Meet Andy Gilson: A New Precision Conservation Management Specialist

IL Corn TV welcomes a new face to the Precision Conservation Management team: Andy Gilson, a fourth-generation farmer from Havana, Illinois, now covering the Western Illinois territory. Andy grows corn, beans, seed corn, and food-grade white corn on ground his family has farmed for four generations, and brings hands-on experience from the ag retail side as well.

In 2020, Andy started incorporating cover crops across his own operation, initially just to manage erosion. What he didn't expect was the wildlife comeback that followed — quail and pheasant populations he hadn't seen in 15-20 years are now back on his farm. That firsthand experience is exactly what he brings to his new role: helping fellow farmers see the real economics behind conservation practices, at no cost to them, so they can decide what works best for their own operation.

Watch the full conversation to hear Andy's advice to his younger self, his most memorable find as a crop scout, and what excites him most about connecting with growers across Western Illinois.