Expo showcases wetland construction

The public is invited to attend a free, five-day Construction and Conservation Expo on August 13–17, 2018, showcasing the installation of Livingston County’s first tile-drainage constructed wetland on agricultural land at Fulton Farms outside of Cullom.

The event is organized by the Wetlands Initiative (TWI) and the Illinois Land Improvement Contractors Association (ILICA) in collaboration with the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership (ISAP) and other partners.

The event will feature implementation of a small constructed wetland designed to capture nutrient runoff from tile drainage. It will also be a demonstration and exhibition of land improvement equipment. Construction Days will run from Monday, August 13, through Friday, August 17, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. During construction, attendees can view the different components of a constructed wetland first-hand as it is being built and talk with TWI staff about how the practice works. There is no admission charge, and everyone is welcome to attend, including farmers, farmland owners, agribusiness professionals, conservationists, and the general public.

Two special Conservation Days sponsored by ISAP will be held on Tuesday, August 14, and Thursday, August 16, from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. These days will include the following:

· Free lunch at noon, courtesy of Illinois Soybean Association and American Farmland Trust.

· Interactive stations where guests can learn from experts about a range of on-farm conservation drainage practices to reduce nutrient loss, including saturated buffers, drainage water management, bioreactors, and constructed wetlands. A tabletop rainfall simulator will also be displayed.

· Speaker talks and group discussions on in-field and farm strategies for reducing nutrient losses.