Cook County Staff Exchange Program

Although details are still being finalized, participants will tour the Stickney Water Treatment Site and explore the steps that municipalities and water treatment sites are taking to reduce nutrient output before traveling to Smits Farms. At Smits Farms participants will explore the greenhouses and vegetable fields while discussing farmers’ efforts to reduce nutrient runoff from crop protectants. Farm Bureau staff is in the process of confirming an additional tour site.

Agenda

8:30 a.m.            Depart Farm Bureau building, Countryside

9:00 a.m.            Stickney Water Treatment Plant, Cicero

12:30 p.m.         Smits Farms, Chicago Heights

Lunch and transportation will be provided. Participants will depart the Farm Bureau building, located at 6438 Joliet Road in Countryside.

Nutrient pollution occurs when there are excess nutrients. The main culprits of nutrient pollution are phosphorous and nitrogen. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) has developed a process that recovers the phosphorous and nitrogen in wastewater and converts it into a high-grade, slow-release fertilizer. The fertilizer can be used for agricultural applications.

Smits Farms is a family owned and operated business. Over the last 25-years Smits Farms has grown from a single greenhouse and a family of two to thirteen greenhouse and a family of eight. To conserve nutrients, Smits Farms utilizes compost and innovative farming techniques. At both the Stickney Water Treatment Facility and Smits Farms, participants will explore and discuss nutrient reduction strategies and the impact of these strategies on the environment and waterways.