Get to Know SWOF’s Clayton Sessions
Clayton Sessions – Field Program Representative, Illinois
In each Tune Up newsletter, we profile one team member, partner, or other Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (SWOF) affiliate to better understand their contribution to the program. In this edition, we’re spotlighting SWOF’s own Clayton Sessions. His firsthand experience on the family farm gives him a unique perspective on the challenges and rewards of soil and water stewardship. Read on to learn more about Clayton and how he works with farmers to navigate practice changes in a financially sustainable way.
Clayton enjoys farming with his best friend, his dad, Roy
Tell us about yourself and your upbringing, and how that influenced your career choices, including your work at SWOF.
My interest in agriculture started at a very young age with several key influences. My stepdad owned a soybean genetics company in a rural farm community in Indiana, and my dad’s family has farmed corn and soybeans in central Illinois for many years. I enjoyed growing up in Indiana, but throughout that time I remained extremely close with my dad, Roy, and am very proud to now work alongside him on the farm.
Believe it or not, my grandpa started Sessions Farms by answering an ad in the paper. The only stipulation was that he had to live on the farm, so he moved his family, and my dad now manages our family’s operation of about 1,000 acres. In school I was interested in soil science and judging through FFA, and later I worked in soil sampling, but ultimately, I knew I always wanted to farm with my dad, just like he did with his. It really is my favorite thing. Even now with SWOF, I’m very grateful my career has always allowed me to help my dad out on the side.
In addition to working with my dad, my favorite thing about farming is just the basic concept of starting with a seed and ending up with a whole lot more, and the camaraderie I have with other farmers. And now my wife, Corrinne, and our two girls, get to be a part of a great community that looks out for one another. There is a big family aspect to farming. It’s a team effort that everyone contributes to, and I love that my kids are being raised in that environment.
Clayton and his wife, Corrinne
How does that first-hand farm knowledge help you better serve SWOF farmers?
One thing I hear often from farmers is that they’ve wanted to try conservation practices—like reducing tillage—but weren’t sure how to make it work financially. Maybe they’ve tested it on a few acres but just can’t figure out how to square it. That’s where SWOF makes a real difference.
SWOF helps farmers scale their conservation efforts with confidence by reducing the financial risk of change. On our own farm, we’ve seen that even if yields drop slightly—losing 2-3 bushels per acre with reduced tillage—we still come out okay by saving time, fuel, and input costs. Over time, the benefits grow as your soil health improves and becomes more resilient, but that transition time is risky. SWOF helps ease that, ensuring farmers can realize those longer-term benefits. It’s a win for everybody.
Also, if you’re farming on the smaller-scale—1,000 acres or less—you are the workforce. There are only so many days on the calendar, and there’s little time to experiment with new practices. Farming is likely not your only job, but nurturing your soil is essential because your acres are an asset. Helping farmers at this scale is especially rewarding since my dad and I are in a similar situation.
Are there any experiences with enrolled farmers that were particularly rewarding?
SWOF helps farmers meet their own stewardship goals. A good example of this is a grower I work with in southern Illinois who farms a couple of thousand acres with his two sons. They had been experimenting with different seed varieties for dealers and dabbling in organic production, which earned them a premium on their beans. However, since those business arrangements did not allow them to spray, they were really struggling with weed control.
They also rent a fair amount of land and were concerned about how those weedy fields looked to their landlord. By working with SWOF to offset the cost of cover crop seed, they’re working to improve weed suppression. Now, they’re taking more pride in their farm while maintaining their stewardship goals of using fewer chemicals and improving soil health. SWOF is helping with the stress of that transition, bridging the gap so he can continue confidently with those practices.
That’s just one story of many. Being able to just have conversations with farmers daily is the best thing about working for SWOF. It’s interesting to learn how others do things across the state. We all have more in common than we think, and that’s very humbling.
Carrying on the tradition with his daughters.
Is there anything about either SWOF or the implementation of these conservation practices that you’d like to help farmers understand better?
In central Illinois, we’re fortunate to farm some of the best land. Because our soil and climate have always been so productive, there hasn’t been much pressure to innovate management practices. But with rising costs and tighter margins, more farmers are looking for ways to improve efficiency—whether it’s saving on labor, fuel, or inputs.
That’s where SWOF can help. Because we’re outcome-based, you don’t have to switch to full no-till or add cover crops. You can qualify for our program with a tillage reduction. If you’re still tilling 8, 10, or 15 inches deep and want to cut back, or you’re looking to strip-till, you are eligible for our program. Most farmers I talk to are trying to find a way to do that to save time and fuel, but they had no idea a tillage reduction alone would qualify.
If you’ve been wanting to make a practice change on your farm, such as reducing your tillage, SWOF is here to alleviate some of the financial stress as you get started. Our helpful and knowledgeable field staff are here to provide quality, localized service to our farmers, helping you take on conservation in a way that’s financially viable. Contact Clayton Sessions with your questions at clayton@agoutcomes.com or join our enrollment waitlist today.