Stewarding Farms and Water in the Upper Salt Fork Watershed

SWCS Annual ConferenceWashington D.C.

July 18, 2011

Brian Brandt

Director, Agriculture Conservation Innovations

Working with Farmers in East Central Illinois

To Adopt Nutrient Management

Practices

Project Partners

Reetz Reetz AgronomicsAgronomics

USDA CCPI MRBI EQIP

USDA CIG

Walton Family Foundation

McKnight Foundation

Ongoing…

Project Funding

Four “R”s

EQIP Funded Practices590 Nutrient Management329 Residue Mgt.-Strip-till340 Cover Crops554 Drainage Water Management799 Monitoring

Best Management Practices

Targeted Application in East Central Illinois

BMP Challenge

BMP Challenge Eligible Practices Reduced tillage Nutrient Management Basic PSNT CSNT Minimum Disturbance Incorporation/Injection of

manure Nitrogen Inhibitor/Enhanced N products Sensor-based variable rate application (Crop Circle, Green

Seeker) Others? (need to be U of IL/NRCS approved)

BMP Challenge

Water Quality Monitoring

Drainage Tile and Surface

Water

GIS mapping of HUC 12 Spoon River watershed of cropping history, soils and conservation practicesGIS mapping of HUC 12 Spoon River watershedExisting data setsFarm operation and parcel data

Baseline Measurements

Cooperative Conservation Program Initiative (CCPI) benefits:Leveraging resources – partnerships and fundingTargeting limited resources for maximum benefitChallenges and benefits of monitoring

Lessons Learned

Anita Zurbrugg

Midwest Directorazurbrugg@niu.edu

Brian Brandt

Director, Agriculture Conservation Innovations bbrandt@farmland.org

www.farmland.org

Targeting limited resources for maximum benefitChallenges and benefits of monitoring

THANK YOU!