Farmer networking finds solutions

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A farmer and resource conservationist who are part of a Farmer-Led Advances in Soil Health program team shared their experiences in a recent Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction podcast.

Bobby Orman farms in western Coles County within the Lake Mattoon, Embarras River and Kaskaskia River watersheds, part of the Lake Paradise-Lake Mattoon Watershed/Coles County FLASH group.

Malina Przygoda, Coles County Soil and Water Conservation District resource conservationist, is the FLASH group leader in the Lake Paradise-Lake Mattoon Watershed.

FLASH is a statewide initiative where farmers are leading the efforts in five priority watersheds in Illinois to improve soil heath and protect water quality.

“You don’t know, what you don’t know.”

—  Bobby Orman, farmer East-central Illinois

Todd Gleason, University of Illinois Extension communications specialist, hosted the podcast, produced by U of I Extension educators Rachel Curry, Nicole Haverback and Luke Zwilling.

What made you decided to join FLASH?

Orman: The local NRCS/Soil and Water Conservation District personnel recognized what we were doing and what we were doing in our immediate watershed area. They approached us and thought we should be a part of the group, and it’s been fruitful ever since.

What are the benefits you’ve received?

Orman: The benefits I’ve received, specifically through the FLASH group, have been networking with people from different walks of life, whether they’re on the agency side, whether in research and development, or administration as far as distributing information and funds if they’re available.

It’s really networking with the people that are doing these practices in other parts of the state, as well as everybody in between.

Are there things that farmers should consider before they look at FLASH or maybe start a FLASH group in their area?

Orman: You don’t know, what you don’t know. My opinion on what you should consider is, is there a check engine light? Is there a problem on your farm or is there a problem in your community that really needs to be addressed?

You just don’t know how to go about it and maybe a FLASH group would be the remedy for those questions or concerns you may have already.

The big thing about FLASH is it’s a farmer-led initiative. So, the problem that needs to be addressed and the remedy that could address that problem are developed on the ground versus somewhere else and then administered later.

Is there something on your own farm that you either knew or did not know that was a problem and that a solution was found?

Orman: On our own farm, wind and water erosion were always just kind of glaring. You could see it in the wintertime in the snow. You could see it in the springtime in the road ditches when the water runs off the fields.

You could see those things pretty obviously, but what we didn’t realize is by using cover crops and putting a living root in the ground more months of the year than not, that started to develop a whole different avenue and a whole different perspective on what’s going on below our feet versus just inert matter that we grow plants in. That’s been a big turnaround here.

Any advice to farmers who are considering FLASH?

Orman: Get two, three or four neighbors, and if you’ve got a common problem, if you can develop that commonality, you’ve got all the ingredients for a FLASH group, and it’s really pretty simple.

You could have a common problem, a common unified view that there is an issue, and once you get that commonality, it really just starts to fall right into place.

If a farmer is interested in FLASH, what’s the best way for them to learn more about that program?

Przygoda: If they are interested in Coles County, they’d reach out to me. If you’re in a different county, I recommend reaching out to your local Soil and Water Conservation District, and they will more than likely know if there’s one in the area.

If not, showing interest that you want one in the community might encourage them to start trying to get something started in the area if there’s not one already.

If farmers are interested in FLASH, what’s the sign-up process like? What’s the time commitment for them? Is there any record-keeping requirement for it?

Przygoda: For the FLASH group itself, we just need your name, your contact information so we can reach out to you when there’s meetings and where you farm.

It’s mostly about the geographic preference of the group. We just want to make sure that you are somewhere in the county or the watershed, whatever that preference is.

The time commitment will vary based on the group. We only meet a couple times a year. That may pick up next year as things get moving more, but it varies based on group.

What about the FLASH “Batch and Grow” Cover Crop Program that began in 2025 and offers free cover crop seed and free custom application?

Przygoda: For the “Batch and Grow” program, there’s the application for the farmers to fill out and then a start report, which is a little more thorough than just to be part of the FLASH group. But there’s nothing too complex, and the conservation districts can always help you walk through it.

I helped a couple farmers get through the application process this year. For the most part, there’s not really a lot we need for you to get into FLASH, just an interest and a way to way to get ahold of you to get you started.

Orman told us that the peer-to-peer piece, just being able to talk to other farmers, was really important, and one of the things he really liked best about the FLASH group. What can farmers expect other than that?

Przygoda: That is a huge part of what FLASH is. It’s a network of other farmers who are interested in take taking care of their soil health. It’s a great way to ask questions to each other, to brainstorm how to better their fields in the community.

So, they can put these visions forward and see how they want to move forward with them, to talk about what has and hasn’t worked for them and to connect them to resources to make the choices they’re wanting to try.

Especially like Bobby, where they are a 100% cover cropping and they’ve been doing it for years now, that’s an extremely useful resource to have, especially for someone who is just starting out in cover crops and doesn’t know the best termination and has that kind of barrier to entry of just understanding of what works best in in your area.

Every area is gonna be slightly different with what works and what doesn’t work. So, to have someone in the local area that, you can pick their brain and see what’s worked for them and what hasn’t and hear some of their their horror stories and some of their successes. It’s a great resource to have.