Driving by a farm field, you might look out your window to see rows of crops stretching on for miles. But what you might not see are the solutions farmers use on their land to improve soil health and water quality in their communities.

Farmers across the state work alongside researchers and government agencies to implement the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS). The initiative strives to reduce nitrate-nitrogen (N) losses by 15% and reduce total phosphorus (P) losses by 25% by the year 2025. If you garden, you know these nutrients, along with Potassium (K), remain critical to plant health.

Since 2015, the farmers that serve on Illinois Farm Bureau’s (IFB) board of directors have committed approximately $2 million to support the state’s NLRS. The IFB Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program is an example of how IFB and county Farm Bureaus across the state collaborate on projects with local farmers and other organizations to create lasting impacts toward improving soil health and water quality.

Learn more about the work farmers are doing to protect the environment at ilfb.org/protect.

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