Bees are vital to agriculture. Bees play a very important role by pollinating flowering plants. Many agricultural crops rely on bee pollination. The value of honey bee pollination to U.S. agriculture is 14.6 billion dollars annually. About 30% of all foods consumed are produced because of...

2010 celebrates the 40th anniversary of Earth Day! The idea for Earth Day developed over a period of seven years. Senator Gaylord Nelson was concerned that the state of the environment was politically, a non-issue. In 1962, Senator Nelson persuaded Attorney General Robert Kennedy and President John...

Conservation Habits = Healthy Habitats is the Soil and Water Stewardship theme for 2010. It is a thought provoking and profound theme. Take a few moments and give it some thought. We are resposible for our actions. Our actions result in either positive or negative consequences. For this reason, we...

Water is essentail to life. Promote water conservation through ths use of rain barrels. What is a rain barrel? A rain barrel is a system of collecting and storing water from the roofs of homes, barns and sheds. Rain barrels prevent water from attaching to soil or pollutants and being carried away...

It has been an interesting year in weather to say the least, but I do not have to remind fellow farmers of that. This year has displayed the wonders of nature. Nature is remarkable, yet at times can be destructive and devastating. No-till and other conservation practices have been put to the test...

I have no favorite season, as I am fond of them all. In fact with each change in season, I find different aspects to love and appreciate. There are so many reasons to adore fall. On weekends, I love waking up to brisk, sunny fall mornings. Crisp mornings transform into beautiful, warm...

On my nightly jogs or walks, I look forward to time outside enjoying the beauty of the environment around me. It is frustrating to see how much litter is along our rural roadsides. One evening, I spotted a Long John Silvers carry-out bag carelessly tossed along my road. The nearest fast food...

Once I figured out that lightning bugs really wouldn’t “zap” me, I fell in love with them as a young girl. During the summer nights in the country, I loved running around the yard barefoot chasing and catching lightning bugs. That is one of my favorite summer memories I have growing up on the farm....

Two topics I wish to touch that are appropriate: Producers have been coming into the Farm Service Agency office to certify their crops and report acres.  Some have come in to report acres that they have added to their fields.  This is called sod-busting.  Most of the time,...

Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts    Environmental Protection Agency          www.epa.gov Henry County Farm Bureau          www.henrycofarmbureau.org Henry &...