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STAR News: January 2024

A Message from Caroline Wade, STAR Executive Director

Happy New Year from the STAR team! The year is flying by already as we continue to ramp up and prepare for the launch of 2024 enrollment later this spring. It will be an exciting year with the development of a new, enhanced version of the online STAR Tool that will integrate and automate the field forms and scoring systems for current and developing STAR Affiliates. The new tool will also provide STAR participants with a tailored Conservation Improvement Plan including recommendations and connections to technical and financial resources to support the hard work of changing systems to include more conservation practices. The STAR team will also be spending significant time visiting, both in-person and virtually, with state STAR Affiliate leaders, staff, partners, producers, landowners, and supporters in the West and Midwest. We’ll be listening carefully to identify their locally specific needs and challenges and the opportunities they see to amplify conservation learning, promotion, implementation, and collaboration in their work on the ground. As we refine our new offerings for 2024 enrollment, STAR is committed to supporting those producers testing and implementing more conservation practices on more acres. We hope you will join us on this journey!

STAR Affiliate Updates

Spotlight on Illinois STAR

Photo courtesy of Illinois STAR

This month we highlight the Illinois STAR Affiliate – where STAR first started in 2017 when two Central Illinois farmers wondered how they could encourage neighbors to find new ways to prevent nutrient losses from fields. Steve Stierwalt and Joe Rothermel were successful using reduced-tillage and cover crops to improve soil health and reduce soil and nutrient losses, and they thought there must be a simple, straightforward way to help make such conservation farming the norm.

“We were just kicking around ideas for a roadmap for conservation practices,” Rothermel said. “Say a farmer wanted to try conservation practices: What would we tell them? Make a list of all the practices that would work best in this area – a recipe for success. It recognizes farmers for their practices – but there is also an educational part of it. My goal was to provide information to farmers who wanted to try this.”

“We had no vision of building something that would even go across Illinois,” Stierwalt said. “We wanted to focus on Champaign County. But we found a lot of interest. My personal ‘Why’ was discomfort at seeing that we were not getting done what was needed. Joe came up with the STAR acronym. Having a name that tells people what we’re hoping to do is important.”

Stierwalt and Rothermel then teamed up with the Champaign County Soil and Water Conservation District (CCSWCD) to formally establish STAR across Illinois – and this eventually inspired a national expansion into what STAR is today. Stierwalt and Rothermel continue to serve on the Illinois and national STAR boards.

Illinois STAR continues its expansion across the state and has benefited from the expertise and guidance of representatives from key state organizations including The Nature Conservancy, American Farmland Trust, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Corn Growers Association, Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and many other conservation focused partners. Recognized conservation advocates, researchers and experts throughout the Illinois academic, consulting, and farming communities have been instrumental in the success of the initiative through participation on the Illinois STAR Steering Committee. Along with continued CCSWCD support, Illinois STAR is supported by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Land and Water Resources (IDOA), as part of the soil health goals set forth by the Illinois General Assembly Public Act 103-0490. IDOA and STAR share a common vision to enhance agricultural conservation practices and raise awareness regarding nutrient and soil loss mitigation. Together, they work on education and training opportunities to promote conservation and the Illinois STAR Initiative. The Illinois STAR Initiative is efficiently administered through most county Soil and Water Conservation Districts, ensuring accessibility and coverage across the state. Read more about Illinois STAR.

Meet the Illinois STAR Affiliate Team

Natalie A. Kerr, Illinois STAR Coordinator, is a dedicated scientist with a passion for elevating practical, evidence-based research to different audiences. She grew up on a conservation-focused hobby farm in Washington, IL. Her career in agricultural conservation began in 2016 as a field technician at Waterborne Environmental, Inc. She earned recognition as the 2019 Illinois Young Innovator of the Year for her pioneering work on denitrification solutions. With an interest in public health, she went on to research the multimedia fate and transport of pollutants, and community exposure. During her time at the Illinois State Water Survey, she effectively managed well-funded water quality research studies and led participant and community outreach efforts. Prior to IL STAR, Natalie served as a Sustainability and Social Responsibility Analyst, where she managed regulatory and stakeholder sustainability requirements, and conducted life cycle assessments of plant-based products. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Springfield and an M.S. in Environmental Health Science from the University of Michigan.

Bruce Henrikson is the IL STAR Assistant Coordinator and was raised on a grain and livestock farm near Springfield, Illinois. After graduating from the University of Illinois in 1970, Bruce was the agriculture teacher in Paxton. After completing a master’s degree, in 1975 he became an agriculture instructor at Parkland College in Champaign, teaching agriculture marketing and management. After 10 years at Parkland, he became a farm marketing consultant in Champaign. He enjoyed helping farm families manage their marketing risks but missed teaching both traditional aged students and farmers. He returned to Parkland in 1989 as an agriculture instructor and was soon named the Agriculture Program Director. In 2003 he became the Business & Agri-Industries Department Chair and retired from Parkland in the summer of 2016. He started working part-time for the Champaign County Soil & Water Conservation District in 2017 to help with the development of the IL STAR initiative and has continued in that role.

