Check out a wetland that is Smart, Hard-working and good-looking!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Henry, IL -- You can visit one of the newest Smart Wetlands in Marshall County this Thursday, June 29, 2023. The wetland is loaded with vegetation and primed to remove nitrates and phosphorus from ag-drainage tile water. The surrounding prairie is in bloom, with multiple species thriving despite the dry conditions. The public is welcome to attend two sessions.

Marshall County Smart Wetland, June 24, 2023

The first is from 11 am – 2 pm for farmers, farmland owners, and agribusiness professionals wanting to reduce nutrient loss from cropland. Participants will be able to tour the wetland and the surrounding prairie and learn why this conservation practice is essential to improving water quality in Illinois. A free ribeye sandwich lunch will be served at noon, with presentations on various sustainable agriculture practices. Those speaking include: Jim Isermann, Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership, and Dr. Jill Kostel, The Wetlands Initiative (TWI), talking about various resources available for farmers wanting to reduce nutrient loss from their farms; Kyle Maple, U.S. Agriculture, explaining how those investing in agriculture are demanding more sustainable ag practices; and Dylan Cook, American Farmland Trust, will provide an update on the progress to get a new Farm Bill passed this year.

Later from 4–7 pm, the public, conservation professionals, and hunters are encouraged to attend. This session will focus on how native marsh vegetation in and around a Smart Wetland can provide habitat for wildlife, waterfowl, pollinators, and recreational opportunities for landowners on their property. Staff from Marshall-Putnam Soil and Water Conservation District (M-P SWCD), TWI, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others, will be on hand to answer questions. Snacks and drinks will be served.

Smart Wetlands are precisely located and custom-designed constructed wetlands to fit within today’s farming operation to remove nutrients. This wetland was constructed in September 2021 and is now fully operational. M.K. Farm Drainage Specialists built the 1.83-acre wetland at McCuskey Farms under the direction of the M-P SWCD and TWI through their Smart Wetlands program. Martin McCuskey owns the land, and Rex Newton farms it.

 The Smart Wetland installation site is located west of Henry, IL, near the intersection of Marshall County Road 500 East and County Road 1400 North, along the Scholes Branch Creek. Additional information about the field day will be available at: https://www.smartwetlands.farm/smartwetland5.

The place is blooming!

A visit to the Marshall County Smart Wetland site on Saturday was a bit of a surprise. Despite having little to no rain for weeks, the prairie was blooming, and there was still water in the wetland. Below are photos of the bloomers. This is great since we planning a field day on Thursday, June 29. The public is welcome to attend.

More images and details about the event are available at https://www.smartwetlands.farm/smartwetland5

Jean McGuire, Smart Wetlands field outreach coordinator, a program of the Wetlands Initiative.

We built it, now you can visit it!

This is a reminder that you can visit one of the newest Smart Wetlands and the first in Marshall County. The public is invited to two sessions on June 29, 2023. The first session is from 11 am and 2 pm on June 29, 2023. It is designed to interest farmers, farmland owners, and agribusiness professionals. A free ribeye sandwich lunch will be served at noon, with presentations on various sustainable agriculture practices and an update on progress to get a US Farm Bill passed this session. In addition the participants will be able to tour the wetland and learn why this edge-of-field practice is so important to improving water quality in Illinois.

Marshall County Smart Wetland, May 25, 2023

Later from 4–7 pm, the public, conservation professionals, and hunters interested are urged to attend. This session is focused on showing how this practice with native marsh vegetation can provide habitat for wildlife, waterfowl, pollinators, and recreational opportunities for landowners on their property. Marshall-Putnam Soil and Water Conservation District and Wetlands Initiative staff and other conservation professionals will be on hand to answer questions. Snacks and drinks will be served.

Smart Wetlands are specifically located and custom-designed constructed wetlands to fit within today’s farming operation to remove nutrients. This wetland was constructed in September 2021 and is now fully operational. MK Farm Drainage Specialists built the 1.83-acre wetland at McCuskey Farms under the direction of the Marshall-Putnam County Soil and Water Conservation District (M-P SWCD) and the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) through their Smart Wetlands program. Martin McCuskey owns the farm, and Rex Newton is the farmer.

The Smart Wetland installation site is located west of Henry, IL, near the intersection of Marshall County Road 500 East and County Road 1400 North, along the Scholes Branch Creek. To ensure you get to the field day easily, here is a Google Maps link, driving directions, and a map.

