The 2026 farm bill marks a new opportunity for Congress to take a bold step to upset the status quo by rebalancing the grazing livestock sector’s legal and regulatory framework.

Over the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct the June agricultural survey by contacting over 90,000 producers across the nation to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1.

Exceptional FFA members from across the state who have developed extensive Supervised Agricultural Experience projects will be highlighted during the 98th annual Illinois FFA State Convention, set for June 9-11.

These five students have been selected district winners for the Star in Agribusiness award after an extensive process of evaluating the students and their record books.

The winner of the Star in Agricultural Placement award will be announced during the Wednesday afternoon session of the Illinois FFA State Convention starting at 2 p.m.

While no one actually says an ag trade deal with China is in trouble, many find it troublesome that China is playing the cool customer.

Illinois FFA state proficiency winners are selected based on members’ outstanding skills in recordkeeping, leadership and scholastic achievement.

Data centers create both economic opportunities and resource pressures, particularly around land, water and energy.

USDA is forecasting a rise in U.S. consumption of beef, pork and chicken in 2026 — all staples for summertime cookouts, says Jim Henry.

Some restaurant favorites are surprisingly easy to re-create at home. Beef doner is one of them.

It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger, but cutting those costs requires ranchers like Stephanie Hatzenbuhler to raise more cattle — and that’s not an easy ask.

The Mexican cattle industry has been hit hard by New World screwworm fly larvae infestations, and the United States has closed the border since July to imports of cattle, bison and horses.

Americans paid more for their groceries last month, but high gasoline prices resulting from the Iran war were only one of the reasons why.

Red meat consumption in Argentina — historically one of the world’s biggest consumers of beef — has fallen to its lowest level in two decades amid economic austerity measures imposed by libertarian President Javier Milei.

The 7th Federal Reserve District’s “good” farmland values increased 3% year over year, but dipped 1% over the last two quarters on average.

Now is the time to complete a farm succession plan because no one knows when the plan will be called into action.

We know that retail beef prices have been increasing for more than a decade, so let’s determine how much of that increased beef price is attributable to higher input costs versus the concentrated retail sector’s leverage over beef pricing.

Two weeks after the U.S. House passed its “skinny” farm bill — the law’s usual lard had been cut into last July’s reconciliation bill — applause is still yet to be heard in either Washington, D.C., or rural America.

China will purchase at least $17 billion in U.S. agricultural products such as beef and poultry per year through 2028, reports Jim Henry.

I expect next fall the replacement ewe lambs to be setting price records with the great demand we’ve encountered.

Farming is a gamble every year when challenged by the weather and the cost of crop inputs, so there is no thought of gambling the future of the farm away at the casino.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition and the Illinois Forage and Grassland Council will host the 2026 Heart of America Grazing Conference on July 15–16 in Effingham.

The Indiana State Fair and Corteva announced the 2026 Featured Farmers lineup, putting the spotlight on the faces behind Indiana agriculture.

Getting heifers developed, inseminated early and confirmed pregnant plays a significant role in the lifetime productivity of beef and dairy cows.

In his youth, Phil Borgic saw the dedication his parents had toward helping their community and the ag industry. He continues to carry on that tradition.

At a time when many high school students are generations removed from farm life, Indian Creek Ag Teacher Joe Dunn is showing them the importance of agriculture.

The U.S. House passed a new farm bill after the agriculture industry has operated for the past eight years under the previous legislation that included three extensions.

These super-high prices we are experiencing all across the beef industry leave one unanswered question on every producer’s mind: When will it all end?

We are nearly a month now post-inaugural production sale. All the nervousness and concerns were brushed aside, as the sale in all facets turned out to be a great success.

As we continue the great ride with cattle prices we still must do some things well to be as profitable as possible.

Local livestock auction yards have been around since about the time cattle were first introduced as a commercialized American food source and they are the epitome of a robustly competitive market.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Legislative Conference is where grassroots policy meets action.

In cow-calf operations, reproductive success comes down to timing. A calf born just a few weeks earlier can mean significantly more weight at weaning, tighter calving groups and improved lifetime performance.

Global disruptions have tightened fertilizer supplies and driven up costs. At the same time, fuel prices continue to rise, further tightening balance sheets.

Farmers and ranchers can capture more of the food dollar through value-added production, direct marketing and partnerships that move them deeper into supply chain activities.

Thirteen Illinois Farm Bureau members and agricultural professionals graduated from the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow program, an extensive leadership development program designed to help participants develop leadership and advocacy skills.

For our U.S. cattle and sheep industries, do you want free markets or competitive markets? That’s not a trick question as there’s presently significant political tension between these two goals.

Like other farmers across the nation, my work is not a job, but a calling.

A team of Purdue University students won first place in the food track of the 2026 Student Soybean Innovation Competition.

Bryan Severs was reappointed chair of the U.S. Identity Preserved Alliance at its annual meeting.

There’s heightened concern across the Corn Belt due to the surge in fertilizer and fuel prices, combined with a volatile commodity market.

United Producers Inc. announced a leadership transition at its Salem market as Maycey Crain and Mark Kleiboeker step into new roles to serve producers across the region.

With farmers capturing only a small share of the food dollar, even modest swings in commodity prices or increases in input costs can quickly strain farm finances.

Cattle, sheep and goat prices are at record or near record levels and fundamentally should remain that way for some time to come.

Charlie Meier is quick to point out that had it not been for his involvement with FFA and 4-H as a youngster, he would not be a state representative.

We have continued to have a few health problems here with the insurance calves and now we have more mud.

Brush in our pastures is my nemesis and I find myself looking for every opportunity to do damage to every Russian olive and locust tree on the planet.

You drive past or in the fields and lots where we are calving and there are babies running around, enjoying their surroundings and their new playmates.

Johnson County 4-H is recognizing service members this spring by featuring 4-H alumni on active duty in the U.S. military.

Greg and Janis Thoren are the recipients of the 2026 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award.