May 25, 2016 Western Illinois Organic & Specialty Crops Western Illinois Organic & Specialty Crops When people think about farm ground in Illinois most do not visualize sandy, irrigated ground;however, here in western Illinois there are several thousand acres where irrigation opens the door to many possibilities. Irrigated ground offers guaranteed water when the crop needs it, which is appealing to many people interested in organic crops and/or specialty crops. Some of the organic and specialty crops here in western Illinois include potatoes, pumpkins, seed corn, and popcorn. Another great benefit of irrigation is that it allows the grower to foliar – feed nutrients to the crop during crucial times of the year. This is done by using a chemigation pump and sending the fertilizer directly into the irrigation. This is a cheap option that only irrigated ground can offer. For anyone interested in buying or selling a piece of ground that either has irrigation or the potential to be irrigated, contact me and I will share my expertise on the subject,as I am currently involved in an operation that has several irrigation systems and specialty crops. I can help with well placement and water capacity needed, type of irrigation system needed, and different options for getting power to the irrigation system. –George Chandler Cell: 309-371-8004 Email: [email protected]