USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began accepting applications on June 3, 2019, for certain practices under the continuous Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) signup and will offer extensions for expiring CRP contracts. FSA stopped accepting applications last fall for the continuous…
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The Saving Tomorrow’s Agricultural Resources (STAR) program will soon be entering it’s 3rd year, and with endorsements and support from the Illinois Soil and Water Conservation District Association, Illinois Department of Agriculture, and a number of industry groups, the program…
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The Illinois Extension’s Master Naturalist Program is coming to Coles County! If you are an adult who loves the outdoors, has a concern for the local environment and wants to provide education and service to help your local community this…
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We received some really great submissions for this year’s local Conservation Photo Contest. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Sandra Cooper and Joseph Perez! Cooper’s submission “Monarch Magnet” took first in Close Up Conservation. Perez received several first place awards: in…
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USDA-NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) is a voluntary conservation program that provides financial and technical assistance to agricultural and forestland producers to install conservation practices. In addition to conservation practices, EQIP funds plan development, such as Comprehensive Nutrient Management…
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The annual election for Coles County SWCD Directors was held on February 7th. This year there were 2 positions to be filled. After all of the ballots were counted, the Coles Co. SWCD’s 2018 Board of Directors consists of Bill…
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Because private well water is not monitored by testing at a treatment facility, the EPA recommends testing twice a year. In the past, we’ve had to refer folks to private companies to have their water tested, but we recently found…
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Biodiversity commonly refers to the distribution and abundance of plant and animal species within an ecosystem (US Forest Service 1989). Biodiversity provisions us with foods and materials, it helps regulate natural phenomena such as the water cycle, it inspires cultures…
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The Coles County SWCD is now accepting applications for the IL Dept of Ag’s Partners For Conservation Fund program. The program provides financial assistance to landowners and operators to install conservation practices such as waterways, terraces, filter strips, pollinator habitat,…
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Envirothon was held Tuesday, April 2nd in Hoopeston. Coles County was represented by 4 teams from Oakland. A total of 39 teams (pictured above) from Vermillion, Champaign, Douglas, Coles, Edgar, and Clark counties came together to test their knowledge on…
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