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.

For decades, farmers and ranchers have been begging antitrust officials for probes into concentrated industries like meatpacking, seed, fertilizer, machinery and grain merchandising.

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 rising cost of cars is contributing to increased concerns about affordability throughout American life.

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.

Brazil’s massive dual-fuel fleet — consisting of vehicles capable of running on any combination of ethanol and gasoline — is unique in its scale.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Johnson County 4-H is recognizing service members this spring by featuring 4-H alumni on active duty in the U.S. military.

Chad Bell is working on a variety of projects during the transition time from winter and getting ready for the spring planting season.

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.

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

American agriculture depends on a stable and affordable supply of fertilizer to remain productive and competitive.

Military action in the Middle East has disrupted critical shipments of fertilizer and oil as farmers head toward planting.

As the war in Iran ratchets up, the price of crude oil has been swinging sharply.

We must ensure strong market opportunities here at home to keep family farms in business.

Crude oil prices, like it or not, often shape the world’s economies and geo-politics.

Rural America and farm country has a long history of sending out these brave men and women and supporting them when they return home.

Craig Stevenson, with Geswein Farm & Land Realty from Monon in northwest Indiana, has been recognized as an APEX 2024 Top Twenty National Producer by the REALTORS Land Institute as a part of the RLI APEX Production Awards Program, sponsored by The Land Report.

Farm drones can be valuable in helping farmers keep an eye on their crops through the growing season.

The recent U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities had an immediate impact on the domestic economy, including costs associated with agricultural fertilizer.

Although ag media had been reporting about the impact of “forever chemicals” for several years, it was not until NewsNation did a series of reports that mainstream media outlets took notice.

When Ken Ropp returned to the family farm in 2000, milk prices were at a then-all-time high and the prospect of him joining in the family dairy business was bright. Six months later, milk prices were at record lows.

What happens globally can impact the profitability of U.S. farmers.

New Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers officers were installed at the group’s annual conference.

When you push markets one way with tariffs, you should expect an equal and opposite reaction from those same markets.

Donald Prill, 92, of Platteville, Wisconsin, passed away Feb. 7. He married Nancy Dinelli in 1962. She recounted her life and adventures with “The Farmer” in a popular weekly column in AgriNews for over four decades, until she retired in 2018.

Ukraine continues to be a major player in global agricultural markets, despite three years of military attacks by Russia.

As a high school student, Richard Siedenburg did not plan to join his dad farming, but that changed after spending time in other countries in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves.

Ron Dykstra knew from a very young age that he wanted to farm.

As a veteran, Jerry Costello II recognizes the trait in other veterans that prompted him to enlist in the U.S. Army.

Craig Stevenson, an Air Force veteran from Monon in northern Indiana, learned many skills during his time in the military that have aided him in his most recent job.

Charley Jordan retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 4 in 2017, after more than 28 years of service.

Dewaine “Dewey” Haag grinned as he recalled barely avoiding being AWOL while stationed at Fort Dix. It was a chance worth taking to move his wife, Marie, who was expecting their first child, to New Jersey.

With his eight-year commitment to the Army National Guard, Chuck Hanley was able to juggle his agriculture careers with his service.

Lt. Col. Dan Rooney will be the opening general session speaker at CattleCon 2025, Feb. 4-6, in San Antonio.

Veterans Day is a time to reflect on American history and those who made it. Fighting in World War I ended with a ceasefire on the 11th hour of Nov. 11, 1918.

Beginning with Memorial Day and ending shortly after Independence Day, we see more American flags flying than at any other time of the year.

For Luke Schneider, military veteran, former firefighter and founder of Fire Department Coffee, the mission of his coffee company goes deeper than just a great cup of joe.

Republican legislators in Kansas advanced proposals aimed at preventing individuals and companies from China and other U.S. adversaries from owning farmland or business property.

When asked to describe war, Union General William T. Sherman noted that “war is cruelty, and you cannot refine it.” Later, Sherman did refine his dictum to the much shorter, impossible-to-forget: “War is hell.”

Neal Lambert, a U.S. Navy veteran, has seen the nation’s largest flying flag daily for years. But the sight of the super-sized stars and stripes still inspires awe and pride.