Better fields and cleaner water are the goals of a bill that has passed the Illinois Senate. The Illinois Environmental Council’s Eliot Clay says state soil and conservation districts have been helping farmers for a number of years, but this bill provides dedicated funding specifically for the nutrient loss reduction strategy.

Clay, appearing on the WTAX Morning Newswatch, says the federal government has rules about reducing the nutrient loads getting into the water that flows into the Mississippi River Basin.  He says voluntary practices like soil testing. cover crops, reduced tilling, and a reduction in the use of synthetic fertilizers (which are encouraged through this program) will also help farmers avoid federal mandates.

Clay adds that farmers should see improvement in their bottom line from putting these environmentally friendly practices in place.  By reducing the amount of time farmers are going out  to till fields, spray, or apply fertilizers, he says, you are reducing costs just in gas alone.