Join University of Illinois Extension for a program on “Getting Started with Cover Crops”. This program is taking place from 8 to 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, August 5 at the Stockton Public Library, 140 W. Benton Avenue, Stockton, IL. Doors will open at 7:50 a.m. This program is being offered free of charge, but pre-registration is requested. To register or for more information call the Extension Office at 815-858-2273 or visit us online at go.illinois.edu/jsw.
Are you curious about cover cropping but aren't sure where to begin? The benefits of cover crops are widely known, but information on getting started with cover cropping isn't as extensively covered. This program is designed to equip you with the knowledge you need to determine if cover cropping is right for you and how best to get started.
During this program, participants will learn about the benefits of cover crops in addition to how to select and manage them via presentations from Illinois Extension Commercial Agriculture Educator, Kathryn Seebruck, who serves Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties. Natural Resource and Conservation Service (NRCS) soil conservationist, Abby Mielke, will provide information on cost-share programs that can help alleviate the economic burden of taking on this new practice, and Nicole Haverback, a Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy outreach associate with Illinois Extension, will inform participants of the effects of cover cropping on nutrient loss reduction. The program will also feature a panel of local farmers who use cover crops, enabling participants to learn from their experiences and ask questions.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.