Check out your favorite soybean farmer on YouTube

The Illinois Soybean Association is rolling out a new video docuseries call ILSoyStories to celebrate the farm families that have helped Illinois lead the nation in soybean production. Look for these four Illinois farm families on ISA’s YouTube channel:

You can also check out these farmers and more on social media by searching for the hashtag, #EveryFarmerHasAStory. ISA is looking for more unique farming stories to share; email yours to [email protected].

Silent auction: Bid on Illinois Beef Foundation items

Bidding is live for the Illinois Beef Foundation Silent Auction, which went online this year as the Illinois Beef Expo switched dates and locations to March 13-14 at Peoria Expo Gardens. Look for 38 items on the online platform, including books, paintings, gift baskets, semen, gift certificates and more. All proceeds benefit Illinois beef industry scholarships for young people. Bidding is open March 10-13, and you can access the auction at Show Cattle Connection. If you have trouble bidding or creating an account, call 614-403-0726.

Carbon reduction dollars available to select counties

Farmers in several counties in northern Illinois are eligible for conservation funding through the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF), in partnership with the Illinois Soybean Association. You may be eligible if you can generate verifiable carbon reductions and water quality improvements. In 2021, eligible Illinois counties include Bureau, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, LaSalle, Lee, McHenry and Will, targeting 20,000 acres of new conservation practice adoption. They hope to expand to more than 100,000 acres across Iowa, Ohio and Illinois this year.

Related: Nutrien details carbon farming plan

According to ISA’s Michael Gill, SWOF pays farmers who transition to on-farm conservation practices (such as no-till and cover crops) that help sequester carbon and improve water quality. How to verify that? They use a combination of environmental modeling, in-field monitoring and remote sensing. Funding comes from a mix of public and private partners who purchase those water quality and carbon outcomes. Visit theoutcomesfund.com to learn more, or contact your Nutrien Ag Solutions representative.

Illinois regenerative ag meeting April 9

A new group, the Illinois Regenerative Agriculture Initiative is holding its second public meeting and invites stakeholders to join for an online Zoom discussion April 9. IRAI was launched in October at the University of Illinois and has support from Fresh Taste. IRAI is a partnership between the U of I Department of Crop Sciences; College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; Extension; and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment.

Their goal is to create a home for regenerative agriculture research, education and outreach. Organizers want to gather stakeholders to help create “agriculture and food systems resilient to climate change, improve soil and water quality, support healthy communities, and enhance food security.” Wanting to facilitate ongoing conversations, they hope farmers will join the April 9 online discussion, where they’ll answer questions and discuss a variety of topics. Registration via Zoom is open at this link.