|
Will/South Cook Soil And WaterConservation District |
|
|
|
The Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District holds it's monthly Board Meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 P.M.
The Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District holds it's monthly Board Meetings on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7:00 P.M.
|
|
|
CONSERVATION TOURS 2007
In 2007 the Will/South Cook SWCD and NRCS conducted a tour of the Luedtke Meadow Lawn Farm. The Conservation Tour at Meadow Lawn, owned and operated by Rita and Jerry Luedtke, was an excellent program according to all that attended the Beecher event. The tour topics included wildlife and wetlands, drainage districts and tile drainage and paddock management. Lunch was provided by the SWCD. One of the sessions instructed horse owners on how to manage and evaluate their pastures. Discussion topics included the carrying capacity and quality of pasture land. Horse owners learned that as the quality of a pasture increases the number of horses that can feed on the pasture increases. Rita Luedtke and Nick Fritch of USDA-NRCS, co-presenters, also provided the attendees with plenty of hand-outs to take home for future reference. Wetlands and prairies information was presented twice. A second group of participants requested that Floyd Catchpole, a biologist for the Will County Forest Preserve District, repeat his presentation in the afternoon. Using the 10 acre prairie of Meadow Lawn Farm as an example, Floyd provided information that will help landowners identify prairie plants and discussed the importance of managing prairie areas properly. Floyd ensured the group that landowners can provide habitat for wildlife and enjoy the appearance of their property at the same time. Howard Hamilton, Will County Engineer, Greg Lietz, Drainage Attorney and Dave Deutsche, Upper Black Walnut Creek Drainage Commissioner combined their knowledge to provide individuals with an hour long program on the importance of drainage districts in agricultural and urban areas. They were able to advise attendees on the requirements for forming a drainage district and what landowner responsibilities are with regard to tile maintenance. The role and responsibilities of a drainage district commissioner were also discussed. The noon speaker, Mr. John Church, University of Illinois Extension, spoke to the group with regard to farmland preservation. He provided many statistics concerning the farmland of Will County, identifying it as possibly some of the best farmland in the United States today. John talked about the rate of farmland development and the possible consequences of its loss. He discussed the alternatives to development that are available to landowners. Conservation easements and their benefits were also discussed. It was a most interesting presentation and generated several questions as well as further discussion among those in attendance. The tour was sponsored by the Will-South Cook SWCD and NRCS. "Based on attendance and the interest we see here today, there will be another tour next year" according to Burton Barr and Bill Hnetkovsky Associate Directors for Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District.
2005 The Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District held 2 tours this year. The intent of the tours was to educate the public on different types of conservation practices used to help protect our natural resources.
The first tour was held at the Howard Ludwig Farm in Lemont, Illinois, in May 2005. The 30 students from Benito Juarez High School located in Chicago, Illinois were greeted by, Mr. Howard Ludwig, farm owner, who explained to the students about the farm history which included raising hogs with a rotation of corn and soybeans. The students had the opportunity to witness various practices such as; water and sediment control basins, conservation tillage, beneficial insects and wildlife in your back yard, (2) soil pits and a presentation on lawn waste application benefits to cropland. Some students indicated they were interested in agriculture as a possible career goal but the majority enjoyed the opportunity to be on a farm for the first time in their lives and just enjoyed the day.
The second tour was held on October 19, 2005 at the Dooly Family Farm. This farm is located in the eastern part of Will County in Crete Township. The Dooley Family was also the 2005 Farm Family of the Year. This is an award given by the Will/South Cook SWCD annually to a landowner that practices exceptional conservation work on their land. The owners, Mr. Joe and Mrs. Lynn Dooley, have worked diligently over the years to apply many conservation practices on their farm. They have many conservation practices established throughout the farm and continue to increase the amount of conservation on their land. Some of the practices that can be seen on the farm are farmstead windbreaks, crop rotation, conservation tillage (no-till planting), water and sediment control basin, pond for wildlife, woodland management, pasture management, wildlife habitat management, wetland restoration, tree nursery and tile drainage. Together, these practices work as a system, complimenting each other to address concerns such as; excessive soil erosion, improving water quality, reducing downstream flooding, enhancing wildlife, enhancing condition for domestic livestock, while allowing the Dooley Family to enjoy their surroundings. There were approximately 30 participates that attended the tour. The tour consisted of land owners and decision makers from various agencies/departments.
The Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District has tours annually. If you would like to host or participate in a future tour please contact the District. |
|
All programs and services of the Will/South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap. Copyright © 2001
Will South Cook Soil & Water Conservation District
|
