Land in the Midwest is not just dirt. It’s legacy, livelihood and, increasingly, a line in the sand.

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.

The Irish government survived a confidence vote over how it handled a week of disruptive fuel protests that blocked access to oil supplies, caused gas pumps to run dry and created massive traffic jams.

Lease agreements shifted toward more traditional crop-share agreements in 2026.

A commodity brokerage firm’s farmer survey indicates a shift toward more soybean acres in 2026.

Farmer sentiment about the ag economy improved in March despite rising input cost concerns, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

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.

In its program-slashing 2027 Department of Agriculture budget plan, the White House hoped to head off sure-to-come complaints by tying spending cuts to that handy whipping boy, big bad government.

Wheat, corn and soybean season-average price projects were increased slightly in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s balance sheets.

Despite strong demand pace, an expected increase in corn exports wasn’t reflected in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report.

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

U.S. producers intend to plant 3% less corn acres and 4% more soybean acres this spring, according to the prospective planting report March 31.

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

A bipartisan bill passed in 2022 to promote the use of higher biodiesel blends is making a significant impact once again in 2026.

Midwest Dairy released its 2025 Annual Report, demonstrating a strong year of progress building trust and demand on behalf of dairy farmers.

Farmland values remain resilient in spite of a cooling agricultural economy, according to the latest installment of the Maximizing Your Farmland Series presented by Halderman.

Two years after peak highs, the average sales price of top Illinois farmland saw slight year-over-year declines.

There has never been more information available to farmers than there is today — and yet, in many ways, it’s never been harder to know who or what to trust.

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

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.

According to the latest Feeding the Economy report, agriculture and food industries are a huge part of the U.S. economy.

For the past decade, farm profits have been highly volatile, making farm business planning difficult.

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.

Year-over-year corn, soybean and wheat stocks are higher halfway through the marketing year.

It may be a surprise that last year’s biggest ag story — tariffs — was swept off today’s front pages by even bigger news: a Middle East war, its sharply higher fuel and fertilizer prices, and the near certainty of another multi-billion dollar farm aid package.

Whether you farm five acres or 5,000, you’re part of something bigger than your own farm. You’re helping support jobs, strengthen communities and power an economy that reaches every corner of this country.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s prospective planting survey indicated farmers aren’t making as large of a shift toward more soybeans and less corn acres as expected — but with a caveat.

During her 30 years as a veterinarian and in academic research, Lisa Freeman learned some lessons that she’s carried throughout her career.

Several years ago the Illinois Soybean Association team started to look for ways to “move the pile” by developing new uses for the crop.

In managing costs during the current economic environment, John Miller believes it really goes back to basics.

For generations, farmers and ranchers have been the backbone of rural communities and a driving force in our nation’s economy.

Twelve Illinois counties averaged triple-digit wheat yields in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Seven Indiana counties had triple-digit winter wheat yield averages in 2025.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its fifth consecutive temporary emergency waiver to allow nationwide summer sale of E15.

As April 1 rolls around each year, I’m mentally transported back to 1985, when I went from student teaching in a high school ag classroom to work at a local radio station.

The Illinois Pork Producers Association is working to restore pork options on the menus of Chicago Public Schools.

The 2026 Indiana General Assembly wrapped up its work, which included some wins for agriculture, according to leaders at Indiana Farm Bureau.

The Illinois Pork Producers Association honored a family that has contributed to the long-term success of the industry through leadership and pork promotion at the local and state levels.

A fifth-generation hog farmer was seated as Illinois Pork Producers Association president during its annual meeting at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Tennessee farmer Todd Littleton expects to pay $100,000 more for fertilizer this season, a 40% spike from his bill last year thanks to the war in Iran — and he is scrambling to cover that extra cost.

Uber says it will invest up to $1.25 billion in Rivian Automotive to help launch up to 50,000 robotaxis.

Warm and dry this early is both a bad combination and a bad omen.

Agricultural economic conditions are mostly flat since mid-January across the Corn Belt’s Federal Reserve Districts, according to a survey.

Orion Samuelson wasn’t my formal mentor, but he didn’t have to be. His work ethic spoke louder than any lesson plan ever could.

Farmers, researchers, academia and industry partners recently converged for the Soy Innovation Center’s second annual SpringBoard Challenge.

Consolidations from the farm gate through the entire supply chain, combined with inconsistent federal policies, have pushed agriculture toward a pivotal moment in the nation’s history.

The latest federal farm income forecast reinforces the difficult reality for U.S. agriculture.

At a time when margins are already tight and input costs are at a record high, global conflicts that disrupt fertilizer supplies or raise fuel prices could increase production costs for U.S. farmers, reports Jim Henry.

The Morrow Plots, famed in song and story, represent the oldest continuously running agricultural experiment in North America.