Bloomington, Ill. – Illinois farmers interested in adopting progressive agricultural practices to improve the health of their soil can learn from their peers at a series of field days this summer. The  Soil Health Partnership will showcase how changing nutrient management and tillage strategies, along with cover crop adoption, can create lasting economic and environmental benefits.

The organization plans about 12 field days throughout the state, beginning in June and running through September. Confirmed events include:

• June 23: Auburn, Ill.
• June 30: Lexington, Ill.
• July 7: Petersburg, Ill.
• July 13: Fairbury, Ill.
• July 14: Decatur, Ill.
• Aug. 8: Altamont, Ill.
• Aug. 15: Hudson, Ill.
• Aug. 19: Assumption, Ill.
• Sept. 1: Rutland, Ill.
• Sept. 8: Trivoli, Ill.

“Healthy soil is more resistant to drought, and more resilient to floods – along with being an effective strategy for improving water and air quality,” said Jim Isermann, Soil Health Partnership field manager for Illinois. “Our farmer-partners are innovators and pioneers, and make our best teachers for sharing good soil health practices with their peers.”

An initiative of the National Corn Growers Association, the SHP works closely with diverse organizations including commodity groups, federal agencies and well-known environmental groups toward common goals. The Partnership is in its third year with 65 partner farms across eight Midwestern states.

Featured topics at the field days may include:

• Cover crop management and machinery set-up
• Conservation tillage methods
• Advanced nutrient management
• A soil pit to observe cover crop root growth and soil properties
• An update on water quality news

A list of currently planned events and registration can be found at SoilHealthPartnership.org. More events will be posted throughout the summer.

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About the Soil Health Partnership

The Soil Health Partnership brings together diverse partner organizations including commodity groups, federal agencies, universities and environmental groups to work toward the common goal of improving soil health. Over a period of at least 10 years, the SHP will identify, test and measure farm management practices that improve soil health and benefit farmers. We believe the results of this farmer-led project will provide a platform for sharing peer-to-peer information, and lend resources to benefit agricultural sustainability and profitability. An initiative of the National Corn Growers Association, we provide the spark for greater understanding and implementation of agricultural best practices to protect resources for future generations. For more, visit soilhealthpartnership.org.