Soil Health Partnership field days

Is boosting soil health at the top of your production goals? Learn how to improve soil health and make farmland more productive, efficient and sustainable from area farmers and experts at the upcoming Soil Health Partnership field days.

The meetings will include in-depth discussions on topics like cover crop management, soil health systems management considerations and water quality news.

“The focus on soil health is more than a passing trend for Illinois farmers,” says Jim Isermann, Soil Health Partnership field manager for Illinois. “Improving soil health has positive impacts on optimizing production and helps preserve the land for the next generation. This is a great opportunity to learn from those who are making the leap into the next big shift in agriculture.”

Here are the upcoming field day dates and host locations:
Aug. 16 Lieb Farms Soil Health Meeting, Monticello
Aug. 22 Dave and Chase Brown Soil Health Meeting, Decatur
Aug. 23 Brad Scalf Soil Health Meeting, Newark
Sept. 5 Kirk Kimble Water Quality Site Field Day, Rutland
Sept. 8 Tom Kentner Soil Health Field Day, Vermilion County

To register or find more information, visit soilhealthpartnership.org.

Source: Soil Health Partnership

Illinois Soybean Board elects new leadership

Lynn Rohrscheib, Fairmount, was elected the new Illinois Soybean Association chairwoman in late July.

“I am so excited to have this opportunity to serve Illinois soybean growers as chairwoman,” Rohrscheib says. “I am excited to help implement plans that will continue to make farmers more profitable and knowledgeable. I also look forward to the new endeavors in the Chicago area that the organization continues to focus on.”

Rohrscheib previously served as vice chairwoman, secretary and at-large director for ISA and currently serves as a board member on the United Soybean Board.

“Lynn has been a vocal leader at ISA for many years. She is well-respected on our board and in the community,” says Daryl Cates, Columbia, who served as ISA chairman for the past two years. “We look forward to starting new projects with her leading our board and using her experience and perspective to continue to push the organization forward.”

Other newly elected executive committee members include:
• Vice Chairman Doug Schroeder, Mahomet
• Treasurer Jered Hooker, Clinton
• Secretary John Longley, Aledo
• Assistant Secretary-Treasurer Stan Born, Lovington
• Production and Outreach Committee Chairwoman Jenny Mennenga, LeRoy
• Marketing Committee Chairman Austin Rincker, Moweaqua

ISA has 18 district directors and six at-large directors throughout the state.  Mennenga and Rincker were re-elected to at-large director positions.

Fourth-generation farmer Edward Murphy, Farmersville, was elected to the board to represent District 13. Several board members were re-elected to district director positions, including: District 1, Paul Rasmussen, Genoa; District 5, Stan Born, Lovington; District 7, Tom Kentner, Danville; and District 9, Carrie Winkelmann, Tallula.

Source: Illinois Soybean Association

Keeping Asian carp out of the Great Lakes

How do you deter Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes? Run them through a gauntlet, says The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which recently released options for improving Asian carp defenses at the Brandon Road Lock and Dam near Joliet.

The Corps analyzed six alternatives, which included no additional action, nonstructural alternatives, closing the lock completely, and various combinations of structural technologies including an engineered lock, complex noise, water jets, electric barriers and a flushing lock. The recommended plan combines all of the structural alternatives, along with additional mooring areas and boat launches for rapid response, which the Corps says reduces the risk of Asian carp transfer while allowing continued navigation.

“It looks like the Corps is planning to make Asian carp run the gauntlet before they could even get to the Brandon Road Lock,” says Marc Smith, Great Lakes conservation director for the National Wildlife Federation. “While we are still evaluating the draft report, our initial reaction is that a combination of these options could possibly reduce the chance that an Asian carp gets through at each stage.”

The plan release kicks off a 45-day comment period that ends on Sept. 21. The Corps will hold two public meetings at locations to be determined.

Source: National Wildlife Federation