Soil tests are important tools for farmers to determine the limiting factors for crop production on their fields.

There are many current issues important to Illinois cattlemen including the development of a new farm bill.

Corn rootworm damage often goes unnoticed until it is too late. Know your pest pressure and protect your yield potential, advises Jim Henry.

In the first half of the growing season, the crops in Brad Zimmerman’s locale faced dry conditions early on to heavy rains in June. He looks at these weather swings as an opportunity to “make lemonade out of lemons” with one of his field trials.

Local corn and soybean producers are invited to attend “Taking the Next Steps in Cover Crop Management,” an educational program focused on advancing cover crop management and decision making.

The Illinois Corn Growers Association and farmer leaders feel overwhelmingly positive after their review of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regenerative Feedstock Rule.

Old- and new-crop ending stocks for corn and soybeans fell below trade expectations in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s balance sheet estimates.

With the updated data from the latest quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made some slight adjustments in the crop balance sheets.

We are hosting a cattle farm wagon tour here at River Oak — 15703 E. 1600th St., Macomb — on the morning of July 11, beginning at 8:30 a.m. You can register with University of Illinois Extension.

Application timing of a foliar fungicide treatment in corn is important for maximizing disease control and yield, advises Jim Henry.

The United States is the world’s largest producer and exporter of corn. But that global market — and corn superpower status — is not guaranteed.

The farm economy is at a pivotal moment: If policymakers are not able to learn from the mistakes of the past, the past could repeat itself.

Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers.

Thirteen lucky corn growers started the season off with an unforgettable surprise when they discovered their Pioneer brand corn seed had a special gold-colored seed treatment, signifying they had won the Golden Seed incentive.

Corn shelling is once again a job on Nathan Gudmunson’s farm operation.

An expected large shift away from corn acres didn’t happen, based on a planted acres survey of farmers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“I” state farmers shifted to more soybean acres and less corn and winter wheat acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s planted acres survey.

Grain stocks are higher than a year ago heading into the last quarter of the 2025-2026 marketing year.

The latest projections highlight the challenges farmers continue to face as input costs remain elevated with historically low commodity prices.

Understanding farmers' risk attitudes is critical to predicting their decisions about climate change adaptation.

The Illinois Small Business Development Center’s International Trade Center is exploring collaboration opportunities with the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

It will be a memorable year at the Historic Farm Days, set for July 9-12, with the celebration of special anniversaries.

Rain showers over the past several weeks have resulted in challenges to spray for weeds and sidedress anhydrous on Wessels Family Farm.

Around 160 people attended the 2026 Livestock Summit in Indianapolis, bringing together leaders and farmers from across the state.

Corn and soybeans struggled for a week or two after planting during the flash drought, but a few passing showers have sent corn past "knee-high by Fourth of July" by leaps and bounds.

Through genetic advancements, corn is utilizing more nitrogen later in the season.

High-quality corn harvested last fall continued to maintain its high grades as it entered international export channels.

Eleven years of on-farm data puts some proof in the pudding in terms of what conservation practices can do for a farming operation.

The National Corn Growers Association elected Bill Leigh as the organization’s next first vice president, putting him on track to become board president in 2027.

Matt Raben, a White county farmer and Illinois Corn Marketing Board director, was elected to serve on the executive committee of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council during the organization’s 37th annual meeting.

I’m getting way behind on cultivating, and the corn — and weeds — aren’t waiting.

June seems to go by so fast every year. I think I am going to slow summer down and accomplish so many things and then it is already July Fourth.

Everything is looking really good. We’re very happy with the way things are looking and coming up.

It’s time to scout for early-season insect pests that can impact crops both above and below ground, says Jim Henry.

With a mandatory July 1 deadline for the trilateral joint review of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement approaching, an economic study detailed the trade pact’s overall impact on U.S. agriculture.

For most of my life, I assumed everyone’s dad worked as hard as mine. It wasn’t until I got older that I realized what I witnessed growing up wasn’t something everyone experienced.

Agricultural conditions were unchanged or declined in most of the Federal Reserve Districts, while cost pressures intensified from fuel and fertilizer spikes.

Tar spot has been detected in Indiana for the first time this growing season in Randolph County.

Entries are being accepted for the World Forage Analysis Superbowl, which is open to all forage producers across North America.

Bryer Nelson is excited for the opportunities he will be given and the opportunities he will be sharing with FFA members during the upcoming year as the president of the Illinois Association FFA.

Wheat stocks fell on lower production estimates, and corn and soybeans supplies were steady in the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report.

As expected, for the second straight month only minimal changes were made in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand report.

Pastures are looking pretty good so far, but rainfall will determine how successful the grazing season turns out.

Corn and soybean stands look good on Cliff Lane’s farm, and he has not found any issues with emergence.

The Purdue University-CME Group Ag Economy Barometer declined from 121 in April to 119 in May, driven primarily by worsening views of current conditions on the farm.

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

State lawmakers approved a $55.9 billion budget that included current-level funding for the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

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.

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.

The number of acres managed by Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers members increased substantially in 10 years.