Budget reconciliation legislation that includes farm safety net enhancements, higher reference prices and biofuel tax credits was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Donald Trump.

With recent wildfires in the western United States and Canada, smoke has made its way to the Midwest. It particularly may affect already vulnerable crops.

I’ve been doing a lot of trucking, spraying, machinery repairs. Wheat was fantastic this summer.

One weather event completely changed the course of my farming operation. I was driving down the road and had to slow down because something was on the road — it was soil from our field.

With data from the recent survey-based acreage and grain stocks reports, the U.S. Department of Agriculture lowered new corn and soybean production estimates in its supply and demand estimates report.

Before railroads were established in Illinois, cattle and hog farmers drove their animals to livestock markets and processing facilities.

Corn and soybean crops are in the ground and now must deal with a host of threats, including disease pressure.

The agricultural economic outlook across the Corn Belt’s Federal Reserve Districts remain subdued.

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

The Illinois Soybean Association’s agronomy team is spending the dog days of summer scouting for problems in fields that have, could or will impact plants.

Incorporating cover crops into their regenerative farming system has been a learning process for the Riskedal family this spring.

Illinois and Indiana fields have experienced a broad range of weather this growing season, from heavy rains in the south to drier conditions to the north in both states.

All of my crops look very good considering the lack of measurable rainfall.

As severe storms once again soak, twist and pelt the nation’s midsection, a team of dozens of scientists is driving into them to study one of the nation’s costliest but least-appreciated weather dangers: Hail.

Farmers truly share a bond, no matter where we live or what we grow and raise.

We should be back in the sheep barn this year with some lambs my granddaughter is bringing for the 4-H show.

With good yields come low prices, so at times like these it’s good to have some diversification.

There will be at least three more pasture walks put on by the Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition coming up.

William Henert spends a significant amount of his time during this period of the growing season spraying crop protection products on the corn, soybean and seed corn crops on the northern Illinois farm.

The roots of the commercial corn must be really good because it hasn’t shown any signs of stress, so with the planting date, the root size probably helped.

Even small Midwestern farms can harness the power of AI to boost productivity without breaking the bank.

A young family from California recently stopped at the Ropp Jersey Cheese store where they shared some of their common along with unique experiences with Ken Ropp.

We’ve been getting spotty rains. Some fields are getting them and some aren’t, but so far we’ve been pretty lucky.

“Summertime, when the livin’ is easy.” That line from a well-known song couldn’t be further from the truth.

With the record prices being paid for fat cattle I am trying to get them to eat and gain as fast as possible so we can take advantage of this crazy-high cattle market.

By having the HeatSiecker patches on this year, it allowed for digital alerts of estrus and not having to spend as much time visually observing the cows in person.

At a glance, the July agricultural supply and demand estimates report looked positive for the market with lower than expected ending stocks, but the trade thought otherwise.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency extended the prevented planting crop reporting deadline for producers affected by spring flooding, excessive moisture, or qualifying drought.

A pair of crop reports fell primarily in line with trade expectations as the market turned its focus toward weather in the last quarter of the marketing year.

Farming is all about being resilient, and Mindy Orschell and her family have had to be just that as weather challenges impacted planting this spring.

Timing sure was tricky this year and continues to be an issue with spraying and sidedressing the crops.

As another large dust storm impacted Illinois, the conversation and questions continue about why and how to get the dust to settle and stay in the field rather than across roadways.

Corn Belt agricultural conditions ranged from weak to slightly favorable in the latest Federal Reserve’s Beige Book.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Illinois of the July 21 deadline to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the derecho July 15-18, 2024.

American farmers take the responsibility of providing a safe food supply to heart because we know that food security means national security.

Two weeks from now we’ll probably go in and hit the weeds back and that will be good for the season because the beans will canopy.

Looking out our backdoor it’s about as good as we could ask for. The corn stands are about the best we’ve ever had.

A wise-old rancher told me last year, “I can lead you to knowledge, but I can’t make you think.”

June is the beginning of grilling season and that’s been great for beef demand. If more of you would try lamb chops or lamb kabobs on the grill maybe we could see similar results in the lamb market.

Swartz Farms is transitioning into summer mode after a timely planting season.

A new, free guide for creating accessible farm shops was published by the National AgrAbility Project.

This is the second in a series of columns featuring conversations with state Farm Bureau presidents about current issues in agriculture.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition has worked successfully through the tension of whether it would still have grant funds for events after the days of DOGE.

It took just short of four weeks for Dan Parker to finally get the last seed in the ground.

Clay Geyer is balancing working on the farm, promoting corn-husking competitions and much more this summer.

It has been almost a month since we finished planting corn and soybeans, and now we are praying for a measurable rainfall and sunny days to stimulate growth.

A beautiful day presented itself at Eby Field as the sun gradually peaked down through the clouds on the legacy of one man’s dream.

Although Illinois Farm Bureau has worked to provide mental health and awareness resources to its members for several years, the statewide group is focused on expanding that commitment.

A shortage of mental health providers is one of the factors that makes it difficult for those living in rural areas to get the help they need.

As planting season rolls on, southern Indiana From the Fields contributor Mindy Orschell shared an update on farm life with AgriNews.