Farmers and the agricultural research community joined forces in an Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB)-produced documentary highlighting Illinois’ progress in reducing nutrient loss.
“Farmers continuously work to find innovative solutions for preserving our soil and to protect water quality,” says Richard Guebert Jr., a Randolph County farmer and IFB president. “We wanted to celebrate our farmers’ dedication to the environment while sharing with a broader audience the trials and, in some cases, financial risks farmers take to conserve our natural resources.”
“This documentary sends a clear message to various organizations and individuals working together on the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS): Continue to remain passionately dedicated to improving agriculture’s impact on the environment,” he adds.
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Centered around the Ganschow family in Bureau County, the hourlong documentary titled “Sustaining Our Future: A Farm Family Story” illustrates how three generations of farmers have approached sustainability. It also highlights the role of scientific research in the process and includes perspectives from Louisiana Farm Bureau on the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico.
While the documentary was being produced, Jim Ganschow unexpectedly passed away. IFB dedicates the documentary to his memory in respect and honor of the values and demeanor he lived by and the legacy he leaves behind.
Viewers can now watch the documentary at bit.ly/3UQ05X9.
“Farmers throughout Illinois go to great lengths to preserve our soil and protect water quality,” says Lauren Lurkins, IFB director of environmental policy. “IFB staff wanted to go to those same great lengths to produce a video that showcases these efforts, the farmer spirit and the collaboration required to achieve the goals of the NLRS.”
She adds that the documentary “does a great job of highlighting not just the policy issue at hand, but the work IFB has done to address nutrient loss and the personal stories of our farmer members involved.”
IFB’s video and environmental teams partnered with farmers, county Farm Bureaus, researchers and other key stakeholders to produce the documentary over the course of a year. Dozens of interviews and archival footage show the long-term commitment and continuous improvement involved in conservation.
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The documentary also shows Illinois farmers’ progress in furthering the goals of the NLRS. The strategy serves as a guide for wastewater treatment, as urban and agriculture stakeholders work to reduce the loss of nitrate-nitrogen into Illinois waterways by 15% and total phosphorus by 25% by 2025. The eventual target is a 45% reduction in the loss of these nutrients to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico.
To read more about IFB’s environmental initiatives, visit ilfb.org/environment.
