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News & Updates
Explore AIM Illinois news and stories that highlight real conservation work across the state. Browse updates from our planners and partners, see what’s working on the ground, and find ideas you can bring to your own fields and communities.
Illinois STAR Expansion Highlighted by ISA Partnership
The Illinois STAR program is designed to recognize and reward agricultural producers for implementing conservation practices that improve soil health, protect water quality, and support long-term sustainability across Illinois farms and communities. Through the STAR evaluation process, producers receive a rating based on the conservation practices they use, along with guidance and technical support to help them continuously improve. The Illinois Department of Agriculture desi
3 min read
Past News Stories
Illinois STAR Expansion Highlighted by ISA Partnership
The Illinois STAR program is designed to recognize and reward agricultural producers for implementing conservation practices that improve soil health, protect water quality, and support long-term sustainability across Illinois farms and communities. Through the STAR evaluation process, producers receive a rating based on the conservation practices they use, along with guidance and technical support to help them continuously improve. The Illinois Department of Agriculture desi
3 min read
Minnesota native moves to Illinois for the soil and contributes totile nitrate loss research
Eric’s APV broadcast seeder mounted to corn head Although his family had farmed in Minnesota for generations, Eric Miller relocated to central Illinois to carry on the tradition on more fertile farmland. He explained that he moved here specifically for the good soil and agriculture infrastructure, stating, “East-central Minnesota is poor farm country. It was all pine trees and timber, and then it all got logged off in the late 1800s, early 1900s, and instead of replanting tre
4 min read
CONSERVATION PLANNER SPOTLIGHT- JASON MCKINLEY
Randolph County Conservation Planner Jason McKinley Randolph County Conservation Planner Jason McKinley grew up in a close-knit farming community where everyone knew each other. During high school, he gained hands-on experience working on several local farms, taking on a variety of tasks—from milking cows and baling hay to planting and harvesting row crops. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor's degree in business. Jason completed an apprentic
4 min read
CONSERVATION PLANNER SPOTLIGHT- DAVONNE LONG
Although she started as the Wayne County Conservation Planner in October 2023, Davonne Long’s work in conservation dates to the late 1990s when she completed a high school internship with Wabash County SWCD. While she worked on similar projects back then, including CRP and terraces, the work was quite different, as the SWCD was not yet using computers for designs, and all projects needed to be drawn by hand. Along with this experience, Davonne regularly utilizes her degree in
3 min read
STAR Farmers Join Project To Determine How Soil Health May Increase Land Value
Soil sampling for previous round of Soil Health Appraisal Project. Photos provided by Lucas Chamberlain IL STAR is thrilled to be partnering with Delta Institute on a project that is paving the way for soil health to be factored into farmland valuation. Compeer Financial and the Soil Health Institute are the other major partners in the Soil Health Appraisal Project, which has selected 12 tracts of land from Piatt, Logan and Macon counties, a region that was identified for its
5 min read
Wayne County Farmer Shares Conservation Success Story
Continuing his great-great-grandfather’s legacy, Greg Dickey started farming when he was only 8 years old. He now grows corn, soybeans, wheat and milo with his two sons, Tyler and Gavin, who each have their own roles on the farm. According to Greg, he plants corn and milo, Gavin plants all the beans and wheat using no-till, and Tyler (who also serves as a Director on their SWCD Board) does all the spraying with a drone and ground rig, along with making drone videos showcasing
4 min read
REFLECTIONS ON THE ILLINOIS STATE FAIR
The AIM Initiative had a booth in the Illinois Department of Agriculture tent at the Illinois State Fair from Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 23, and some of our Conservation Planners traveled from different parts of the state to share information about our program and facilitate our scavenger hunt, which included a $50 Amazon gift card raffle for those who completed. We would like to congratulate Anna from Effingham County on winning the raffle! The following reflections
3 min read
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