Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program
The Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) guides State’s efforts to improve water quality via the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorus in our water ways. Since 2015, Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) has contributed to this effort through the Nutrient Stewardship Grant Program (NSGP). This grant program is available to all County Farm Bureaus (CFBs).
Over the last decade, IFB has made environmental issues an organizational priority for the past decade, focusing on four priority areas:
- Education & Outreach for farmers, landowners, and the public.
- Support for research of BMPs to reduce nutrient loss from agricultural fields.
- Support for farmers implementation/adoption across the State.
- Contribute to long-term goals of the NLRS.
The Nutrient Stewardship Program has become a cornerstone to IFB’s work to implement the NLRS and encourage implementation of environmental Best Management Practices. This grant program is a unique program as it offers a grassroots approach to education, implementation, and research.
Under this grant program, CFBs are directly funded to create programs according to their local needs but within IFB’s priorities. Direct funding of local CFBs empowers local producers and agricultural communities to be engaged with solution-driven programming and development.
Nearly every county in the State has participated in the Nutrient Stewardship Program and approximately 1,365,000 dollars has been delivered for program funding (Figure 1). In 2025, 14 counties participated in the grant program and IFB committed approximately 200,000 dollars (Figure 2).
2025 Nutrient Stewardship Field Days
Field Days |
Topic |
Date |
Location |
RSVP Deadline |
RSVP Phone |
| Bureau Field Day | Field-Scale Nutrient Monitoring | July 29 | TBD | July 24 | 815.875.6468 |
| Clark CFB Field Day | Cover Crops, Soil Health, NLRS | July 10 | TBD | July 3 | 217.382.4144 |
| Clinton CFB Field Day 1 | Russell Hedrick & Biological Management | February 26 | Mt Rose, IL | February 23 | 618.526.7235 |
| Clinton CFB Field Day 2 | Cover Crops, Planting Green, Soil and Forage Sampling | April 26 | Aviston, IL | April 23 | 618.526.7235 |
| Clinton CFB Field Day 3 | Cash Crop after Covers: Economics and Soil Health | July 26 | Aviston, IL | July 23 | 618.526.7235 |
| Cook CFB Field Day | Struvite Research | July 14 | Chicago Heights, IL | July 7 | 708.354.3276 |
| Jo Daviess CFB Field Day 1 | Fenceless Grazing and Animal Integration | August 1 | Stockton, IL | July 26 | 815.858.2235 |
| Jo Daviess CFB Field Day 2 | September 12 | Stockton, IL | September 5 | 815.858.2235 | |
| LaSalle CFB Field Day | Nutrient Management, Genetics, and BMPs. | July 30 | La Salle, IL | July 28 | 815.433.0371 |
| Lee CFB Field Day 1 | Niles Township Pollinator Park - Grand Opening | July/August | Niles Township, IL | TBD | 815.857.3531 |
| Lee CFB Field Day 2 | Northwestern Research Partnership | Sept-Oct | Mendota, IL | TBD | 815.857.3531 |
| McHenry CFB Field Day | Bioreactor Research | August | TBD | TBD | 815.338.1520 |
| Montgomery CFB Field Day | March 27 | Harvel, IL | March 24 | 217.532.6171 | |
| Washington CFB Field Day 1 | Cover Crops, Soil Health, Crop Health, Economics | March 27 | Addieville, IL | March 20 | 618.327.3081 |
| Washington CFB Field Day 2 | Cover Crop Rate and Seed Trials | July-Aug | TBD | TBD | 618.327.3081 |
| Will CFB Field Day 1 | Cash Crop Economics and PFAS | March 26 | New Lennox | March 24 | 815.727.4811 |
| Will CFB Field Day 2 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | 815.727.4811 |
| Wayne CFB Field Day | Improving Fertilizer Efficiency | July/August | TBD | TBD | 618.842.3342 |
Additional field day details coming soon!
Questions
Sanjay Sofat
Director of Environmental Policy
Email: ssofat@ilfb.org