Richard Lyons accepts a finalist sign from Lance Irving, director of the Leopold Conservation Award Program, during the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts’ 2024 Summer Training Conference & 76th Annual Meeting in Springfield. (Photo courtesy of the Leopold Conservation Award Program)

Last week’s high winds and heavy precipitation didn’t seem to faze the 2024 corn crop, according to observers. For this and more farm and rural news, please read on … 

Reports: Crops avoided storm damage 

URBANA — Crops across Illinois largely avoided major damage following an active weather week that produced major thunderstorms and derecho-level winds in some locations, according to reports from University of Illinois Extension crop observers.

“LaSalle County experienced a good amount of precipitation this week from the several large storm systems that moved through the area. Luckily, we have not seen any severe damage from these storms. I also have not noticed much standing water in fields,” reported Emily Hansen, Extension commercial agriculture educator, on July 19. 

According to Russ Higgins, commercial agriculture educator for Grundy County Extension, it was also an active week for weather in northeastern Illinois. “Several storms packing high winds roared through the area. Despite this, to date, I have heard few reports of down corn,” he said. 

In Logan County a derecho brought high winds and significant precipitation, according to Reagan Tibbs, commercial agriculture educator. “Most parts of Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties received 1.5 inches to nearly 3 inches of rain. This rain, combined with the rain received from Hurricane Beryl, caused some low-lying areas to have standing water. Thankfully, there does not appear to be any signs of wind damage,” he said. (Illinois Crop Update 6-19-24, University of Illinois Extension/Dept. of Crop Sciences) 

State Fair to kick off with harness racing 

SPRINGFIELD — The 2024 Illinois State Fair is just around the corner (Aug. 8-18) and will launch with a special day of harness racing designed for families. County Fairs and Horse Racing Day will be held on Thursday, Aug. 8 at the Grandstand, home to one of the fastest dirt tracks in the world. The one-mile track will feature strictly Illinois Department of Agriculture sponsored races on opening day, with every horse taking the track either Illinois-conceived or foaled. 

The Aug. 8 races will feature a split card with the first post time at 11 a.m. and the second post time at 5 p.m. The first 200 spectators will receive a free T-shirt, courtesy of the Illinois Harness Horsemen’s Association. “There’s no better way to watch horse racing than on one of the world’s fastest tracks,” said Rebecca Clark, Illinois State Fair Manager. “The beauty and strength of the horses, coupled with the speed and excitement of the races, creates an unforgettable experience. Best of all, it’s free!” 

The remainder of the Illinois State Fair harness races with post times for each day at 11am are as follows: 

• Fri., Aug. 9: 11 a.m. post time; First 200 spectators will receive a free plush horse 

• Sat., Aug. 10: 11 a.m. post time; First 200 spectators will receive a kids’ coloring kit 

• Wed., Aug. 14: 11 a.m. post time; First 200 spectators will receive free ice cream from Prairie Farms 

• Thurs., Aug. 15: 11 a.m. post time; First 200 spectators will receive free ice cream from Prairie Farms 

Tickets are on sale now for all Grandstand shows and races on ticketmaster.com and in-person at the ISF Box Office. (Illinois e-News) 

Deere, TSC scale back diversity pledges 

MOLINE — Deere and Company announced last week it would dial back some of its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, becoming one of the latest agricultural companies to distance themselves from the larger DEI movement following a wave of conservative criticism. This is according to AgricultureDive.com, which reported that the farm equipment giant said it will no longer participate in “social or cultural awareness” events. In addition, Deere will also audit training materials and policies to ensure there are no “socially motivated messages.” The company also reaffirmed that “diversity quotas and pronoun identification” are not part of company policy. 

The decision comes weeks after rural retailer Tractor Supply ended its corporate diversity and climate efforts. In response, the National Black Farmers Association called for a boycott of Deere and Tractor Supply, while calling for their CEOs to step down. 

Three Illinois landowners named Leopold finalists 

SPRINGFIELD — Soil & Water Conservation Districts and leaders of the conservation agriculture community announced finalists of their 2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award during their recent annual meeting. The finalists are:  

• Lyons Farm of Harvel in Montgomery County.
• Lieb Farms of Monticello in Piatt County.
• Martin Family Farms of Mount Pulaski in Logan County.

According to a news release, the award, which is named for Sand County, Wisconsin naturalist and conservationist Aldo Leopold, honors farmers and forestland owners who go above and beyond in their management of soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat on working land. The award recipient will be revealed this summer at the Illinois State Fair, with the winner receiving a $10,000 prize. In addition, their conservation success story will be featured in a video and in other outreach. 

A profile of the finalists provided by Michael Woods, Illinois SWCD director, describes their soil and water conservation commitments: “At Lieb Farms of Monticello, brothers Josh and Jake Lieb credit their late father Terry with being a firm believer in soil conservation. He planted trees and enrolled land in the Conservation Reserve Program. Today, his sons are engaged in a local effort to prevent pollution of Lake Decatur, which supplies drinking water to area residents. 

“Since adopting strip and no-till on his corn and soybean fields in the 1970s, Richard Lyons of Harvel has sought other conservation practices that prioritize economic and environmental stewardship, including growing cover crops that mitigate wind and water erosion and improve soil organic matter. At Martin Family Farms near Mount Pulaski Jeff Martin and his sons, Doug and Derek, regularly host groups to show impacts of their conservation practices. Jeff was an early adopter of no-till practices before implementing diverse crop rotations, growing cover crop mixes, and using microbe amendments to improve soil health.” (Illinois SWCD news release) 

Illinois Farm Fact: 

Charlie Hensley, who grew up on a Bushnell grain farm, is the new manager of the Peoria County Farm Bureau. He previously served the Washington and Perry County Farm Bureau.