Notes from the Newest IL Affiliate: Aiming for the STARs Across IL

By Dr. Michael Woods, CEO, Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Considering unprecedented once-in-a-lifetime federal investments into climate-smart agriculture, 2023 was envisioned as a potential turning point for agricultural conservation efforts across the United States. Major investments such as the USDA Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 were expected to raise agricultural conservation and climate resiliency to the top of the national agenda in 2023 and beyond. These and other major initiatives like the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy (NLRS) aimed to foster greater links between conservation practices, nutrient loss, soil biodiversity, and climate goals in Illinois.

In October of 2023, as a response to new legislation (SB1701), the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA)—like the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts (AISWCD) before IDOA—initiated a memorandum of understanding establishing IL STAR as the state-wide program to elevate soil health practices and set clear levels of achievement for producers and landowners engaging in best agricultural conservation practices needed to achieve future goals of both NLRS and adoption of proven climate-smart agriculture and weather resilient practices.

The advancement of STAR across Illinois through these state efforts has the potential to move Illinois forward in meeting the goals of NLRS while becoming more resilient to weather/climate change that is directly impacting production agriculture across the state.

Much like many across the nation, Illinois agriculture and conservation are facing unprecedented challenges and opportunities as we head into 2024. Farmers, landowners, and conservation professionals (like those within the Soil and Water Conservation Districts) now have a unique opportunity to accelerate efforts to build a stronger, more dynamic, and resilient industry, one that can truly face up to the challenges of the present agricultural ecological setting.

As we move into the new year, and a decisive period for agricultural conservation, practitioners need to capitalize on these opportunities for systemic change and transformation of our agricultural fields. To be responsive during these times of opportunity, I believe there are key themes urgently needed, and where creative and collaborative engagement can create new opportunities for action. These are: 1) renewing individual commitments to conservation across the agricultural industry; 2) engaging new producers, landowners, and constituents that cultivate collaboration; 3) expanding silos and scaling solutions; 4) elevating field level performance; and 5) energizing and aligning new funding investments.

Driving large scale industry wide change to achieve these five key themes requires skills and resources like STAR that acknowledges different producer/landowner perspectives, builds trust, and engages the art and science required in challenging conversations, while simplifying a shared strategy and set of achievable tactics across diverse sectors of the agricultural industry.

Notably, as we are seeing in Illinois, STAR can serve as a tool to elevate collaborations between producers, scientists, practitioners, and government officials seeking to put knowledge and tools in the hands of producers and conservation professionals, in a format that maximizes practical action in the field and across the farm.

As we turn the corner into 2024, it is clear—as highlighted in the 2023 Biennial NLRS report, we will not leave the conservation challenges of prior years behind us. This calls for deeper thinking and focused efforts on how to convert those challenges into long-term opportunities.

If agricultural producers, landowners, and conservation professionals can seize on these opportunities with IL STAR, 2024 could turn out to be a pivotal moment for agricultural conservation efforts in Illinois.

National STAR News

New Mexico STAR Affiliate Meeting Will Be Held Jan 30 in Santa Fe, NM

On January 30th, the STAR team will travel to Santa Fe to take part in a stakeholder meeting about bringing the STAR framework to New Mexico. Hosted by the Thornburg Foundation and the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts, the meeting is an opportunity to hear from a broad range of stakeholders about how STAR connects with New Mexico’s needs and priorities. Invitees include state government staff, conservation districts and acequia leadership, members of the Pueblo and tribal communities, legislators, local and regional NGOs, producers and others. Please contact max@groundupconsulting.us to learn more about this gathering.

Register for SoilCon

SoilCon is an incredible resource for those interested in improving soil health across the globe and is coordinated by the Washington STAR Affiliate team. Over the past three years, the event has brought together 84 experts from across the country to share their expertise on a range of topics, including long-term research, soil biology, and Native American perspectives on soil health. This year’s SoilCon brings the best of both worlds—virtual and hybrid events. Whether you prefer the convenience of online learning or the enriching experience of in-person gatherings, SoilCon has you covered through a network of events happening across Washington state. Learn more and register. This year’s events include:

• SoilCon: Global Perspectives; Tuesday, February 6
• SoilCon: Diversified Organic; Thursday, February 8
• SoilCon: Irrigated Perennials; Tuesday, February 13
• SoilCon: NW Washington Annuals; Thursday, February 15
• SoilCon: Dryland; Tuesday, February 20

See STAR Soon at…

Soil Health in the West Conference 2024

The Soil Health in the West Conference, February 6 – 8 in St. George, Utah, brings together world experts and regional soil health practitioners under one roof for a multi-day learning and networking opportunity unlike any other in the Western United States. Twenty-one speakers will cover topics from grazing with soil health to soil health impact on water availability and everything in between. Three members of the STAR team –Caroline Wade, Jake Deutmeyer, and STAR contractor Max Neumeyer will attend. Register here.

National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting

The STAR team will be attending the78th NACD Annual Meeting in San Diego, California on February 10-14, 2024. NACD’s mission is to promote responsible management and conservation of natural resources on all lands by representing locally-led conservation districts and their associations through grassroots advocacy, education and partnerships. Come and meet the STAR team at our booth – we’ll have national STAR staff attending –including Caroline Wade, Jake Deutmeyer, and Amanda Raster; STAR Co-founder and Board Chair Steve Stierwalt; as well as Affiliate STAR staff from the Colorado,Illinois, and Washington. For registration and more information, click here.