$16 Million Released in Ag Grants in Illinois

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Published on June 15 2018 2:11 pm
Last Updated on June 15 2018 4:42 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

Governor Rauner and Illinois Ag Director Raymond Poe announced the release of $16 million in agriculture grants. The funds being released from the new fiscal year budget will fund soil and water conservation districts, county fairs and agriculture societies, and the University of Illinois Extension services.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts, which are designed to protect the state's farmland through strategic conservation efforts, will receive $6 million. The 97 districts will each receive more than $61,000.

More than $54,000 will be sent to each of the 92 county fairs around the state. A study from the University of Illinois shows county fairs generate more than $90 million annually and create more than 1,000 jobs each summer.

More than 1.5 million Illinois residents take part in programs offered by the U of I Extension Service. The Department of Agriculture will disperse $5 million to assist the organization with its core mission.