During this field day in Iroquois County, the integration of crops and livestock will be showcased, highlighting the grazing of crop residues, cover crops, and annual forages. Host farmers will demonstrate how livestock integration operates on their farms and discuss its benefits for both soil health and the balance sheet.

Southern Illinois has experienced significant rainfall recently. How does this excess moisture affect the soil? Kelly Robertson from Precision Crop Services LLC and IL Soy Envoy provides some observations.

Stephanie Porter shares more about identifying earthworm egg cocoons, emphasizing their role in soil health. She explains how lack of earthworms in a field doesn't always signify poor soil quality, and factors like soil type, pH, and moisture levels impact earthworm populations in agricultural fields.

A multi-year Illinois Soybean Association project led by Dr. Andrew Margenot is benchmarking tillage and cover crops effects for soil health and water quality. Results will inform farmers of tradeoffs among soil health, carbon credits, and water quality.

Kris Reynolds from American Farmland Trust shares information on various conservation funding opportunities available to farmers, including IRA funding, Partners for Conservation, and Partnerships for Climate Smart Commodities.

In this webinar, Dr. Andrew Margenot will provide an introduction to climate-smart agriculture and agricultural commodities, how soybeans fit into this paradigm, and considerations for Illinois soybean producers in navigating climate-smart commodity markets.