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Illinois Farm Bureau documentary highlights nutrient loss reduction efforts

The Illinois Farm Bureau has produced a documentary highlighting nutrient loss reduction progress.

The hour-long video titled “Sustaining Our Future: A Farm Family Story” follows the Ganschow Family in Bureau County illustrating how three generations of farmers have approached sustainability. Michael Ganschow says they’ve spent years implementing practices like reduced tillage, buffers and cover crops.

“It’s really a special opportunity to be able to open up your farm and give people the ability to see the reality of what is going on and I think what we did in this documentary really captures that.”

University of Illinois Soil Scientist Andrew Margenot says it also highlights progress toward goals in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and the role of scientific research in the process.

“We want to have collaborations where the researchers go to farms and get results that help us understand how well practices that are thought to work, actually work.”

The video premiered here at the Illinois Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Chicago and will soon air on TV stations across the state.