HEYWORTH, Ill. – Located just 20 minutes south of their Bloomington, Ill., office, the new Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) Agronomy Farm is uniquely positioned to serve as a hands-on classroom and demonstration site for farmers, researchers, policy makers and industry partners.

ISA officials say the site, which comprises a total of 97 production acres, is emerging as a long-term, systems-focused farm designed to answer real-world questions about soybean production, crop rotations and return on investment in Illinois. On July 16, ISA opened the farm to members and the media for an exclusive tour.

“This is the first field day for our farm, but we are going to grow, evolve and change,” said Abigail Peterson, director of agronomy for the ISA, as a few dozen farmers sought refuge from a 100-degree heat index under a tent cooled with industrial fans. While the event served as a “coming out” for the research farm to many in attendance, it was quietly established in spring 2025 with a focus on laying a strong foundation.

The 2025 season began with breaking out the front of the property into several 10-acre plots, which included a corn maximum return to nitrogen trial in partnership with the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association and the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council. Soybean acres were dedicated to the variety and breeding program at the University of Illinois with Dr. Eliana Monteverde. Wheat was added to introduce crop rotation into the system, and cover crops were planted in the remaining acres to support weed control and to prepare the field for future trials.

“We have plots spanning the front of the field and there is about 60 acres at the back of the field (where) a local farmer-tenant is participating in one of our action trials,” Peterson said. “Along with the plots we wanted to trial large-scale areas for corn, wheat and soybeans. You will also see small plots that are more flexible we call the playground.”

In addition, ISA partnered with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to establish a cover crop species demonstration plot on the farm. This plot features a range of species commonly used by Illinois farmers and will continue to expand in the coming years.

The farm also features a waterway previously implemented by NRCS to address field-specific concerns. The waterway now serves as both a teaching tool for erosion control and drainage management as well as an access route to the back of the field.

For the 2026 growing season, several new trials and demonstrations are underway. An action trial evaluating sulfur applications using ammonium sulfate is underway. Part of ISA’s broader On-Farm Trial Network, similar protocols are being conducted on farms across the state. By comparing results from the ISA farm with data from other locations, farmers can better decide whether sulfur fits their system and how timing and rate affect yield and ROI. A 7-acre biomass demonstration plot comparing winter barley also mirrors ISA’s On-Farm Network protocol.

Longer-term plots that compare management approaches such as continuous tillage versus no-till, strip-till systems and cover crops used in systematic rotations are also yielding results. These plots, designed to help farmers visualize how management decisions play out over time, include specialty crops such as high-oleic soybeans. The plots include additional specialty soybean varieties that allow farmers a close look at differences in oil composition, grain quality and how traits might align with emerging market opportunities.

“(ISA’s) funding for this next fiscal year will have about $3.4 million going directly to university research. University research is very important to us, but ultimately, we want you guys to utilize it. At our farm we will find plots to put these research strategies into practice or bring them to your farms and get the researchers out talking to you,” Peterson said.

Near the entrance to the farm, which lies directly at the McLean County and DeWitt County line on U.S. Route 51 just south of Heyworth, a large pollinator plot is coming into its own. Peterson noted that the plot, in addition to helping crops and preserving Monarch butterfly and other pollinators’ habitat, will be utilized in studies in the coming years.

“Our goal is to ensure Illinois continues to remain No. 1 in soybean production and quality, but there are things like conservation in our partnerships that we want to continue to grow,” she said.

ISA’s 5-to-10-year plan for the ISA Agronomy Farm envisions growth as a research hub for education and engagement not only for farmers, but also for students, consumers, market and trade partners, and policymakers. For up-to-date information about ISA on-farm and university-partnered research trials, visit FieldAdvisor.org.