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Government
WVIK's coverage of Election 2014 is sponsored in part by Schiebert Law, P.C.00000177-6412-df44-a377-677327960000

USDA New Conservation Grants

WVIK Staff

Continuing its emphasis on conservation, the US Department of Agriculture has awarded some new grants for Illinois, Iowa, and 29 other states. Today Secretary Tom Vilsack made the announcement at a farm in Rock Island County.
He says the 15.7 million dollars from the Conservation Innovation Grant program will help universities, non-profits, and other groups develop new conservation methods. 

Vilsack says one of the key challenges farmers are starting to face now is changing weather patterns.

0915VILS5.mp3
Longer and more destructive storms and droughts.

Since it started several years ago, the Conservation Innovation Grant program has funded more than 300 projects totalling 126 million dollars. 

One of the new grants will be used by the National Corn Growers Association in Illinois, Iowa, and 5 other midwestern states, to find ways to improve farm productivity, and increasing the number of farmers participating in conservation programs. Two other grants will be used to experiment with cover crops in Iowa to improve soil health. 
Vilsack was accompanied by 17th District Congresswoman, Cheri Bustos, who's a member of the House Agriculture Committee. 

A native of Detroit, Herb Trix began his radio career as a country-western disc jockey in Roswell, New Mexico (“KRSY, your superkicker in the Pecos Valley”), in 1978. After a stint at an oldies station in Topeka, Kansas (imagine getting paid to play “Louie Louie” and “Great Balls of Fire”), he wormed his way into news, first in Topeka, and then in Freeport Illinois.