Clinton County Awarded $31,500 in Environmental Stewardship Grants for 2026

Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) will support nearly three dozen projects in 2026 through Nutrient Stewardship Grants and Pollinator Conservation Grants.  In just over a decade, IFB has awarded a total of $1.75 million for 192 county-led nutrient stewardship projects.  Entering the fifth year for Pollinator Conservation projects, IFB has awarded $165,00 for 45 projects.

Clinton County is one of 26 Illinois county Farm Bureaus that will collaborate on 17 projects state-wide through IFB’s 2026 Nutrient Stewardship Grant program.  The Clinton County Farm Bureau (CFB) was awarded a $29,500 matching grant for our 2026 project that will continue to provide regenerative agriculture research, education, outreach, and programs.  To-date, Clinton CFB has received Nutrient Stewardship Grants totaling $224,075 as part of this effort.

Our 2026 Regenerative Stewardship Project will build on over a decade of local NLRS research by advancing on-farm trials, integrating new regenerative partners, and expanding educational outreach that connects producers, consumers, and value-added markets.  This year’s grant will again include free manure nutrient testing, a winter “Soils Summit” producer meeting, a spring Southern Illinois Regenerative Bus Tour, a summer Field Day, cover crop seed subsidies to encourage adoption, and (hopefully) a new local Soil Testing program for gardeners and homeowners to illustrate how everyone can be part of the Nutrient Stewardship effort.

In addition to IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant, 24 county Farm Bureaus will work together on 17 Pollinator Conservation Grant projects in 2026.  Clinton County is receiving $2,000 to support maintenance and establishment of pollinator plots and delivery of school pollinator kits through the AITC program.  Again, we will work with volunteers from the Extension Master Gardener/Master Naturalist programs to implement additional pollinator habitats and maintain existing sites.

Now in our 11^th year participating in IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program, the Clinton CFB is continuing to provide numerous education and outreach opportunities, primarily focused on manure management, cover crops, and soil health.  As part of the multi-year research project with Illinois Farm Bureau, the Clinton CFB has committed almost $450,000 in local nutrient stewardship research to-date. 

The Clinton County Farm Bureau and our project collaborators look forward to continuing local efforts to focus on today’s challenges in agriculture, including nutrient loss reduction and improved water quality.  These inventive projects both educate and present new data to area farmers as we work together to move the needle on the state’s Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy goals.

For more information on Clinton CFB’s environmental efforts and upcoming Field Days and events, you can learn more on our website at: https://clintoncofb.org/resources/#nutrient-stewardship