IFB has prioritized building relationships and developing cooperative efforts with our state’s drinking water suppliers and wastewater treatment plants. In 2020, IFB was an active supporter of several drinking water supply projects across the state. Additionally, IFB continued to support Springfield City Water, Light, and Power in their efforts to secure IEPA and NRCS funding for the Lake Springfield watershed. Sangamon County Farm Bureau has been a longtime supporter of work in the watershed and is planning to host a field day focused on cover crops in 2021. IFB also worked with the city of Decatur on continued watershed planning and implementation efforts across the seven-county watershed.
IFB has continued to build and strengthen relationships with wastewater treatment plants, including Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, in an effort to bridge point and non-point source nutrient loss reduction issues. In 2020, IFB shifted efforts to a virtual workshop that connected farmers to MWRDGC researchers. The workshop provided an opportunity for farmers to learn about work taking place at the Fulton County research site and to share valuable feedback with the MWRDGC research team. IFB plans to strengthen this partnership by involving farm bureaus in Fulton and Cook counties, which will allow them to offer additional education and outreach projects.
For more information, see ilfb.org/ifb-in-action/what-were-working-on/protecting-our-environment/nutrient-stewardship-grant-program/2021-nutrient-stewardship-field-days/ and ilfb.org/ifb-in-action/what-were-working-on/protecting-our-environment/rural-urban-partnerships.
