Susan Adams is a family farmer from central Illinois who was the recipient of the Illinois Corn Growers Association 2016 Environmental Award. The award recognizes individuals who exhibit a commitment to conservation and environmental preservation. Described as “a voice that drives discussion and questions the status quo”  her commitment to our natural resources and her ambition to make Illinois farmers constantly better is admirable. She and her husband, John, are the 5th generation to live and run the Adams family farm since it was homesteaded in 1862. 

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The Adams made a commitment to reduced tillage in 1976 and moved to no-till in 1983.  The farm is currently 100% no-till and has been since 1988, with some strip till being used in the last 10 years.  This continuous move to the most cutting edge management practices continues today, with Susan using GPS to apply fertilizers and crop protection productions only where they are needed and using a yield monitor to record yields and RTK.

 

The Adams have also created nitrogen test plots in a field for several years to determine what levels of anhydrous with N-Serve make the most sense on their farm.