Editor’s note: A southern Illinois farmer, teacher and conservationist, Richard “Dick” Lyons was so moved by the dust storm that caused fatalities on an Illinois highway in May that he wrote this letter to the General Assembly.
It is in a state of sadness and disappointment that I find myself as I write to you. My letter concerns the dust storm and the related fatalities and injuries which occurred on I-55 this past week on Monday, May 1. The deaths and injuries which occurred in the multi-vehicle accident could have been prevented. A simple change in the agronomic practices applied to the land would have prevented the soil particles from being picked up by the high winds and transported as “dust” across the highway, thus creating a total loss of visibility by the drivers on I-55.
You may ask: What changes in agronomic practices are necessary? Quite simply, the use of cover crops and no-till/strip-till planting methods by the farmers, who operate the acres from which the soil was blown from, would have provided a solution to the situation.
As a member of the General Assembly, you can provide a mechanism to the solution to prevent a similar tragedy. The passage of SB1701, which supports Soil and Water Conservation Districts in every county in Illinois, contains within it funding for the encouragement and adoption of the two practices of cover crops and no-till/strip-till. Change in the agriculture community tends to be slow and methodical, but passage and promotion of SB1701 shows the agriculture community that state government is aware of the needs of the industry to change our agronomic practices. Personally, I know these practices work on the land. I use cover crops with no-till/strip-till on every acre of my farm in Montgomery County. My soil was not being blown away on May 1.
In addition, I am asking for the passage of HB3627. Commemorating Soil Health Week in Illinois also encourages farmers to follow the basic four soil health principles — the principles of minimize disturbance (no-till/strip-till), maintain soil cover (cover crops and crop residues), and maintain a living root (cover crops) at all times would have solved the blowing soil of last week.
Our thoughts and prayers for all those injured and for the families of those who were killed are only enhanced by actions which prevent the reoccurrence of tragedies like last week’s accident. I urge you to act by passing SB1701 and HB3627.
Richard Lyons, 52-year farmer, 32-year college and university agriculture instructor, Montgomery County SWCD associate director, Illinois Stewardship Alliance soil health caucus member, Illinois Association of Drainage Districts board member, Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy Working Policy Group member, commissioner for two drainage districts, cover crop specialist for the IL-CBMP.
