After watching a documentary on the destruction of the rain forest, one Illinois farm family decided to "think globally and act locally." "Our answer was that we personally could not prevent this loss of the rain forests, but that we were able to protect the environment, the soil, and the water on the farm that we owned in Brown County," said Dr. Eric Giebelhausen of Jacksonville,...
Susie and Don Meador of Carroll County, Illinois, are enthusiastic wildlife supporters, advocates for conservation, and believers in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Starting in the winter of 1999 with a habitat plan for 70 acres enrolled in the CRP, the couple has furthered the plan, providing permanent wildlife habitat protection through other programs, such as the Department of...
The Hardwick family - brothers John, Mike and Bob Jr., sister Suzie, and mother Mary Ann - strive to be good stewards of the land, as their involvement with the Illinois Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) shows....
Meredosia Island, located in Cass County, Illinois, between the Illinois River and Meredosia Lake, isn't really an island, but given its history of flooding, it's easy to understand how it got its name. Since 1990, one farm family has only been able to harvest two crops from their 400 acres on the island....
Agricultural producers demonstrate their stewardship of the land in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. Photos show cropland that was enrolled in CRP for ten years, then offered and accepted for reenrollment under new, 10-year contracts. In addition to conserving soil, the sites provide excellent wildlife habitat....
"Before CREP, the river looked like chocolate milk," said Tom Henninger, grandson of original farm owner James Paisley. "It has now reached a clarity never before seen." When the Paisley Bottom farm heirs enrolled the farm in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), they sought income stability for the property. The land was located on a difficult to farm...
