US Senator Dick Durbin visited a southern Illinois farm Friday to discuss conservation programs for agriculture.
Durbin discussed the Inflation Reduction Act increased funding for farming conservation programs, where the demands have exceeded current funding.
"But there are also investments that will be made because of the recent bill passed in Washington in conservation of soil and water, which I think are critically important for us in the long haul. We have good participation in Illinois and we want to encourage more farmers to consider conservation," he said.
Durbin said climate change is the driving factor behind these efforts, noting that the changes to growing seasons and extreme weather events have a big impact on agriculture.
The legislation also increased funding and tax credits for biofuels, funding for rural electric cooperatives to invest in renewable electricity and funding to increase grants that will help rural small businesses and farms make clean energy upgrades.
