2~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conservation Planner Spotlight — Leticia Taliafero]]></title><description><![CDATA[March 26, 2025 When she’s not helping farmers as a Conservation Planner in Rock Island County, Leticia Taliafero spends her time working on her own certified organic operation, Sowing Seed Urban Garden Center, where she specializes in microgreens that are sold at her local farmers market. Growing up in central Virginia, her family always had a vegetable garden. With a laugh, she said that hardly any cucumbers made it into the house unless her mom was pickling, which she did once per year. The...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/conservation-planner-spotlight-leticia-taliafero</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd304f55ae1fb580a46ff1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:50:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_96843f3ebff949f7a9f83a1d15786d85~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_731,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Featured Producer: Al DeCrane]]></title><description><![CDATA[March 21, 2025 Al Decrane’s Granddaughter was named Little Miss Ag and posed with the Pollinator plot. Wildlife habitat enhancement is a family affair for Al DeCrane on his farm in Galva, IL , which includes pollinator plots, three large ponds, and over 20 acres of trees, including white pine and a few different varieties of oak (red, white, black, and bur). Describing his family’s involvement on the farm, he said, “Both of my grandkids deer hunt, so we have gotten to hunt deer every year…...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/featured-producer-al-decrane</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2fb4f7044e6cf7a5c4b6</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:48:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_0963be3e957e435b8f9f113bbbf144b3~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conservation Planner Spotlight — Nick Werries]]></title><description><![CDATA[March 10, 2025 Working alongside his father and uncle on their family farm in Meredosia, Nick Werries gained an appreciation for nature at an early age. He described his fond memories of riding in the tractor and helping his uncle plant apple and peach trees. He said, “I helped quite a bit with getting equipment ready for the next season and generally just helping with whatever needs to be done. Usually during harvest and planting season was when I was out there the most.” In 2022, he...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/conservation-planner-spotlight-nick-werries</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2f4340e74dbec4fb5a81</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:45:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_0c9c64a8bf6240de962eb55b49e72dd8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Soil Health Week Webinar – March 4, 2025]]></title><description><![CDATA[March 3, 2025 The fourth annual Soil Health Week will be celebrated across Illinois on March 3-9, 2025, and AIM is excited to be hosting a virtual panel featuring our Level 3 Conservation Planners on March 4th f rom 11 am to 12 pm! Adams County Conservation Planner Andrew Parks, Scott County Conservation Planner Courtney Lercher, and Knox County Conservation Planner Tim Blackwell will share their experiences working with SWCD staff and producers in their districts to improve soil health....]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/soil-health-week-webinar-march-4-2025</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2f0940e74dbec4fb59ea</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:43:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_3ca0a3674fd949afa13aa5908669c353~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_628,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conservation Planner Spotlight — Wyatt Dozier]]></title><description><![CDATA[February 28, 2025 As a Conservation Planner in the Will County field office, Wyatt Dozier has had the opportunity to work on everything f rom raised beds in a vacant lot in Chicago to grazing plans for livestock in Kankakee. Wyatt’s enthusiasm for conservation began at an early age, as he grew up in a home surrounded by several acres of restored native prairie and frequently visited his grandfather ’s farm. He said, “It instilled the importance of taking care of the land and being grateful...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/conservation-planner-spotlight-wyatt-dozier</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2e29535e7bcd26951d4d</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:41:10 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_b1b22a48e29b476ca9fa01f4a703965d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Featured NRCS Conservation Practice Standard: High Tunnel System (CODE 325) Winter Growing in High Tunnels]]></title><description><![CDATA[February 24, 2025 Although we have officially entered winter, some producers are still growing ample fresh vegetables inside high tunnels, for which NRCS offers funding through EQIP. There are several cold hardy crops that can survive in high tunnels(commonly referred to as hoop houses) over winter without any heating, including kale, cilantro, carrots, and turnips. If you are planning to harvest during the winter, it is important to start seeds a specif ic number of weeks before the last day...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/featured-nrcs-conservation-practice-standard-high-tunnel-system-code-325-winter-growing-in-high-t</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2d75535e7bcd26951b70</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:38:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_97c5d9dc0a9343cfaccf7d170c4ba52b~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conservation Planner Spotlight — Courtney Lercher]]></title><description><![CDATA[February 19, 2025 Upon speaking with Courtney Lercher at the Scott County Soil and Water Conservation District, her environmental consciousness radiates along with her ambition to assist producers, and it comes as no surprise that she was one of the first Conservation Planners (CPs) to achieve Level 3 certification. Her interest in agriculture started in high school when she and her parents began raising chickens, ducks, and geese in their small town in Clinton County. Her fondness for these...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/conservation-planner-spotlight-courtney-lercher</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2cb44c31bb6f64bfe948</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:35:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_e5dbe3f2629f4934bb8269c8e75f3a51~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sign up For STAR Before January 31]]></title><description><![CDATA[January 16, 2024 Be a pioneer with Illinois STAR – your participation counts. Complete a questionnaire at IllinoisSTAR.org and be a part of shaping the future of sustainable agriculture via cover crops and conservation practices. Use the confidential STAR tool to share your conservation practices. You will get a personalized Conservation Improvement Plan for your field, and contribute to conservation agriculture insights. Your voice matters and your example is invaluable. Deadline January 31,...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/sign-up-for-star-before-january-31</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2c56cf5ec76e297063d4</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:32:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_61d70f676f244556a282b444286c914d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_700,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[For Bell-Turner Family Farms, Diversification is Key]]></title><description><![CDATA[December 18, 2023 Steve Turner doesn’t put all his eggs in one basket. In fact, poultry is among the few things he and his sons don’t produce. They grow wheat, corn, soybeans, rye, popcorn, green beans, pumpkins, and alfalfa, and raise calves on 3,500 acres in Cass and Mason counties. Turner cites two major factors in the operation of Bell-Turner Family Farms, near Chandlerville. The first, for commodity crops, “is the diversification of risk and income” – thus the wide variety in his fields....]