Soil Health & Watershed Groups

Jo Daviess County Soil & Water Health Coalition

Northwest Illinois

Jo Daviess Coalition Builds Soil Health, Water Quality, and Community Resilience

The mission of the Jo Daviess County Soil & Water Health Coalition is to invite individuals into a farmer-led conversation about soil health and water quality. The Coalition uses the information gained through experimentation and shared experience to implement practices that reduce soil erosion and nutrient loss while increasing resiliency and profitability on Jo Daviess County farms.

This coalition was formed after local leaders attended every Fishers & Farmers Partnership workshop, gaining the inspiration and tools to launch a collaborative conservation effort. With a $20,000 grant from Fishers & Farmers, the group began outreach, tributary sampling, and watershed planning that laid the foundation for their work.

A Model for the Region

Since 2017, the Coalition has hosted more than a dozen field days and educational events, including:

Cover crop and no-till demonstrations at local farms
Nutrient stewardship workshops with university researchers
Rainfall simulator trials to show erosion impacts
Panels and presentations at regional conferences like ACRES and Starved Rock
Youth engagement through FFA and school programs
Community displays like “Soul of the Soil” and pop-in events

These events have featured experts from the University of Illinois, NRCS, and local agronomists, and have drawn participation from over 100 producers across the county.

The Coalition also completed a watershed-based plan for the Galena River, launched soil health testing using the Haney method, and built a network of farmers committed to conservation. Their work is expanding countywide, with a focus on implementing best management practices like riparian buffers, prairie strips, and streambank stabilization.

They are focused on no-till, cover crops, and managed grazing, and their goal is to increase the number of producers using these practices. Their efforts are supported by strong partnerships and a shared commitment to protecting the land and water that sustain our communities.

The Jo Daviess County Soil & Water Health Coalition has come a long way from their starting point and in 2024, they brought it full circle and co-hosted the Galena Fishers and Farmers Workshop.