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.

Illinois Livestock Development Group recently hired Annie Hadden of Jacksonville as the organization’s director of livestock development.

Teens and young adults will test their knowledge of regenerative agriculture at a contest held during this summer’s Heart of American Grazing Conference in Effingham.

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

Monitoring and measuring key performance indexes of dairy herds can be useful for making management decisions.

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

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.

Livestock producers prefer to prevent rather than treat sickness. The goal is to minimize the risk of animals getting sick, thereby reducing the need for treatment.

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.

Across Oahu’s North Shore, an area famed for its big-wave surfing, the small farms that help supply the island’s food are struggling after back-to-back storms in March brought the state’s worst flooding in two decades.

Illinois Farm Bureau secured statewide black vulture depredation permits through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through Dec. 31.

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

Farmers are constantly looking for better ways to care for our crops, protect our animals and keep our farms sustainable for the next generation.

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.

American Dairy Association Indiana Inc. hosted the 52nd Rookie Celebration at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, celebrating this year’s rookie drivers for the 110th running of the Indianapolis 500.

Another class of young people will soon head out to find their place in the world. No matter how far they roam, they will carry a piece of home with them. And home is always rooting for them.

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

An after-school program is teaching students about the versatility and nutritional value of pork.

The second annual Farm to Capitol event was held in downtown Indianapolis, celebrating the state’s rich agricultural heritage.

Once sheared and the fleece is flipped over to reveal the underside, the true color shows through. This is especially true with the light gray Shetlands in the flock.

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

I planted cereal rye right into the bean stubble, after combining the beans off last fall. I never got enough rain to get enough growth to be able to graze it last fall.

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.

From conferences to convention to contests, this month the Illinois FFA major state officers have been busy traveling all across the state and even into Iowa.

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.

Illinois agricultural producers impacted by recent severe weather — including tornadoes, straight-line winds and hail — can access technical and financial assistance from the USDA.

Illinois Farm Bureau will host 14 Nutrient Stewardship Field Days this summer for farmers and industry partners to collaborate and discuss ongoing research and innovative approaches to nutrient stewardship.

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.

In May, grass is growing fast, and it’s easy to get ahead of yourself and move too quickly. Instead of sticking to a pre-set plan, watch what the plants are doing.

Lactating dairy cattle bring shipped out of Indiana no longer need to be tested for highly pathogenic avian influenza prior to shipment, according to a recently announced policy from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

For the 20th year in a row, American Dairy Association Indiana Inc. will have a veteran and rookie farmer present milk to the winner of the Indianapolis 500.

Progesterone is a hormone that can be tracked and monitored to help dairy farmers improve the reproductive performance of their cows.

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

Today’s dairies generate more data than ever — from herd management software to monitoring systems, parlors and sort gates.

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.

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 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.

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.

Poverty is deepening and hunger is increasing across Cuba, a country of nearly 10 million people.

Lallemand Animal Nutrition, a global leader in microbial solutions for animal health and performance, announced the opening of applications for its 12th annual Lallemand Scholarship Program.

Leaders of Dairy Management Inc., the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board and the United Dairy Industry Association announced newly elected officers who will help guide national dairy checkoff strategies and programs aimed at protecting and growing dairy sales.

Dairy Management Inc. announced the formal launch of its search for a new president and CEO, following the announced planned retirement of Barbara O’Brien later this year.

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.