In Senate AG Committee Hearing, Durbin Speaks About Deadly Cost Of Dust Storms, Advocates For Programs To Incentive Farmers To Plant Cover Crops
At the top of the hearing, Durbin introduced witness Mrs. Megan Dwyer, Illinoisan and Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship at the Illinois Corn Growers Association
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, introduced Mrs. Megan Dwyer, an Illinoisan and the Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship at the Illinois Corn Growers Association, at today’s Senate Agriculture Committee hearing. The hearing, entitled “Perspectives from the Field, Part 4: Conservation,” focused on farm conservation programs to promote soil health, water quality, air quality, and wildlife habitats.
“This hearing on conservation has brought some wonderful talent and resources to the Committee room this afternoon. One of them is my special guest, Mrs. Megan Dwyer, of Coal Valley, Illinois. A fourth-generation farmer, Megan, along with her husband Todd, run crop and livestock operations with their families in both Coal Valley and Geneseo, [Illinois],” Durbin said as he introduced Mrs. Dwyer. “Megan also serves as Director of Conservation and Nutrient Stewardship for the Illinois Corn Growers, and her expertise in conservation makes her an especially valuable witness today.”
“She will be sharing her expertise with the Committee – just like she has shared her knowledge with my staff, members of the Illinois delegation, farm groups, and many other on farm conservation practices,” Durbin said.
Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks is available here for TV Stations.
Following the introduction of Mrs. Dwyer, Durbin asked questions of the Committee’s witnesses. He began by recalling a deadly 72 car pile-up in Central Illinois in 2023, which was caused by a dust storm, and noted that conservation funds are critical to supporting farmers in planting cover crops that mitigate these dust storms. He then asked Mrs. Dwyer why Illinois, despite its position as a top agricultural state, receives a disproportionately low level of conservation funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“Two years ago, my wife was visiting family and called me and told me that something was happening on I-55, which is just south of Springfield. She said, ‘I’ve been diverted… Must have been an accident.’ It sure was. In May 2023, on I-55, south of Springfield, there was a 72 vehicle pile-up that took the lives of eight people. The reason? A dust storm. The University of Illinois recently completed a study that concluded the lack of ground cover and dry conditions were contributing to that,” Durbin said.
“Mrs. Dwyer… you indicated that Illinois ranks very low in conservation dollars sent by USDA. We need more. Can you explain why we [receive] so few [conservation funds]?” Durbin asked.
Mrs. Dwyer agreed that Illinois should receive more conservation funds from USDA, but she advocated for more holistic support for farmers, including assistance in completing complex paperwork to request conservation funds as farmers are continually denied funding from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).
“Are we dealing with the commitment being there to move forward, but a lack of resources [for farmers]?” Durbin followed up.
Mrs. Dwyer affirmed Durbin’s line of thinking, and she spoke about the difficult decision for farmers to convert usable land to be used for conservation programs like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Mrs. Dwyer explained that USDA must consider new and innovative programs to incentivize farmers to plant cover crops on their land.
Video of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks is available here for TV Stations.
Durbin has advocated for Illinois to receive USDA conservation funding that is proportionate to Illinois’ ranking as a top agricultural state. Last August, Durbin led members of the Illinois delegation in writing to USDA, urging the agency to allocate additional conservation funds to Illinois. In her opening statement, Mrs. Dwyer shared that Illinois received an additional $15 million in EQUIP funds last year due to outreach by Durbin and others members of the Illinois delegation to USDA.
Durbin has also written about the importance of providing farmers with conservation funding, which allows farmers to plant cover crops to mitigate dangerous, and sometimes deadly, dust storms in Central Illinois.
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