SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Committee (ISAC) can be added to the list of state-funded ag initiatives that can no longer be sustained because of Illinois’ ongoing 2016 budget standoff. Funding for the seven-member committee has been eliminated from the state budget under Gov. Bruce Rauner, an Illinois Department of agriculture (IDOA) spokesperson confirmed.

"In the absence of a (state fiscal) budget there will be no state funding available for the Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Committee," said Rebecca Clark, responding to a query sent to the personal email account of Mike Rahe, listed as the primary contact for the ISAC. "FY15 money was suspended, and in the absence of a budget there is no FY16 funding. The committee has not met for a year, but does still exist.

"Applications were submitted for FY16 funding, but they are pending a final FY16 funding decision."

The ISAC advised the state Department on Sustainable Agriculture on programming including grants for research and education. Current projects facing elimination of funding include the ISAC’s sponsorship of local food system forums, an annual specialty and organic growers conference, a yearly composting symposium, compost and cover crop research, grape production research, promotion of agritourism and agriforestry, nitrogen research, soybean nematode research, silver maple research, miscanthus research, beginning farmer training, integrated pest management for sustainable beekeeping and more, according to the IDOA.

The decision comes after years of declining appropriations for the 56-year-old ISAC, former chair Walt Gregory told news sources. "When I was first named to this committee 20 years ago, we had a budget of $1 million a year. We were down to $250,000 in 2013 and nothing (today)," said Gregory, a Jersey County farmer.

Clark agreed the latest blow to ISAC came after years of declining revenue and services available to producers from the committee. "As funding is reduced and grants shortened, there have been fewer research projects funded and fewer educational projects funded."

In addition to Gregory and Rahe of Pike County, the committee included Dave Bishop, farmer from McLean County; Terra Brockman, farmer from Woodford County; Western Illinois University professor and ISAC Chair Joel Gruver; Vice Chair and farmer Tony Joehl from Madison County; and Chad Wallace, farmer from Cass County. They are appointed to five-year terms.