Read the stories below, learn about our progress and join a working group. Work with leaders in agriculture, advocacy, economic development and regional planning—all striving toward a healthier future for Northwest Illinois.
Cade bushnell
Farmer Cade Bushnell has been a proponent of no-till practices since 1991. "There are three advantages of no-till,” explains Cade. “Reduce erosion, reduce erosion, reduce erosion. When you stop erosion, you stop nitrogen moving off your land. You have to keep the soil where it belongs - not in the water.”
Cade’s corn and soybean farm in Stillman Valley, IL has pioneered conservation agricultural practices in the region since his father started farming in 1956. Cade grew up with his dad encouraging him to experiment and continue the practices that were best for the land. Cade speaks at conferences nationally about the importance of prioritizing water quality, encouraging other farmers to adopt conservation practices. “You can’t make huge changes until you get everybody on board,” says Cade. "Like a tomato, you have to be the right level of ripeness before you’re ready to be picked.”
JEN FILIPIAK
American farmland trust, former midwest director
Jen Filipiak advances conservation agriculture by breaking down gender barriers.
In her work in agriculture research and policy, Jen found that female landowners that inherited farmland had trouble proposing conservation practices to the farmers managing their land.
Jen convened support circles of female landowners. “Together, we worked on dismantling jargon and understanding technical information. We took field tours and saw conservation in action,” explains Jen. “It all comes down to finding a shared understanding. That’s when the real change can happen."
"The relationship between the farmer and the land owner is critical,” says Jen. “Both need to be invested in conservation agriculture to make an impact and find long-term solutions to water quality.”
DANIEL PAYETTE
BLACKHAWK HILLS REGIONAL COUNCIL
Daniel Payette, Executive Director of Blackhawk Hills Regional Council in Rock Falls, IL, supports local and regional resiliency through comprehensive regional planning and implementation. Daniel says, “Watershed planning, conservation education and hazard mitigation fit into larger goals around economic development and quality of life."
“Everyone has a role to play and knowledge to contribute,” says Daniel. “Flooding creates new challenges for water quality—challenges to the economy, to health, to agriculture. But what’s essential is that we find ways to meet in the middle and improve the health of our natural resources."
DOUG BLOCK
HUNTER HAVEN FARMS
Doug Block and his brother Tom own and manage their family’s 900-cow dairy farm, Hunter Haven Farms, in Pearl City, IL. What makes Hunter Haven Farms unique, beyond its use of contour plowing, no-till farming and grass waterways, is that cow manure is converted into energy using a methane digester. The digester produces 120 kilowatts per hour, which is enough for 120 average American households, and provides electricity and heat to the farm. The cow manure is also recycled as fertilizer for the crops and composted as bedding in the barn.
With the environment top of mind, the Blocks use technology and innovation to safeguard the soil and improve water quality. “Clean water: There’s nothing more important. Water is our most precious resource,” says Doug. “We’ve got a farm pond that I swam in as a boy. I’m 70 years old. It’s as clean today as it was back then.”
Carol Hays
REgenerate Illinois
Carol Hays, founding partner of Regenerate Illinois, works across silos—from farmers to the food system, environmental nonprofits to health care institutions and economic development groups to business enterprises—to achieve better outcomes.
Carol aims to increase farms’ crop diversity and connect these crops to a resilient marketplace to build a regional food system that is healthy for people and healthy for communities.
Growing food locally—under conditions that contribute to human health—impacts our nutrition, and in turn, our health and our health care system. Carol says, “Consumers more and more value knowing where their food comes from, and they want to be sure it was grown with attention to the environment. I work with communities across the Midwest and partners across the value chain to imagine, design and build a regenerative farming system—one that aligns with changes in the marketplace and helps farmers and communities be healthier and more resilient."
