It’s been a dry start to the season here until the past week. Planting has been very steady going with the dry weather down here.

With summer just around the corner, Agronomy Days will soon return to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

A demonstration farm dedicated to farmer-focused research designed to answer real-world questions is into its sophomore year.

USDA and software company Palantir Technologies announced the signing ‌of a $300 million blanket purchase agreement.

Expanding access to American-grown fuels is one more way agriculture can help keep our country moving.

Early-season scouting is about more than checking a box — it’s about understanding what your field is telling you.

In response to recent dust storms in central Illinois and across the Midwest, in-field research is underway focusing on soil conservation and production.

With corn and soybean planting finished, Chad Bell is focusing on evaluating the stands and completing tissue sampling and soil testing.

Stark and Tazewell counties had the state’s top average corn and soybean yields, respectively, in 2025.

Benton and Warren counties were Indiana’s top soybean and corn yield producers, respectively, in 2025.

Brad Zimmerman’s father, Phil, was an early adopter of no-till and always looking for ways to improve his farm. He is now carrying on the idea of looking outside the box with an even more holistic approach to crop production that focuses on plant and soil health.

Once we got going, spring went really quick. We had a window there from mid-April to the end of April where a lot of guys went and then the last 10 days has just been hammer down and get her done.

An overwhelming majority of America’s farmers who responded to a nationwide survey say they cannot afford to purchase enough fertilizer to get them through the year.

Corn and soybean planting is complete on Wessels’ Family Farm in DeKalb County in northern Illinois, even though planting started a little later than originally planned.

We had moisture from all the rain we got before planting started and since then the rain has cut off, so we have been dry.

The U.S. House passed legislation allowing for year-round, nationwide sale of E15 fuel May 13 and the bill advances to the Senate.

The U.S. House’s passage of legislation allowing nationwide, year-round use of E15 drew mixed reactions from farm and biofuel groups.

Pesticides are an important tool for farmers, protecting billions of dollars in damages each year from weeds, insects and other pests.

“Shocking” wheat was taken into a different context in the U.S. Department of Agriculture crop production estimates.

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

The initial crop balance sheet forecasts for the 2026-2027 marketing year were unveiled by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

I’m praying we have everything planted by the end of May, but it sure doesn’t look promising. The cover crops and wheat crop looks fantastic, despite the challenges of the daily freeze and frost watches.

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.

You’d think that the three extra years Congress has taken to update the 2018 farm bill might mean it stumbled upon solutions to today’s falling farm income, sagging ag exports, the need for more federal bailouts and the White House’s bubble-gum-and-baling-wire trade policy.

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

A Livestock Summit will be held June 23 in Indianapolis in an effort to strengthen collaboration across the value chain and highlight innovations that support producers.

Mark Read has been involved in his community in a variety of roles over the years, and after retiring from farming, he was able to expand his volunteer work to well beyond north-central Illinois.

“Giving back to the community” isn’t just a cliché. It’s a lifestyle for folks like Matt Rush and his family.

Watching high school students become successful in their careers has been a highlight for Joe Steffen as the agriculture teacher and FFA adviser at Newark Community High School.

The Brookfield Aces 4-H club is like a large family where members are encouraged to help each other with their projects, community service activities and fundraisers.

Heroes don’t wear capes. They’re paged at 3 a.m. to fight a fire, the next day they’re advocating for ag on Capitol Hill and the following day pitching in for the local FFA.

Tyler Main took a temporary westward detour after graduating from Illinois State University 10 years ago this month.

Farmland sales in Illinois are continuing their recent pattern of being unpredictable. Low farmer profits are the main driver of this volatility, but other factors also weigh on the marketplace.

As we see more solar fields dotting our rural landscape, it’s understandable to question if this is the best use of our productive Illinois land.

Scouting emerging corn and soybeans provides both a chance to determine that crop’s current needs as well as guidance to correct any mistakes next year.

Farmers are entering the critical spring planting season under a cloud of uncertainty as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts global trade, causing fertilizer and diesel costs to spike.

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.

When Jay Whalen was hired as a seed specialist 17 years ago, he began using his farm for testing the company’s various products.

I planted soybeans for two days, we then switched to planting corn for two days and then quit knowing the rain was coming. We only ran two days each, but I got half the beans in and half the corn in.

With farm financial conditions deteriorating and fertilizer and fuel prices rising, farmers will continue to face losses, underscoring the need for additional support, reports Jim Henry.

Dallas Conrad is building a legacy for the next generation on his central Indiana farm with the help of Meristem Crop Performance.

Mark Bacon’s on-farm research is paying off by taking significant nitrogen cost out of production for corn in 2026.

Planting corn and soybeans on Bell Family Farms has started for the 2026 growing season.

Southern Illinois planters began rolling in the latter half of March after an extended stretch of warm, dry conditions.

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.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the Renewable Fuel Standard “Set 2” ruling that locks in the highest-ever Renewable Volume Obligations.

The Gathering of the Green attracted hundreds of John Deere collectors and enthusiasts from numerous states and several countries for the four-day event that featured workshops, tours and a vendor area packed with treasures.

Farmland prices are expected to decrease from 1% to 5% this year, according to Illinois professional farm managers.

Farmers plan to plant less corn and more soybeans in 2026 than last year, reports Jim Henry, as the Iran war drives up fertilizer and fuel prices in the latest blow to the struggling agricultural sector.

Today’s higher fuel prices will be the norm regardless when, or even if, a U.S.-Iran ceasefire comes together, say market experts.