The Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District is proud to announce that the Tammen Family will receive the SWCD’s 2026 Conservation Farm Family Award. Tammen Treeberry Farm is operated by Bruce and Becky Tammen of Wilmington, Illinois. The farm offers customers the opportunity to pick their own blueberries and choose and cut Christmas trees. Bruce’s father, Lorenz Tammen, began planting Christmas trees in the 1950s to utilize unproductive blow sand soil. In 1964, h

The Will-South Cook SWCD is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Conservation Education Scholarship Awards. These students will each receive a $2,000 scholarship and be honored at the SWCD’s Annual Recognition Dinner on July 23 rd , 2026. Nathan Heldt is the 2026 recipient of the Richard “Dick” McHugh Memorial Scholarship. Nathan is the son of Ryan and Shannon Heldt of Beecher. He is a graduate of Beecher High School and plans to attend Iowa State University in the fal

The Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District will be holding a general election of directors on Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Polling places will be established at 1201 S. Gougar Road in New Lenox, IL 60451 and remain open from 7 am until 5:30 pm. Our Annual Meeting will be held on March 11, 2026 at 9 am at the district office at 1201 S. Gougar Road in New Lenox, IL 60451.

In the spring of 2026, the Will-South Cook Soil and Water Conservation District will be awarding three $2,000 scholarships to Will or South Cook County students who plan to major in an agriculture or natural resource-related field at an accredited college or school of higher learning. The purpose of these scholarships is to further the cause of soil, water, and natural resource conservation by helping deserving students pursue the subject at an advanced level. Scholarship w