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

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

Rural Investment to Protect our Environment welcomed the Illinois Soybean Association to its Steering Committee.

Pesticides are an important tool for farmers, protecting billions of dollars in damages each year from weeds, insects and other pests.

Smart site selection, local engagement and long-term planning can ensure rural America remains both a hub for agricultural production and a partner in responsible technological growth, reports Jim Henry.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture will distribute more than $796,000 over the next three years to expand access to fresh, locally grown produce and boost the competitiveness of the state’s specialty crop industry.

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.

It was recently revealed that the White House reached way down into the routine, mundane approval process of five nominees to the soybean checkoff’s operating body to deny all five their well-earned seats.

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.

After years of economic pressure, farm families need the stability and certainty that comes with a new, modernized farm bill.

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.

You’d think that the three extra years Congress has taken to update the 2018 farm bill might mean it stumbled upon solutions to today’s falling farm income, sagging ag exports, the need for more federal bailouts and the White House’s bubble-gum-and-baling-wire trade policy.

Mark Read has been involved in his community in a variety of roles over the years, and after retiring from farming, he was able to expand his volunteer work to well beyond north-central Illinois.

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.

Preparing for taxes and the transition of farming operations from one generation to the next is important for farm families.

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

Union Pacific delivered 5% higher earnings in the first quarter as the railroad worked to prepare its case to convince regulators that its $85 billion acquisition of eastern rival Norfolk Southern is a good idea.

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.

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.

With farm financial conditions deteriorating and fertilizer and fuel prices rising, farmers will continue to face losses, underscoring the need for additional support, reports Jim Henry.

Gov. Mike Braun and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources announced the acquisition of 122.4 acres of land that will become the newest addition to Yellowwood State Forest.

Don Lamb, the director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, recently toured two ag facilities in Rush County.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Legislative Conference is where grassroots policy meets action.

Travelers on an East Tennessee interstate were forced to brake for workers — and drones, perhaps even a queen — when a truck carrying about 1 million bees crashed.

Global disruptions have tightened fertilizer supplies and driven up costs. At the same time, fuel prices continue to rise, further tightening balance sheets.

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

Two leaders from the Food Safety and Inspection Service toured Old Major Market and Turchetti’s Meats to see Indiana ag in action.

Indiana Pork partnered with the National Pork Producers Council to host a LEADR — Leadership, Education, Advocacy Development and Resources — training at Purdue University.

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

Farm Bureau has long advocated for reforms to the H-2A guest worker program to ensure workers are treated fairly and that farmers can afford to fill their labor needs.

The U.S. Forest Service will abandon its nine regional offices as its parent U.S. Department of Agriculture consolidates out of Washington, D.C.

Elections for the Midwest Dairy corporate and division boards were held during the organization’s annual meeting in Kansas City.

For our U.S. cattle and sheep industries, do you want free markets or competitive markets? That’s not a trick question as there’s presently significant political tension between these two goals.

The Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers’ comprehensive annual farmland values report also includes various tidbits of interest.

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.

There’s heightened concern across the Corn Belt due to the surge in fertilizer and fuel prices, combined with a volatile commodity market.

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.

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.

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

University of Illinois Extension staff gathered in the State Capitol to showcase how Extension and Illinois 4-H strengthen communities statewide and to call for an increased state investment at its inaugural Extension Day at the Capitol.

It is important for everyone to do things that fill up their mind, body and spirit.

Charlie Meier is quick to point out that had it not been for his involvement with FFA and 4-H as a youngster, he would not be a state representative.

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.