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/for-bell-turner-family-farms-diversification-is-key</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2b3b4c31bb6f64bfe584</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:30:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_71deb1784d544879a95c75e5392ffaa7~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_717,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[USDA’s Goal of Small Town Rejuvenation]]></title><description><![CDATA[December 18, 2023 Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, rejects the “get big or get out” approach to farming. Instead, he touts multiple revenue streams as the means for farmers to both increase their income and help spark the diversified agricultural economies needed to rejuvenate small towns. The USDA secretary made this case on two recent trips to Illinois. In September, he joined President Biden on a visit to a Kankakee farm to promote significant federal resources through his...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/usda-s-goal-of-small-town-rejuvenation</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2a12cf5ec76e29705dc1</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:26:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_b586ad041c1a4fd6b6e9905db042974e~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_717,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Generations Connect on Ag Field Day]]></title><description><![CDATA[December 6, 2023 Maggie Soliz recently came face-to-face with agricultural diversity in her native Kane County. Located 45 miles west of downtown Chicago, Kane County is a model for proactive land use planning. Voluntary farmland preservation conservation easements are among tools used to strike a balance between the needs of the county’s urban and rural communities. Soliz is the product of the old Fox River towns on the east edge of Kane County. She grew up in St. Charles, raised a family in...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/generations-connect-on-ag-field-day</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd2945535e7bcd2695108c</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:21:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/c25a27_c3e263fdac144c7bae4ad25b7bdbe732~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_800,h_450,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kane County Strives to Strike Urban/Rural Balance]]></title><description><![CDATA[December 6, 2023 Illinois Prairie Pollinator Rain Garden at the Kane County Farm Bureau, Saint Charles. Located 45 miles west of Chicago’s Millennium Park, Kane is Illinois’ fifth most populated county and the Land of Lincoln’s leader for proactive land use planning to support agriculture. Three decades ago, Kane County leaders watched suburban sprawl transform neighboring DuPage County. The Kane County Development Department director then referred to DuPage as “our living laboratory to the...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/kane-county-strives-to-strike-urban-rural-balance</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd290a535e7bcd26950ff6</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:18:11 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Willis Sees NRCS as Eager Partner in Illinois Agroecology Initiatives]]></title><description><![CDATA[November 21, 2023 Tammy Willis, the new USDA State Conservationist for Illinois, came away from the recent 75th annual conference of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts with a strong sense of optimism. “As we look ahead, I’m excited for the potential of our organizations working together,” she said. “We have a unique opportunity to share resources, knowledge, and expertise that will help us all achieve greater success in conserving our soils, water, air, plants,...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/willis-sees-nrcs-as-eager-partner-in-illinois-agroecology-initiatives</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd28724c31bb6f64bfde15</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:15:46 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ohio Conservation Innovator and Emissary Leaves Forward-Looking Legacy]]></title><description><![CDATA[November 19, 2023 David Brandt – the man in the meme – looks like somebody sent from Central Casting to a movie director who wanted The Quintessential Farmer on the set. But truth is stranger than fiction, and Brandt was not an actor. He was the real deal. Randall Reeder, The Ohio State University Extension agricultural engineer, co-authored an article for No-Till Farmer with Brandt and others in May about the importance of conservation practices that build soil health. “Dave made sure we...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/ohio-conservation-innovator-and-emissary-leaves-forward-looking-legacy</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cd280ef7044e6cf7a5b1d6</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Apr 2026 14:14:10 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Taking AIM for the Land of Lincoln]]></title><description><![CDATA[November 17, 2023 Agricultural innovation, like the crops we grow, must come from the bottom up. Some big ideas may come from laboratories and think tanks, but it’s at the ground level – in a farmer’s hands – that things take root. Through a $14 million federal grant, the Natural Resources Division of the Illinois Department of Agriculture is taking AIM. The target – in collaboration with farmers – is to reduce nutrient loss, build soil health, manage water resources, increase yields, and...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/taking-aim-for-the-land-of-lincoln</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cc371bc69c7f7284377171</guid><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:05:57 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Conservation Planner Finds Calling Before Untimely Death]]></title><description><![CDATA[November 16, 2023 Derek Welveart’s occasional childhood work detasseling corn, walking bean fields, and baling hay on the farmland around his hometown of Atkinson, in west central Henry County, was more about money in his pocket than a love of the land or a passion for agriculture. But it nonetheless planted a seed. Welveart died June 17 in the early weeks of a new job as one of 40 conservation planners assigned to Soil and Water Conservation Districts around the state to spread conservation...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/conservation-planner-finds-calling-before-untimely-death</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cc36a22da60c1571202bf1</guid><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:04:14 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Southern Illinois farmer earns inaugural Illinois Leopold Conservation Award]]></title><description><![CDATA[November 14, 2023 For the past 50 years, Dennis Frey has been farming patches of the rolling Southern Illinois terrain in Hamilton County that is now entering its fifth generation in the family. When he started, it was a traditional diversified family farm, with hogs, cattle, corn, soybeans, wheat, barley, and other crops. Over time, it evolved to almost exclusively row crops, particularly corn and beans. But over the last decade or two, it has continued to evolve. Today it is a modern,...]]></description><link>https://www.aimillinois.org/post/southern-illinois-farmer-earns-inaugural-illinois-leopold-conservation-award</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69cc363abc536ac286a9b06f</guid><pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 21:02:18 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>ilaimproject</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>