ICGA Recognizes Upton for Environmental Work

The IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) recognized Ralph Upton, Jr “Junior” for his commitment to on-farm conservation during their annual meeting on November 21 at the Asmark AgriCenter in Bloomington, IL. Upton was honored to receive the Mike Plumer Environmental Award, having known and worked with Mike Plumer for many years.

Upton is locally known as a conservation expert in his area of the state in Hamilton County. He is committed to stewardship of soil and water, is a veteran no-tiller, and a long-time advocate of soil building techniques. Importantly, Upton uses his extensive first-hand knowledge and experiences to help other farmers understand conservation practices and determine what could work on their own farms.

“It is my honor to present Mr. Upton the Mike Plumer Environmental Award,” said Matt Rush, ICGA President and Fairfield, IL farmer. “Junior Upton is a conservation expert in southern Illinois. He has tried many things, been successful and failed, and is willing to share all that knowledge with the farmers in our region that also have poorer soils and suffer with similar problems. Junior Upton is a model for conservation adoption and education.”

Upton began farming full time in 1964. He remembers initial conversations about cover crops on a conservation farm tour in 1998 and has worked closely with the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District, the University of Illinois’ Extension Service, and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service since.

Mike Plumer, a former Extension expert on conservation practices for whom this award is named, compiled ten years of data from Upton’s farm on soil improvements, yield increases, and other accomplishments, changes, and lessons. The result is a cover crop program that incorporates other conservation management practices like no-till to rebuild his poorly drained soil. He now uses hairy vetch after harvesting wheat and annual ryegrass after harvesting soybeans. He predicts no-till saves him significant money, and although cover crops cost him between $8 - $20 per acre, they save him money on input costs.

Says Upton, “I’m always looking for ways to solve problems and this really works.”

< Older Post

Newer Post >

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.

Budget Reconciliation Bill Passes Congress

By Lyndi Allen • July 3, 2025

Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.

Importance of Trade Series: Ethanol

By Lyndi Allen • July 3, 2025

Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.

Corn: More American Than Apple Pie

By Lindsay Croke • June 30, 2025

When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.