The Illinois Farm Bureau Federation and affiliated county Farm Bureaus recently joined with GROWMARK and a number of FS companies to launch a program designed to demonstrate the efficacy of 4R nutrient stewardship practices at the local level. The 4Rs mean the right source of nutrient, at the right time, at the right rate, and in the right place.

The 4R field demonstration program, called 4R4U, includes 14 county Farm Bureaus and 11 FS companies in Illinois. “Our county farm bureaus are working with their neighboring FS member companies to really drill down, demonstrate and investigate 4R nutrient strategies at the local level,” says Lauren Lurkins, director of natural and environmental resources for Illinois Farm Bureau.

The focus of the partnership will be on implementation of the state’s nutrient loss reduction strategy (NLRS) with plot tests at the local level that will compare common practices to advanced practices on nutrient stewardship. “We’re taking it back to our expertise and taking those practices back into the field and figuring out how they work in a farmer’s real life,” said Lurkins.

Each partnership will be putting a strategy in place this winter with field demonstration days to be held next year in spring and summer and Lurkins says they are developing a website and social media channels to communicate with growers about the project. Learn more in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/4r4u-lurkins.mp3″ text=”Interview with Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau”]