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.

Installing the necessary drainage tile on your farm often requires a tile main to direct water through an underground drain tile system and then through a neighbor’s property to reach a drainage ditch.

Hiring an experienced, reputable farm tile installation contractor is essential to the longevity of the system.

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.

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

Differences between pastures become more apparent each spring, largely based on how they were managed the previous year.

Spring often just burst onto the southern Illinois farm of my youth. One morning you’d see a green blade of something peeking through the bare ground by the mailbox and by the time you got off the school bus a day later a brave daffodil waved, welcoming you home.

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.

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

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.

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

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

Farmers are watching disruptions to global shipping routes with growing concern about what it could mean for fertilizer supplies as we head into spring planting season.

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.

National Ag Day is March 24, with the theme, “Together We Grow.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has now sharply lowered its 2025 farm income outlook by $25 billion, reinforcing that this downturn is deeper and more persistent than many anticipated.

Farming and ranching are deeply rewarding, but come with physical demands and stress that can take a toll on long-term health.

There is no doubt artificial intelligence has the potential to help agriculture tackle some big challenges. But like any new technology it also comes with risks we shouldn’t ignore.

Ultimately, federal taxpayer-funded payments are not a match for the tough reality of lost demand or damaged markets.

Shamrocks, tied forever to St. Patrick, symbolize growth and renewal — things farmers understand better than anyone.

While the One Big Beautiful Bill Act made an important investment in strengthening the farm safety net, it did not replace the need for a new, modernized farm bill.

From progress on the farm bill to new trade agreements and growing momentum for year-round E15, there’s been meaningful movement that shows agriculture’s priorities are being heard.

Improving farm drainage tiles in Illinois can be very challenging because most farmland is owned by absentee landowners rather than by the farmer.

One of the things I’m most proud of at Farm Bureau is that we don’t sit back and wait for leadership to happen — we invest in it.

March is when most people’s thoughts turn to spring and most farmers start looking forward to another productive year of growing food, feed and fiber.

One of the things I’ve learned over my years in Farm Bureau is that policy doesn’t move forward on its own. It moves because people show up, build relationships and take the time to share their stories.

House Ag Committee Chairman Glenn Thompson must not be a superstitious man. If he were, he would not have introduced the biggest bill of his congressional career, the “Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026,” on Friday the 13th.

The blue jacket isn’t just something I talk about. It’s something I’ve lived.

For people in agriculture and rural communities, take heed: We work outside where ticks thrive, and one small bite can create a life-changing food allergy.

More than 4,000 farmer and rancher Farm Bureau members gathered for the 107th American Farm Bureau Federation Convention, held earlier this month in Anaheim, California.

Farmers and ranchers have been promised a “new” farm bill every year since before the “old” law expired Sept. 30, 2023.

My grandfather taught me that if something has been good to you, it’s your responsibility to give back to it and leave things better than you found them.

From conferences to company visits, the Illinois FFA major state officers have stayed very busy over the past month.

If growing corn is a religion among Midwestern farmers, its Vatican is somewhere in central Iowa.

Agriculture has never been just about acres, animals, or equipment. It’s about people. It’s about families, partnerships, neighbors and communities whose lives are tied to the land and to each other.

To any farmer who feels these frustrations, I want to begin my term as Indiana Corn Growers Association president by offering a hand of help and hope. You are not alone.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced payment rates for the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, but there are still some gaps.

For many farm families in Indiana, the farm represents both legacy and livelihood. Protecting valuable assets through insurance is essential, but high input costs and low commodity prices are adding strain to already tight farm budgets.

If your sadness ever becomes too heavy and you feel unsafe, overwhelmed, or find yourself thinking about harming yourself, please don’t carry that alone.

China, the White House’s biggest tariff punching bag last year, purchased its promised 12 million metric tons of U.S. soybeans more than 45 days ahead of its agreed-upon deadline.

Indiana pork farmers are concerned about House Bill 1137, which would move our state toward food regulations similar to those used in Europe.

As farmers, we’re proud of the role we play in feeding America. All we ask is that nutrition policy recognizes the full picture — and that lawmakers remember you can’t build a healthy diet without a strong farm economy to support it.

This year is the International Year of the Woman Farmer, and Farm Bureau has been working for months to champion and celebrate the occasion.

A word of caution: Do not get between reality and political forces in Congress when Republicans and Democrats agree to spend more money on farm programs rather than reform the very programs that are failing farmers and rural America.

When farmers and ranchers come together, they don’t just talk about challenges — they get to work finding solutions.

Better health begins on your plate — the Dietary Guidelines for Americans offer a flexible, affordable and attainable framework meant to guide better choices, not dictate exact meals or drain a budget.

Many of the changes in the new food guidelines issued recently by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services were red meat to farmers and ranchers.

Today’s rock-bottom feed prices cancel out payments that would otherwise help us get through the struggles that too-low milk prices bring with them.