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).
2026 Nutrient Stewardship Summer Field Days
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2026 Nutrient Stewardship Spring Field Days
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Additional field day details coming soon!