217 Today: Farmers embrace prairie strips to revitalize agriculture and enhance ecosystems

Tiktok Instagram Facebook-f
Research shows that converting as little as 10% of a corn or soybean field into a prairie strip can reduce soil erosion by 95%.
  • Photo: Courtesy of Christopher Gannon / ISU

Friday, September 20, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • A downstate judge heard closing arguments yesterday in a federal trial over Illinois’ ban on semi-automatic guns and large capacity magazines.
  • Both of Southern Illinois University’s campuses are facing multi-million dollar deficits this year.
  • The Illinois Supreme Court says the smell of burnt cannabis is not enough for police to search a vehicle without a warrant.
  • Yesterday, the Board of Trustees for the University of Illinois System approved a budget worth $8.3 billion.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn how farmers are using prairie strips to improve their soil and water quality.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Mawa Iqbal, Brian Munoz, Reginald Hardwick and Rachel Cramer.

 

WILL and the Illinois Newsroom are committed to bringing you in-depth, relevant coverage that keeps you informed and engages you with our community and state. Join with thousands of others to keep this important public media-based resource available to all. Donate today >>

Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.