The Illinois Stewardship Alliance recognized two people who are making the Conservation Stewardship Program in Illinois a success.

Kelly German and Marcus Maier were named ISA's 2013 Conservation Stewardship Program award winners.

ISA awarded German with the CSP District Conservationist of the Year award. German is the Natural Resource Conservation Service District Conservationist for Iroquois County, where she enrolled 9,100 acres in CSP.

German was previously soil conservationist for Vermilion County, where she was part of the Illinois NRCS "Field Office Team of the Year" in 2010. She was also soil conservationist in Macon County, when it was named Field Office of the Year.

Kelly German and Marcus Maier Win Conservation Stewardship Awards

ISA awarded Maier with the CSP Farmer of the Year award. Maier is a fourth generation farmer in Livingston County. In addition to using the program on his own farm, Maier regularly speaks and conferences about the benefits of CSP.

He also traveled to Washington D.C. early in 2013 with ISA to lobby lawmakers and their staff on the farm bill. Additionally, Maier is a member of the steering committee on the Indian Creek Watershed Project, which has worked with nonprofits and the USDA to create one of the most successful Mississippi River Basin Initiative areas in the state.

"The CSP is unique in that it rewards farmers for the good conservation work they are already doing, and provides them assistance to do even more," says Jennifer Filipiak, ISA conservation associate. "The partnership between farmers and district conservationists is what makes CSP successful, and we are proud to recognize Kelly and Marcus for their efforts."

Source: Illinois Stewardship Alliance