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Monday 8am - 4:30pm Tuesday 8am - 4:30pm Wednesday 8am - 4:30pm Thursday 8am - 4:30pm Friday 8am - 4:30pm

DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District

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Sycamore, IL
DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District

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It is our mission to responsibly conserve healthy soil and clean water for all generations.

10/29/2026

The DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District is kicking off the Somonauk Creek Watershed Planning process, and we invite community members and local partners to follow along!💧Why does watershed planning matter? A watershed is an area of land where water drains to a common stream, river, or other body of water. What happens on the land affects the water that flows through it. Watershed planning helps communities identify water quality concerns, address issues such as soil erosion and stormwater runoff, and develop recommendations for protecting and improving local water resources. The Somonauk Creek Watershed Plan will develop recommendations for areas including Waterman, Somonauk, Sandwich, Buck Lake, and Lake Holiday and surrounding areas in LaSalle County. The goal is to identify local watershed concerns and practical opportunities to protect our shared water resources.
📅 First Steering Committee Meeting
🗓️ Wednesday, November 4
⏰ 2:00–3:00 p.m.
📍 Sandwich Public Library District , 925 S Main St., Sandwich, IL
This first meeting will be an opportunity to get acquainted, learn about the watershed planning process, and discuss the goals and role of the Steering Committee. Our meetings are open to the public, and anyone interested is welcome to attend to learn more and follow the planning process. Healthy watersheds benefit everyone. We look forward to sharing this process with our community and working toward a healthier future for our local water resources! Funding for the development of the Somonauk Creek Watershed-based plan is provided through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Section 604(b) of the Clean Water Act distributed through the Illinois EPA 🌎 Learn more about DeKalb County Watersheds👉https://dekalbcountywatersheds-il.org/

10/28/2026

🌱 Conservation in Action!

Here’s a great example of conservation practices at work! Paul Kuhn, local farmer and the DeKalb County SWCD Board Chairman, has been putting strip-till and cover crops to use in the field, with oats and oilseed radish planted to help protect and improve soil health.

Practices like these can help reduce erosion, build soil health, and keep valuable nutrients in place.

Interested in trying strip-till, cover crops, or other conservation practices on your operation? Technical assistance is available right here at our office! We’re happy to help you explore options that work for your farm.

📍 Contact DeKalb County Soil and Water Conservation District to learn more!

10/27/2026

🌾 Funding Opportunity for Rural Illinois Communities!

The Illinois Farm Bureau’s Rural Development Grant Program is now accepting applications for the 2026–2027 funding cycle!

These grants support projects that strengthen rural communities, support local farmers, and improve quality of life for rural Illinois residents.

💡 What kinds of projects qualify?
- Community and economic development
- Emergency services and infrastructure improvements
- Access to fresh food and healthcare
- Housing and recreational opportunities
- Local business development, entrepreneurship, and tourism
- Other projects that positively impact farmers and rural communities

📅 Application deadline: December 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

Interested in applying? Start by reviewing the program details and FAQs, then contact your local County Farm Bureau to discuss your project and request an application link.

🔗 Learn more: https://www.ilfb.org/meaningful-development/community-development/ifb-rural-development-grant-program

Help spread the word to local organizations, community leaders, and rural partners who have ideas for making our communities stronger!

10/26/2026

🌱 Illinois Farmers: Enrollment is Open for 2027 On-Farm Field Trials!

Interested in testing new agronomic practices and seeing how they perform on your own farm? The On-Farm Trial Network, funded by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Program, gives Illinois farmers the opportunity to participate in research that helps turn promising ideas into practical, field-tested solutions.

🔬 2027 trial opportunities include:
- Cover crop biomass and w**d suppression
- Insecticide seed treatments in conservation systems
- Phosphorus and potassium soil test values
- Return on investment of soybean foliar insecticides
- Soybean desiccation
- Wheat and soybean relay cropping systems

Trials range from long-term soil health research to replicated agronomic trials and demonstrations of new practices.

🚜 Interested in participating? Explore current trials and enroll here:
https://forms.monday.com/forms/b4567ffff85add8acc1c05b2987ef32a?r=use1

Not ready to commit? You can also sign up to hear about future opportunities with no obligation to participate.
https://fieldadvisor.org/on-farm-trial-network/

Questions? Contact Deanna Burkhart, ISA Agronomic Services Manager, at [email protected] or 309-307-9366.

10/25/2026

DeKalb County is home to so many wonderful family farms, and we recently had the opportunity to tour one of them! In partnership with Illinois Agri-Women, we visited Honey Hill Orchard in Waterman, Illinois, where owners Kathy Bock and Brittany Richey welcomed us for a behind-the-scenes look at their orchard and apple products operation. The orchard's story began over 50 years ago, when Kathy's father, Hawken Askelson, started planting apple trees as a hobby. He initially planted semi-dwarf trees, but DeKalb County's productive soils helped those original trees grow as tall and large as many standard apple trees! Today, Honey Hill has more than 7,500 apple trees and offers everything from fresh-picked apples and apple c***r to donuts, caramel apples, fresh honey and other fall favorites. 🍎🍩🍯🌱 There's a conservation story here, too! Honey Hill uses minimal herbicides and pesticides, and honey bees from the farm's 15 hives help pollinate the orchard. They also put nature's leftovers to work! Apples that fall to the ground and unpicked pumpkins are chopped up and returned to the land as compost, helping recycle nutrients and add organic matter back into the soil. This is a great example of how reducing waste can also support soil health. Family farms like Honey Hill are an important part of our local community. They give families the opportunity to experience agriculture firsthand, from picking their own apples to enjoying food grown right here in DeKalb County. 👏 A big thank-you to Kathy and Brittany for sharing their time, knowledge, and hospitality with us, and to Illinois Agri-Women for helping make this visit possible! 🍂 There's still time to visit! Honey Hill Orchard's last day of the season is Halloween, so make plans to stop by during the final week for some fall fun and delicious local treats.

