Taxes

It was a mixed bag of victories and losses for locally produced food and conservationist efforts when the Illinois General Assembly passed its $55.2 billion fiscal year 2026 budget.

The Illinois General Assembly adjourned without taking any action on three bills that would impact townships, including potential consolidations.

For U.S. farmers and ranchers, May 22 was right out of a Dickens novel: It was the best of days and the worst of days.

In February 2018, this space outlined my assessment of Congress’s meandering approach to the overdue farm bill. It was a waste of ink.

These days, it seems we’re hearing more and more talk about “big ag.”

Understanding Illinois property tax calculations is complex and confusing. Properties such as personal residences are taxed based on fair market value.

The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is the independent voice for businesses across the state.

Mental fitness is a personal understanding that individuals have the ability to build a happier and more productive life.

Indiana Farm Bureau members celebrated several legislative wins at the conclusion of the 2025 Indiana General Assembly.

Somewhere along life’s highway most of us learned to balance a checkbook. This task usually involved a pencil, the back of a used envelope and some basic math.

Automakers in China are fighting not to be edged aside in the world’s largest car market while watching for U.S. President Donald Trump’s next steps in his trade war.

As more than 1,000 FFA members and their teachers visited the Statehouse, a longtime advocate for those wearing the blue jackets reminisced about how the organization impacted his life.

Meet Mindy Orschell, AgriNews’ new From the Fields contributor in southern Indiana.

Maria Marshall, an agriculture economics professor at Purdue University, developed a software called INventure Business Planner to help farmers plan their operations.

The Trump administration may grant U.S. agriculture special exemptions from parts of its ever-changing tariff regime, but it can’t exempt it from everyday economic reality.

While my husband has been busy putting a new floor in a grain bin and getting the planters ready, I have been working lots of overtime preparing farm and individual tax returns.

I talk a lot about the importance of community in this column. As destructive storms moved through the heartland, neighbors came together to help pick up the pieces and support one another in times of need.

The major car companies say sales rose sharply in March, with most reporting double-digit gains. For some companies, the strong performance last month helped make up for a sluggish start to the year.

President Donald Trump’s tariff blitz has sent shock waves throughout every aspect of the global economy, including the auto sector, where multibillion-dollar plans to electrify in the United States are especially at risk.

Indiana Farm Bureau members from all corners of the state traveled to the Statehouse to have breakfast with lawmakers.

AgriNovus hosted Gov. Mike Braun at its Quadrant event to discuss opportunities in Indiana’s food and agriculture sector, the economy and other pressing issues.

Farmers who are already struggling to make a profit are being furthered burdened by high tax rates on land.

Farmers must advocate for themselves. That is a matter of fact.

From issues impacting the farm economy, including record costs for labor, interest and taxes, to trade and biofuels, there a lot of challenges facing farmers today. But there also are opportunities, said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association.

As farmers develop a financial plan for their operation it is important they determine where they are, where they want to go and accurate numbers about their business.

It is a new day for agriculture, said Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins.

With the blustery cold we have seen across most parts of the country in recent days, it’s hard to believe that spring is right around the corner. Springtime brings planting, fresh blossoms and, of course, taxes.

One of the first marketing lessons offered to me, a wet-behind-the-ears ag editor, by a steely and successful ag futures trader was as simple and useful as a feed bucket.

Over this past year, I dedicated extra time to celebrating our county presidents because they are the very heartbeat of our mighty federation.

Lawmakers and farmers mingled at the Indiana Statehouse to enjoy a bacon brunch and discuss farm policies.

The notion of tariffs dates back to the first major law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1789 and has evolved over time.

A freeze on federal loans and grants is creating turmoil for some rural U.S. business owners who fear they won’t get reimbursed for new, cleaner irrigation equipment or solar panels they purchased with the promise of a rebate.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s Executive Committee approved the organization’s policy priorities at CattleCon 2025.

Just a couple weeks ago at the American Farm Bureau Convention in San Antonio, Texas, I reminded Farm Bureau members that it’s going to take all of us stepping up in 2025 to drive agriculture forward.

Just weeks into the Republican takeover of Congress and the White House, Project 2025 is the cornerstone of President Donald Trump’s governing plans.

I love living in a part of the country where we get four seasons every year. However, I would be willing to trade in a few of the colder days of winter for some extra days in spring, the season of new beginnings.

With a new Congress and administration sworn in, it’s time to get back to work in Washington. Just like there’s never a shortage of work to be done on the farm, there’s a full list of issues that our lawmakers need to tackle.

The day after Congress certified Donald Trump’s election as president, the U.S. Border Patrol conducted unannounced raids throughout Bakersfield, California, descending on businesses where day laborers and field workers gather. The impact was immediate.

I have said it many times: farming is not an easy life’s work and certainly not for the faint of heart. Farming can push you to your physical and emotional limits. It can nearly kill you. It can save your life.

This past year marked my second full year serving as executive vice president at the American Farm Bureau Federation and it has been inspiring to see our organization flourish as we serve farmers and ranchers.

Farmers were slightly less optimistic about the economy in December compared to November, according to the latest reading of the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

By far the biggest lender to U.S. farmers, ranchers and rural businesses is the Farm Credit System whose four banks and 56 associations hold nearly 50% of all debt in rural America.

The 25th annual First State Bank Ag Conference, a special forum for area farmers, is scheduled for 10 a.m. Jan. 23 at the Mendota Civic Center.

Conservation practice adoption, pesticide regulations and biofuel tax credits are just a few of the issues for agriculture entering 2025.

The general manager of locally-owned ethanol plant was the recipient of the Illinois Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Award.

As Thanksgiving approaches, families across America are getting ready to gather with loved ones, share favorite dishes and reflect on the past year.

The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point in response to the steady decline in the once-high inflation that had angered Americans and helped drive Donald Trump’s presidential election victory.

Farmer sentiment about the ag economy increased in October ahead of the election, rising 27 points from the month before, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

Across the industry, auto analysts say, an “affordability shift” is taking root.

Shares of General Motors surged almost 10% after the automaker posted a $3 billion third-quarter profit, slightly less than the same period a year ago. It was the stock’s biggest single-day percentage gain in more than four years.