A Trusted Adviser Puts Farmers First to Drive Profitable and Sustainable Change in Illinois
Driving through his home county of Edgar, Illinois, Clay Bess doesn’t see much in the way of conservation on the farm fields he passes.
“I really wanted to see change,” reflects Bess. “I wanted to be a part of something, and I knew that cover crops could be the change we needed for water quality, air quality and nutrient retention. All of those things were within reach.”
PCM, a conservation program of the Illinois Corn Growers Association, was recognized as Field to Market’s
2020 Collaboration of the Year for the program’s achievements in providing more than 300 total farmers across 325,000 acres with financial and technical assistance that incentivizes uptake and mitigates the risk of implementing conservation practices. At the heart of PCM’s success are trusted advisers like Bess.
“The strength of PCM comes from our boots on the ground approach and our farmer involvement,” Bess shares. “A large majority of those growers I signed up for the program that first year are still with us today. We’re able to keep that long-term involvement by going out to meet with farmers one on one multiple times a year.”
Bess brings to each farmer a unique report created through PCM’s farmer portal, which integrates the powerful sustainability engine of the Fieldprint® Platform, allowing farmers to access a field-level analysis of sustainability metrics such as water quality, energy use and more.
“What Clay's taught me is the facts are there,” explains Curt Elmore, a participating farmer based in Allerton, Illinois who collaborates with Bess. “The Fieldprint Platform really showed where I could improve and where I was maybe average to below average. And now I think we've made some improvements and have moved our mark towards the positive side.”
Clay Bess
Operations Manager
Precision Conservation Management
Backed by Field to Market’s sustainability metrics, Bess is able to demonstrate the value of conservation practices that are both specific to local resource concerns and tailored to each producer’s own operation.
“The most valuable resource of PCM is our relationship with farmers,” says Laura Gentry, Director of Water Quality Research at the Illinois Corn Growers Association. “Specialists like Clay are our greatest assets in cultivating that strong trust.”
Bess has learned that there can be many hurdles standing between a farmer and their on-farm adoption of conservation practices – not least of which is the financial risk of taking on an unknown practice. He hopes that his role as an adviser is empowering farmers to make good decisions backed by science.
“The value of the data to the farmers is everything,” shares Bess. “That's what's going to give them confidence to implement these practices.”
Backed by good data, Bess’ support is bolstered by the relationships and trust built when poring over PCM reports at a farmer’s kitchen table.
“It’s all about having patience and really looking at conservation options from a farmer’s perspective,” explains Bess. “They’re seeing the change for their bottom line, and I’m seeing the change for our environment.”
For farmers, PCM is introducing them to valuable management tools and data, as well as connecting them with supply chain partners and programs offering their support. Partners across the value chain, from Bunge to PepsiCo, now support the PCM program and offer cost-share and technical assistance to participating farmers.
“Clay has really moved the ball when it comes to bringing farmers into the Field to Market platform,” remarks Dirk Rice, a participating farmer in the PCM program based in Philo, Illinois. “He continues to bridge the gap between farmers and end users while improving sustainability and the farmer's bottom line in the process.”
“Clay is basically the guide,” agrees Elmore. “He’s helping me get where I would like to see our farm going in the future towards being more environmentally sustainable.”
Beginning in 2021, Bess will become PCM’s first Operations Manager, leading the program’s nine conservation specialists to scale the success of his work across new geographies. Supporting this team of trusted advisers, Bess hopes to see new approaches to agriculture taking root as he drives through Illinois corn country, delivering positive outcomes for both farmers and the planet.
"Clay continues to bridge the gap between farmers and end users while improving sustainability and the farmer's bottom line in the process."
Dirk Rice
PCM Participating Farmer
Philo, Illinois
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