(NEWTON) A Jasper County farmer is the newest member of the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC). At last week’s spring meeting on the campus of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, the NREC seated new member Jerald “Jay” Tharp, along with other business. Representing fertilizer retailers on the Council, the rural Yale farmer took the place of retiring member Tim Laatsch. Tharp has worked with Wabash Valley Service Company for 30 years and is an Agronomy Research Coordinator, plus as a Certified Crop Advisor, Tharp was named the Illinois CCA of the Year in 2022. Following the meeting, several members of the Council toured SIU’s Water Quality Lab and the Soil Fertility Lab there in Carbondale.
