Hammer: Standing rows of corn in fields help prevent snow, ice from blowing onto roads
Travel along rural roads in our area this winter, and you just might see an unusual sight. Those standing corn rows, still there weeks after the fall harvest? Those are no mistake: They’re helping keep the road in front of you clearer and safer. The McHenry-Lake County Soil and Water Conservation District has partnered with local transportation officials, farmers and lawmakers on the Living Snow Fence Program. Ed Weskerna, a resource conservationist with the district, brought this idea that has worked well in other states to officials locally, suggesting that a few hundred feet of corn crop be left standing along the roads during our typically blustery winters – with snow totals of nearly 3 feet a year, and sometimes more. The move could mean increased safety, reduced road-clearing costs and a meaningful environmental benefit.
Read the full column via the Northwest Herald
