Kane County staff announced a soil health and economic impact assessment project on Oct. 23 and said they will recruit up to ten county farmers to participate in soil testing and a paired business-financial analysis.

Project manager Matt Tansley said the study, conducted with consulting firm New Venture Advisors and the Delta Institute, will analyze on-farm conservation methods and evaluate how those practices could affect participating farms’ bottom lines. Soil analyses will be performed by Cornell University’s soil health laboratory.

Tansley said the basic Cornell soil test chosen for the project costs $150 per sample, with an optional water-holding-capacity analysis for an additional $30, for a total of $180 per sample. The county also plans to perform financial analysis on a smaller subset of participating farms so consultants can model baseline business conditions and project how conservation practices might affect farm finances.

County staff said they are conducting outreach through partner networks — including the Kane County Farm Bureau, Kane-DuPage Soil & Water Conservation District, University of Illinois Extension and the county farmland protection program — and mailed letters to farmland protection program participants. Responses will be accepted through the first week of November, after which staff will contact interested farmers to schedule sampling and financial interviews.

Ending: Staff said the project aims to produce representative local data about soil health and economic outcomes for Kane County commodity producers; consultants will report findings after sampling and analysis are complete.