Soil Health & Watershed Groups

Jo Daviess County Soil & Water Health Coalition

Northwest Illinois

people taking a hay ride on farm

Contact

Contact: Beth Baranski - Bookkeeper, BHMS Architects

Phone: (563) 580-6192

Website:

Social Media:

Mission

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.

We are focused on no-till, cover crops and managed grazing, and our goal is to increase the number of producers using these practices.

News & Stories

Watershed or Service Area Map

About Us

Growing a Group:

  • Active group 5+ years
  • Book sharing
  • Farmer-led group
  • Formed a new group
  • Fundraising
  • Grant writing
  • Member-led project planning
  • Neighbor to neighbor mentoring
  • Personal invitations to neighbors to grow the group
  • Other

Collaboration:

  • Actively participated in local watershed planning process
  • Collaboration with agriculture or conservation organizations
  • Collaboration with local ag retailers and/or crop advisors
  • Collaboration with local civic groups
  • Collaboration with local college or university
  • Other

Outreach:

  • Engage local schools
  • Media interviews
  • Presentation to groups
  • Promotion to media outlets
  • Social media cultivation
  • Video Development
  • Website Development
  • Other - Field days, incentive programs

Land & Water:

  • Bioreactors
  • Cover crops
  • Crop diversification
  • Floodplain restoration
  • Grass waterways
  • Grazing
  • Nutrient management & retention
  • Perennial crops
  • Prairie strips
  • Saturated buffers
  • Stream buffers
  • Stream restoration
  • Water retention basins
  • Wetlands
  • Other

Assessment & Data:

  • Agronomic data collection
  • Field edge data collection
  • Field walkovers
  • Stream monitoring
  • Other

Events:

  • Fishing event
  • Farm field days
  • Paddle event
  • Upstream or downstream connections/visits
  • Booth at local event
  • Other

Fishers & Famers Partnership Program Participation:

  • Workshop
  • Neighbor to Neighbor Radio Podcast
  • Boots on the Ground Online Conversation
  • Group Presentation
  • Project Tour
  • Featured in a Story
  • Featured in a Video
  • Meetings
  • None

Want to be in this directory?

Fill out and submit this form to our coordinator, who will review it and contact you to confirm details. We look forward to hearing from you!