SPRINGFIELD, IL (Chambana Today) – Steve Stierwalt, a Champaign County farmer, has witnessed firsthand the growing concerns about soil health and erosion over his 40 years of farming. In the 1970s, agriculture education didn’t focus on soil health, but today, Stierwalt is a vocal advocate for cover crops, which help prevent soil erosion and runoff pollution.
Illinois launched a subsidy program for cover crops in 2019 to address runoff issues, offering farmers a discount on crop insurance premiums. The program has been a success, with demand outpacing state funding each year. However, despite the program’s popularity, Governor JB Pritzker has proposed a 31% cut to its funding, reducing the budget from $960,000 to $660,000.
Farmers and environmentalists argue that increasing support for the program is critical, as Illinois continues to contribute significantly to fertilizer runoff, worsening the Gulf of Mexico’s dead zone. State lawmakers have introduced bills to raise funding to $6.1 million annually, but these bills have yet to pass.
With less than 6% of Illinois farmland using cover crops, the push to expand funding for the program remains a key focus as the state works toward its budget deadline.