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Illinois farmer shares conservation efforts at statehouse

An Illinois grain farmer says it is important to share with local legislators how conservation practices are working on your farm.  

DeKalb County farmer Ryan Frieders tells Brownfield he participated in a recent lobby day with the Illinois Soybean Association in Springfield.

“Legislators are obviously interested in climate change and climate smart practices, so they were well aware of the practices farmers are trying. They were glad to see that we were there talking about practices on our own farms and sharing how they’re working.”

He says they just started experimenting with cover crops on their farm this season and lawmakers were happy to hear, “I’m a seventh-generation farmer here in Illinois, my family has been here a long time and even after all of that time we are still open to trying new things to protect our farms, protect our soils and protect our water.”

Frieders says he also emphasized the success of resources like the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which he utilized to implement buffer strips on his land in the Illinois River Watershed. Frieders serves as the District 1 Director for the Illinois Soybean Association.