The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition and the Illinois Forage and Grassland Council will host the 2026 Heart of America Grazing Conference on July 15–16, 2026, in Effingham, Illinois, in conjunction with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and University of Illinois Extension.

Teens and young adults will test their knowledge of regenerative agriculture at a contest held during this summer’s Heart of American Grazing Conference in Effingham. The contest begins at 10 a.m. Friday, July 16 at the Effingham Conference Center.

Producers interested in NRCS conservation programs, including the Regenerative Pilot Program, should apply to their local NRCS office by Jan. 15, 2026 to be included in the first round of funding.

For generations, the women of the agricultural community have shared their knowledge and commitment to their family farms, their rural communities and to their legacies, both prior generations and subsequent generations that will carry on their remarkable family legacy.

Dan Sanderson is the recipient of the 2025 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award.

A new video series provides Illinois graziers practical, easy-to-follow demonstrations of tools and techniques that support adaptive grazing.