WALNUT – The Illinois Farm Bureau’s first documentary, “Sustaining Our Future: A Farm Family Story,” shares the work of farmers to protect natural resources through the story of three generations of a county farming family Office.
On December 3, a clip from the film debuted for Farm Bureau members attending the IFB annual meeting in Chicago.
The heart of the film is nut producer Michael Ganschow and his conservation work to continue a legacy started by his grandfather, Dean Ganschow, and continued by his late father, James Ganschow. The Ganschows share the challenges they face in being innovative and remaining economically viable while protecting soils and improving water quality.
“Often we have such a large set of people with a gap between perception and reality. It is important for us to open the doors of our tractors and allow people to see the reality,” said Michael Ganschow.
Young Ganschow noted that his grandfather saw a problem with soil erosion and took a chance on trying something different in the field; it is a tradition that he perpetuates.
“That’s how our business works and how our family thinks,” he said. “My dad was the host. He was able to say, “Michael, you take it.” ”
In the film, fellow conservation farmer, Colby Hunt, who is president of the McDonough County Farm Bureau, shares his family history of stewardship and explains why he recently installed a woodchip bioreactor to reduce nutrient runoff. The film “shows how farmers take personal care of the land — that it’s more than a job, it’s a legacy,” Hunt said.
In Knox County, the Farm Bureau Young Leaders Committee is tackling a project to have cover crop demonstrations planted in every township and has been successful in 18 of 20. Knox County Farm Bureau CEO Hailey Hennenfent, explains the importance for young farmers to implement new conservation practices on their family farms and how the IFB’s Nutrient Stewardship grant program helps spark projects similar to these.
“Since I’ve been in Knox County, I’ve seen members and farmers trying to protect their land. This [project] was a chance for young farmers to take the next step,” Hennenfent said.
Lauren Lurkins, IFB’s Director of Environmental Policy, describes the IFB’s role in supporting farmers’ conservation efforts while ensuring incentives provide support. Lurkins also discusses how the IFB and farmers are working with related national and state strategies, specifically the statewide Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy and its goal to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus levels. in rivers, lakes and streams.
The 60-minute film includes scientific perspectives from two University of Illinois agricultural researchers who collaborated with farmers on field research projects.
Andrew Margenot, Assistant Professor of Agronomy, and Kaiyu Guan, Associate Professor of Ecohydrology and Remote Sensing, discuss their work with farmers and seek to find workable solutions through research.
“It’s a privilege to talk to farmers with all their experience and knowledge,” Guan said. “We try to use our research to make it relevant in the field. Farm Bureau makes that connection with researchers, farmers and the land. I see this as the next generation of research.
With a message for the public and policy makers, “Sustaining Our Future” also explains how farmers strive to be good stewards of the environment and protect natural resources for future generations.
The documentary is available for viewing on the IFB YouTube channel.
This story was distributed as a cooperative project between the Illinois Farm Bureau and the Illinois Press Association. For more food and agriculture news, visit FarmWeekNow.com.