Cade Bushnell received the Randy Stauffer Stewardship Award from the IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) at their annual meeting on November 26, recognizing his farm conservation work through the Precision Conservation Management (PCM) program.  

This award recognizes a PCM farmer who embodies the land stewardship ethic and farm conservation leadership that was modeled by the late Randy Stauffer. Special consideration is given to farmers who are on the leading edge of conservation technology, or those who work to share information to other farmers, leaders, and beyond.  

Bushnell graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science in Horticulture in 1981 and returned to the family farm in Stillman Valley, Illinois. His father Fred, a Rochelle native, had started a corn, soybean and beef cattle operation post-Iowa State in the early 1950’s. Ever a student of the soil, Fred began experimenting with no-till in the 1970’s. Cade adopted no-till across all acres in 1991. Strip-till was first incorporated in 2004 in fields with large amounts of corn residue. Due to their decades-long efforts to improve soil conservation, the Bushnell Family’s Walnut Creek Farms was recognized in 2004 by the state of Illinois Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts as Conservation Farm Family of the Year.  

Bushnell started experimenting with cover crops in 2006, settling on cereal rye as the most effective. Operating as Bushnell Farms since 2007, he and his son Ross plant cereal rye after corn and soybean acres have been harvested.   

“Cade’s work to help other farmers learn from his own experience with no-till, strip-till, and cover crops is so important to the overall effort of profitable conservation practice adoption,” said Greg Goodwin, Director of PCM. “He channels Randy Stauffer in his pursuit of soil conservation and sharing expertise. I am honored to present Cade with this award.”