10/24/2026

🚜🌱 Harvest in Action: Part 3/3. Sometimes, the best way to understand a conservation practice is to see it in action! In the final installment of our Harvest in Action series, watch the team at CHS Illinois Elburn put strip tillage and targeted fertilizer application to work in a Larson Farms soybean field, farmed by DeKalb County SWCD Board Director Lynn Martz.🌾 Why does this practice matter? Strip tillage disturbs only narrow strips of soil where the next crop will be planted, leaving the soil between those strips undisturbed. This can help reduce erosion and preserve soil structure. 💧 By applying fertilizer directly into those same strips in a single pass, the system also supports more precise nutrient placement and efficient field operations, helping farmers manage nutrients while protecting soil and water resources. It's a great example of how agricultural technology and conservation practices can work hand-in-hand to support productive farms and healthier natural resources!👏 A big thank-you to the CHS Illinois team, Larson Farms, and Lynn Martz for sharing their work with us and giving our staff a firsthand look at conservation in action.

10/23/2026

🌱🚜 Harvest in Action: Part 2/3. The soybeans are harvested, but the work in the field continues! As part of our visit to Larson Farms based in Maple Park, Illinois, we got to see what happens next in a field farmed by DeKalb County SWCD Board Director Lynn Martz. Following harvest, the team at CHS Illinois Elburn used a strip-till system to prepare the field for the next growing season while applying fertilizer in the same pass.🌾 What is strip tillage? Instead of tilling the entire field, strip tillage disturbs only narrow strips of soil where the next crop will be planted, leaving the soil between those strips undisturbed. This conservation practice can help reduce erosion, retain crop residue on the soil surface, and protect soil structure. 🚜 One pass, two jobs! The CHS Illinois equipment combines strip tillage and fertilizer application in a single pass. Fertilizer is placed directly into the tilled strips where the next crop will grow, allowing for more targeted nutrient placement rather than broadcasting fertilizer across the entire field.💧 By minimizing soil disturbance and applying nutrients more precisely, practices like these can help support soil health, improve nutrient management, and reduce the risk of nutrient loss to nearby waterways. It's a great example of how modern agricultural technology and conservation practices can work together to make farming more efficient while caring for our natural resources. Thank you to Lynn Martz, Larson Farms, and the team at CHS Illinois for letting us see these practices in action! 🌱 Stay tuned for Part 3 of our Harvest in Action series!

10/22/2026

🌾🚜 Harvest in Action: Part 1/3. What does modern soybean harvest look like from the driver's seat? The DeKalb County SWCD staff recently got a firsthand look when we were invited to ride along during soybean harvest at Larson Farms of Maple Park, Illinois, the farming operation of SWCD Board Director Lynn Martz. We climbed into the cab and got an up-close look at some impressive agricultural technology! 🚜📡 GPS-guided equipment helps the combine and grain wagons work together seamlessly, staying aligned during harvest and preventing spills. Sensors monitor how full the wagons are so the flow of soybeans can stop when they're full. 💻 The technology also tracks harvest progress, estimates how long it will take to finish a field, and collects detailed yield data to help farmers understand field-by-field production. Why does this matter for conservation? Greater precision and efficiency help farmers make informed management decisions, use equipment effectively, and support more sustainable farming operations. A big thank-you to Lynn Martz and Larson Farms for welcoming us into the field and sharing a behind-the-scenes look at today's farming technology! 🌱 Stay tuned for Part 2, where we'll continue exploring the connection between agriculture and conservation.

10/21/2026

We recently welcomed students from the NIU Department of Anthropology to Johnsons Pumpkins and Corn Maze, the home farm of DeKalb County SWCD Executive Director Dean Johnson! Students in Dr. Kristen Borre’s "Study of Environmental Sustainability" course explored the soils beneath their feet by getting into a soil pit to examine soil layers and learn how glaciation helped shape the landscape and soil characteristics we see throughout DeKalb County today.
💧 They also participated in a rainfall simulator demonstration to see firsthand how poorly managed soil can be vulnerable to erosion and nutrient runoff during rainfall events. The visit sparked conversations about how conservation practices can improve soil health, reduce erosion, protect water quality, and support more sustainable agricultural systems. Thank you to Dr. Borre and her students for spending time with us and exploring the science behind soil and water conservation!

10/15/2026

Great conversation and information about watersheds from Peggy Anesi, who also serves as an Associate Director on the DeKalb County SWCD Board of Directors 💧

Address

1350 West Prairie Drive
Sycamore, IL
60178

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 4:30pm
Tuesday	8am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	8am - 4:30pm
Thursday	8am - 4:30pm
Friday	8am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+18157563234

Website

https://swcdekalbil.org/

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