Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) will host 14 Nutrient Stewardship Field Days this summer for farmers and industry partners to collaborate and discuss ongoing research and innovative approaches to nutrient stewardship.
“Field days open doors for people,” said Bena Pegg, IFB environmental program manager. “Each one is unique, offering insights that help advance best practices and reduce nutrient loss while improving the bottom line. People also appreciate being able to talk directly with experts and meet others working in regenerative agriculture. Field days offer a unique blend of education, conversation, and community building.”
Hosted through IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program, the upcoming summer Nutrient Stewardship Field Days will focus on a variety of topics including soil health, field research, livestock integration and regenerative agriculture.
Farmers, ag professionals and those interested in learning more about agriculture’s role in protecting the environment are invited to join IFB, its membership and partnering organizations to learn more about conservation research and implementation in the field. Translation from theory to practice varies depending on location, soil type and opportunities available to the grower. Seeing real-world integration of the best practices can provide insights and inspiration for improvements.
A schedule for the 2026 Spring Nutrient Stewardship Field Days is listed below with dates, addresses, hosting county Farm Bureaus (CFBs) and brief summaries of each event. For more information and to stay current on updates visit https://on.ilfb.org/fielddays.
Summer field days and topics include:
- Cook County Farm Bureau will host a field day on June 23 at Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Cook CFB and area partners will share educational information on pollinators as part of Pollinator Awareness Week. Children are welcome!
- Lee County Farm Bureau will host a field day on June 27 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Niles Township. The field day is the grand opening for Niles Township’s pollinator retention basin. The installation was supported by Lee CFB, Niles Township and IFB’s Adopt-a-Legislator program. It will provide conservation education and meeting space for the community. Those interested should RSVP by June 19 at 815-857-3531.
- Knox County Farm Bureau will host a field day on July 1 to share results of a five-year cover crop project in Knox County, which concluded in 2025. Knox CFB will launch a website dedicated to the program with a downloadable booklet of the project’s data.
- Jasper, Clark, Cumberland and Richland County Farm Bureau, will host a bus tour to Southern Illinois University and Southern FS on July 7. The program is an all-day event and will include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Those interested should RSVP by June 30 to their local participating CFB.
- Washington County Farm Bureau will host a field day on July 25 from Noon-2 p.m. The field day will feature presentation on cover crops and carbon sequestration from local experts. Those interested should RSVP by July 17 to 618-327-3081.
- Bureau County Farm Bureau will host a field day on July 27 in Walnut. The field day will feature a presentation from Andrew Margenot of the University of Illinois on a more than 1,000-acre study of on-farm tile monitoring of nitrate dynamics. Those interested should RSVP by July 19 to 815-875-6468.
- Will County Farm Bureau will host a field day on June 30 at the Will County Forest Preserve District and Jackson Creek Farm. The field day will feature presentations by Andrew Margenot with the University of Illinois and others on soil health and its importance for land and economic sustainability. Those interested should RSVP by June 23 to 815-727-4811.
- Jo Daviess County Farm Bureau will host a field day on July 31 from 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. at 7979 E. Cahill Rd in Stockton. The program will focus on livestock integration into row-crop operations, hybrid corn selection, water quality improvement and the Fields of Sinsinawa and University of Wisconsin’s Carbon Benchmark study. Those interested should RSVP by July 24 to 815-858-2235.
- Carroll, Whiteside and Henry County Farm Bureaus will take a bus trip to Jo Daviess CFB’s July 31 summer field day, which will focus on livestock integration into row-crop operations. Bus pick up locations will be in Carroll, Whiteside and Henry County. Those interested should RSVP by July 24 to their participating CFB.
- Clinton County Farm Bureau will hold a field day on Aug. 8 at the Sugar Creek Valley Farms Research Plot in Breese. The field day will feature discussions on cover crop planting, benefits, grazing, dairy manure application, soil health and economics. Those interested should RSVP by July 31 to 618-526-7235.
- Wayne County Farm Bureau will host a field day on Aug. 20 at a nutrient loss inhibitor demonstration plot in Fairfield from 6-8 p.m. The field day will share this year’s research trials, which are focused on the effect of nitrogen stabilizers, micronutrients, humic acid and application treatment timing. Those interested should RSVP by Aug. 13 to 618-842-3342 or online at https://www.waynecfb.com/nlid
- Cook County Farm Bureau will host a field day in August at Smits Farms, 3437 East Sauk Trail, in Chicago Heights. The field day will feature a panel discussion with urban agriculture experts on best practices for production vegetable cropping. Andrew Margenot with the University of Illinois will also provide a presentation on struvite field research. A time and day will be announced later. Those interested should RSVP to 708-354-3276.
- Jo Daviess County Farm Bureau will host a second field day on Sept. 11 from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at 7979 E. Cahill Road in Stockton. The program will focus on livestock integration into row-crop operations and provide updates on Carbon Benchmark study, forage seeding and production metrics. Those interested should RSVP by Sept. 4 to 815-858-2235.
- LaSalle County Farm Bureau, Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) and University of Illinois Extension will host a field day on Sept. 11 at IVCC in Oglesby from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. The field day is a seminar-style event focused on research, soil health and economic benefits of best practices. Those interested should RSVP by Sept. 4 to 815-433-0371.
The 2026 Nutrient Stewardship Field Days are funded through IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program. Through the grant program, 26 CFBs will collaborate on 17 nutrient stewardship projects. Additionally, 24 CFBs will work together on 17 pollinator conservation projects. Since 2015, IFB has awarded a total of $1.75 million for 192 county-led nutrient stewardship projects. Entering the fifth year of the Pollinator Conservation Grant program, IFB has awarded $165,000 for 45 projects.
***Courtesy of the Illinois Farm Bureau***
