Lawmakers are taking weeks away from Washington while many of the nation’s most pressing problems remain unresolved.

Farmers across the Midwest are dealing with a new problem — black vultures are attacking livestock. This scavenger species didn't live in the area previously; however, warming temperatures have expanded its range.

From supporting rural communities to marketing products internationally, the Illinois Department of Agriculture provides a wide range of programs.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the Strengthening Processing for U.S. Ranchers Program that will provide temporary support for eligible beef processing establishments.

Entries for the dairy cattle show at the 59th World Dairy Expo in Madison are now being accepted exclusively online at worlddairyexpo.com.

The Illinois Corn Growers Association and farmer leaders feel overwhelmingly positive after their review of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regenerative Feedstock Rule.

Old- and new-crop ending stocks for corn and soybeans fell below trade expectations in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s balance sheet estimates.

Wheat harvest is underway in key states including Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, although some farmers, particularly in far western areas of the Wheat Belt, have found little to no grain to gather.

With the updated data from the latest quarterly grain stocks and acreage reports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture made some slight adjustments in the crop balance sheets.

At a time when commodity prices remain under pressure and margins are already thin, higher operating expenses will place additional strain on farm viability, reports Jim Henry.

The farm economy is at a pivotal moment: If policymakers are not able to learn from the mistakes of the past, the past could repeat itself.

Farmers for Soil Health, the farmer-led initiative launched in 2022 to double cover crop acres on U.S. farmland by 2030, has reopened enrollment for 2026 with increased per-acre payments and a simplified one-year contract designed to remove barriers for growers.

An expected large shift away from corn acres didn’t happen, based on a planted acres survey of farmers by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“I” state farmers shifted to more soybean acres and less corn and winter wheat acres, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s planted acres survey.

Grain stocks are higher than a year ago heading into the last quarter of the 2025-2026 marketing year.

After spring planting is complete, agricultural producers in Illinois should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency county office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline of July 15.

Agricultural operations in Illinois have been significantly impacted by recent severe weather and tornadoes.

The latest projections highlight the challenges farmers continue to face as input costs remain elevated with historically low commodity prices.

Payment rates and the enrollment period for the Assistance for Specialty Crops Farmers program have been set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Hoosiers are paying an average of $66.73 for a cookout feeding 10 people this summer, or $6.67 per person — a 7% decrease compared to last year, according to a survey form Indiana Farm Bureau.

Why are today’s farm programs heavily skewered to support cotton, a crop we can’t give away, while wheat, a principle food grain and feed grain the world over, continues to lose planted acreage and production?

High-quality corn harvested last fall continued to maintain its high grades as it entered international export channels.

Data centers create both economic opportunities and resource pressures, particularly around land, water and energy.

Indiana sits at the intersection of human health, animal health and plant science — a rare concentration of expertise where breakthrough science creates real-world impact.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed the presence of New World screwworm in Texas and New Mexico, sounding the alarm for producers across the country to be cautious and keep an eye out for the pest.

As cases of New World screwworm spread and threaten the beef and cattle industry, the Trump administration is rolling out a familiar playbook: Blame former President Biden.

A look at women whose contributions significantly shaped agriculture — trailblazers at the national, state or local level — is illuminating.

Total U.S. winter wheat production estimates were reduced to its lowest since 1965 as a severe drought continues in the Plains.

Wheat stocks fell on lower production estimates, and corn and soybeans supplies were steady in the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand estimates report.

As expected, for the second straight month only minimal changes were made in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s supply and demand report.

Everything seems 10 days early. All the first-crop hay was harvested in late May as the weather turned favorable for drying.

A 3-week old calf in South Texas has been confirmed to be infected with New World screwworm.

More than 25 speakers and panelists will provide strategies for creating and maintaining a successful forage and livestock operation during the Illinois Forage Institute on June 26 at Spoon River College in Canton.

The 2026 farm bill marks a new opportunity for Congress to take a bold step to upset the status quo by rebalancing the grazing livestock sector’s legal and regulatory framework.

Over the next several weeks, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will conduct the June agricultural survey by contacting over 90,000 producers across the nation to determine crop acreage and stock levels as of June 1.

USDA and software company Palantir Technologies announced the signing ‌of a $300 million blanket purchase agreement.

USDA is forecasting a rise in U.S. consumption of beef, pork and chicken in 2026 — all staples for summertime cookouts, says Jim Henry.

In response to recent dust storms in central Illinois and across the Midwest, in-field research is underway focusing on soil conservation and production.

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.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden visited Indianapolis to meet with leaders across Indiana’s ag and bioscience community.

Stark and Tazewell counties had the state’s top average corn and soybean yields, respectively, in 2025.

Benton and Warren counties were Indiana’s top soybean and corn yield producers, respectively, in 2025.

It’s never been so expensive for Americans to buy a steak or hamburger, but cutting those costs requires ranchers like Stephanie Hatzenbuhler to raise more cattle — and that’s not an easy ask.

The Mexican cattle industry has been hit hard by New World screwworm fly larvae infestations, and the United States has closed the border since July to imports of cattle, bison and horses.

Americans paid more for their groceries last month, but high gasoline prices resulting from the Iran war were only one of the reasons why.

Across Oahu’s North Shore, an area famed for its big-wave surfing, the small farms that help supply the island’s food are struggling after back-to-back storms in March brought the state’s worst flooding in two decades.

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

Illinois Farm Bureau secured statewide black vulture depredation permits through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service through Dec. 31.

We know that retail beef prices have been increasing for more than a decade, so let’s determine how much of that increased beef price is attributable to higher input costs versus the concentrated retail sector’s leverage over beef pricing.

Farming is more than a livelihood. It’s a way of life, and sometimes, it’s a heavy load to carry.