The U.S. Department of Agriculture released updated farm income numbers this week, and the outlook is still bleak, says Jim Henry.

Rick Bieber considers a shovel as one of his most important tools.

Long-term profitability will depend less on producing a good crop and more on earning a profitable price for it, predicts Jim Henry.

The president’s plan to facilitate record imports of beef will have a significant impact on farmers and ranchers who are rebuilding their herds devastated by drought, reports Jim Henry.

Nothing sells better than bad news it seems. But consumers still want to buy the beef we have.

My friends in town often ask me what I think of the beef market. They just don’t grasp what it takes to be successful in the cattle industry.

Fall calving is starting to kick into a higher gear. We are at the time where the majority of the herd should starting dropping babies.

Hauling water across rugged landscapes has become a daily chore for many ranchers in the U.S. Rockies.

Whether you’re building soil, boosting protein in your ration, or extending grazing days, red clover remains a dependable, productive and sustainable choice for Midwest producers.

A Federal Reserve survey found agriculture conditions across the Corn Belt improved slightly, but generally remained strained.

A rotational grazing system at Rincker Simmentals is designed to provide forage for the cowherd during the majority of the year.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition wrapped up the 2026 Heart of America Grazing Conference by recognizing three Illinois producers with the Master Grazier Award: Rick Adams, Terry Becherer and Perry Hottes.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition hosted a first-of-its-kind contest for youth as part of the Heart of America Grazing Conference in Effingham.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition will host two Grazing Schools this September, giving producers across the state hands-on, practical instruction to help them implement and expand managed grazing on their own operations.

In spite of several days of bad weather, the 169th Indiana State Fair brought together Hoosiers for a fun-filled 15 days.

Higher values strengthen farm balance sheets and provide landowners with additional equity and collateral, but they also raise the cost of buying, renting and expanding an operation.

Total cattle inventory increased slightly for the first time since 2018, but the beef cow herd fell to 28.5 million head — a record low, indicating herd rebuilding remains limited, reports Jim Henry.

Register early for the best rates and housing selection for CattleCon 2027.

Mark Legan, owner of Legan Livestock and Grain, received the AgriVision Award at the Indiana State Fair.

Building a farm takes a lifetime, but losing it can take one unfinished plan.

Visit at least eight of the restaurants participating in the Illinois Pork Tenderloin Crawl by the end of November to earn an exclusive T-shirt.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced plans to purchase products, including pork, for distribution to various food nutrition assistance programs.

Indiana Pork and Indiana Beef teamed up to help Hoosiers impacted by recent devastating floods in central Indiana.

Colleen Callahan’s moxie started to develop long before she became the first woman agribusiness director at WMBD Radio and Television and later the first woman to lead the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

Members of the first-place winners of the 2026 Legacy Farm Family Award are involved with farming operations located in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Content-creating moms and their families from the Chicagoland area visited farms to learn directly from farmers about how they raise livestock and grow crops on their operations.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture announced the winners of the 2026 Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest at the Indiana State Fair.

Attempts to lower grocery costs should not come at the expense of the ranchers working to strengthen America’s food supply.

The largest packers are reconfiguring their business models to emphasize a greater reliance on imports and deemphasize their historical reliance on domestic slaughter.

We’re witnessing a radical restructuring where the downstream beef industry intersects with the upstream cattle industry.

Today’s combination of elevated input costs and tighter commodity margins is changing the way farmers think about risk.

Farmland values in the Midwest were flat in the second quarter of 2026 compared to a year ago, according to a 7th Federal Reserve District report.

Strong trade relationships with Canada and Mexico help strengthen family farms, support rural communities and keep American agriculture competitive around the world.

Fed cattle prices are near record highs. So, why aren’t cattle finishers necessarily making record profits?

Chad Bell takes samples of his corn and soybeans plants each week throughout the growing season to get a better idea of the fertility that the plants are utilizing to produce grain.

Illinois Stewardship Alliance presented two awards recognizing outstanding farmer leaders for their contribution to sustainable and local agriculture in Illinois.

Silage harvest is a busy time and brings with it potential hazards that can cause injury or death.

There are times when it seems like agriculture just can’t catch a break. This is one of those times.

Running on a platform of affordability, safety and education, Republican gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey gave his stance on issues during the recent Illinois Agricultural Legislative Roundtable.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Don Tracy stressed the need for more certainty from Capitol Hill for farmers.

Illinois Milk Producers Association is calling for nominations of individuals to receive formal recognition in 2026 for their outstanding contributions to the dairy industry through leadership, stewardship and overall excellence.

A new egg building and pig barn were added to Little Hands on the Farm — a popular Indiana State Fair experience that helps children learn where their food comes from.

Cattlemen develop rotational grazing systems for many reasons, including parasite control.

President Donald Trump announced on his social media account he is suspending import tariffs quotas on ground beef for three months.

Public lands offer quality grazing grounds for livestock, which in turn reduces wildfire risk and contributes to the vitality of rural communities across the West.

What makes a state fair so unique is it provides multiple, wide-ranging experiences within the same day.

It has not been verified, but Dave Kestel’s blood may run red, white and blue.

One of the most consequential actions during the markup of the farm bill was the Senate Agriculture Committee vote on an amendment addressing mandatory country-of-origin labeling for beef.

Toby Behrends of Sheffield was named Grand Champion Overall Master Showman during the 2026 Illinois State Fair Master Showmanship Contest.

The 2026 4-H Grand Drive, presented by Farm Credit Mid-America, shined the spotlight on the top 4-H exhibitors in Indiana.