From the East thru Henry, IL
Drive west on Western Ave, (County Road 1300 N) about 7 miles
Turn right (northbound) onto Yankee Lane (Country Road 500 E) about 1 mile
Turn left (westbound) onto County Road 1400 N and travel approximately 2 miles to
Turn right onto County Road 500 E and follow the signs to the event entrance

From the South via State Highway 29
Take Highway 29 to County Road 1100 North – (you will pass thru Henry)
Turn left onto 1100 North and drive approximately 14 miles
Turn right onto County Road 500 E and follow the signs to the event entrance

From the North via State Highway 29
Take Highway 29 southbound thru Putnam to County Road 1100 North (this road is just north of Henry)
Turn right onto 1100 North and follow that road for about 14 miles
Turn right onto County Road 500 E  and follow the signs to the event entrance

The red dot on the map above is the site of the June 29, 2023 Marshall County Smart Wetland field day. Two sessions will be held. The first from 11 am to 2 pm and later that day from 4 to 7 pm.

We're having a field day!

The Wetlands Initiative’s Smart Wetland Team along with our partners Marshall-Putnam Soil and Water Conservation District and McCuskey Farms invite you to attend a field day on June 29, 2023, at the first Smart Wetland in Marshall County, IL.

This wetland was built during the COVID shutdown in 2021 and now that it is operational, the partners are inviting the public to stop by on June 29, 2023 to stop be and see one of the newest Smart Wetlands.

May 30, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
See How a Smart Wetland Reduces Excess Nutrients from Illinois Waters
Marshall County, IL -- Two years ago, this Marshall County farm field looked like most of Illinois’ 12
million acres of tile-drained cropland. But, in September 2021, a local contractor moved over 6,000 cubic
yards of earth here to create a Smart Wetland. You are welcome to see the resulting tile-treatment
wetland at a field day on Thursday, June 29, and learn about the wetland’s naturally occurring processes
that break down the nitrate in the ag tile drainage before the water flows into nearby water bodies.

Smart Wetlands are specifically located and custom-designed constructed wetlands to fit within today’s
farming operation to remove nutrients. MK Farm Drainage Specialists built the 1.83-acre wetland at
McCuskey Farms under the direction of the Marshall-Putnam Soil and Water Conservation District (M-P
SWCD) and the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) through their Smart Wetlands program. Martin McCluskey
owns the farm, and Rex Newton has farmed it for over 30 years.

The free field day is co-hosted by TWI, McCuskey Farms and M-P SWCD. Rex Newton, staff from M-P
SWCD and TWI, along with other organizations that support sustainable ag and conservation practices
will be on hand to answer questions The public, especially farmers, farmland owners, and agribusiness
professionals, are invited to visit the site between 11 am and 2 pm on June 29. A free lunch will be
served at noon along with presentations on various sustainable concepts and an update on the US Farm
Bill.

In addition, there will be an event later in the day from 4–7 pm for the public, conservation
professionals, and hunters interested in seeing how this practice with native marsh vegetation can
provide habitat for wildlife, waterfowl, and pollinators and recreational opportunities for landowners on
their property. M-P SWCD and TWI staff, along with other conservation professionals will be on hand to answer questions. Snacks and drinks will be served.

The Smart Wetland installation site is located west of Henry, IL, near the intersection of Marshall County Road 500 East and County Road 1400 North, along the Scholes Branch Creek.
Media Advisory: To arrange interviews with Rex Newton, farmer; Jill Kostel, wetland designer; or Jill Ketter, M-P SWCD, please get in touch with Jean McGuire, TWI Field Outreach Specialist, 515-520-3036, or Stacy Williamson, Marshall-Putnam SWCD Administrative Coordinator at 309-364-3913 x3. In addition, details about the field day will be available at: https://www.smartwetlands.farm/smartwetland5

This event is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number 2022-38640- 37486 through the North Central Region SARE program under project number LNC22-465. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

We're hiring a Freelance social media manager

Applications are being accepted through June 30, 2023, for a social media manager to administer the Smart Wetlands Program outreach and education campaigns on its social media platforms. The Smart Wetlands program is focused on designing and implementing tile-treatment wetlands to reduce nutrient runoff from cropland. The ideal candidate will have a strong background, knowledge, and experience with Illinois agricultural, farming, and conservation practices.

Full details are available here.

The resident “Three Bachelors” taking a leisurely swim around the Smart Wetland at Illinois Central College, East Peoria, IL.