Agricultural conditions across the Federal Reserve districts in the Corn Belt continued to be described as subdued due volatile commodity prices and a surge in diesel prices.

Illinois Farm Bureau President Philip Nelson has spent the months since his election meeting with members across the state.

A combine fire slowed Jay Whalen’s harvest progress, but it could have gone a lot worse.

My niece, Eliza Gutierrez, is running the auger cart. My sister, Melissa Whalen Smith, is moving the header cart and drives one of the semis.

The corn yields are about average, around actual production history. They are not as good as the last couple of years.

My brush pile is getting very tall and ready to burn. With the crops out around me so nothing can catch on fire and calm winds, I think a bonfire is in the future.

Eighty students from local FFA chapters were able to get their hands dirty and learn about land use at the Section 2 FFA Land Use Contest in northwestern Illinois.

Benjamin Biros started working with a family chrysanthemum business at a young age — and now he has been selected as one of the top FFA projects in the nation by the National FFA Organization.

Attendance to the Illinois and Du Quoin state fairs exceeded 1 million for the second consecutive year.

The biggest surprise this season is how solid and consistent corn yields remain, despite experiencing extreme weather variations.

The corn has been more consistent performance yield-wise than the soybeans, but no real disappointments or loss so far with either crop.

It looks like harvest will run full-bore the next few weeks. Take time to enjoy it.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale researchers are working to design a robot and program its artificial intelligence models to detect soybean diseases before symptoms appear.

Market conditions matter, but the policy and economic environment can shape how farmers view what comes next.

U.S. farmers in 2026 harvested the smallest all wheat crop since 1970, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s small grains summary.

From the outside looking in, the corn looks good. However, yield monitors are telling a different story.

Chad Bell is working on the final steps to prepare for harvest as he waits for field conditions to be favorable and his corn to dry to appropriate moisture levels.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s quarterly stocks reports are known for their surprises — and the Sept. 30 estimates did not disappoint.

Six Illinois and two Indiana counties have been designated as natural disaster areas due to to tornadoes, hail and high winds.

Low-interest physical loss loans for producers are available for those impacted by any of the 12 natural disasters earlier this year in the Midwest.

Alveo Technologies and AgriNerds formed a strategic partnership to establish a first-of-its-kind dynamic highly pathogenic avian influenza surveillance system for U.S. poultry and livestock farmers.

There’s a reason the U.S. House passed the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act — and for those of us who live and work in rural America, that reason hits pretty close to home.

Soy buyers from several countries took advantage of the opportunity to see soybeans growing on an Illinois farm during a tour of Ryan Frieders’ farm.

Along with preparing for soybean and corn harvest, work at Wessels Family Farm includes transitioning from selling summer crops at their farm stand to fall products.

A brief dry spell coupled with intense heat looks like it triggered some pollination issues in the sweet corn this season.

Market development and a new farm bill continue to be among the top priorities for the Illinois Soybean Association.

If you really want to rebuild America’s cow herd, go where the cows are and listen to the people who own them.

From fighting late-season weeds to unpredictable weather, northern Indiana farmer Clay Geyer has been kept on his toes as he prepares for harvest.

Heavy rains and strong, gusty winds have displaced the view of what an ideal cornfield should look like.

For most livestock producers, extending the grazing season for their animals, or otherwise filling gaps in pasture forage availability to reduce stored feed needs, should be a high-priority objective.

The tornado uprooted trees, broke trees in half and laid them across whole streets, pulled power lines off of houses, laid power lines and their poles onto the road, ruined many acres of corn and put tree branches into house roofs — just to name a few.

As always, stay safe in the fields and on the roads.

On-farm tile monitoring provides data to researchers that shows losses of nutrients is not simply an overapplication of fertilizer.

Jay Whalen was set to get the “bird” in the air to plant cover crops across his soybean acres.

I’ve come to realize with the drone I can get the seed more evenly spread out and across the field better and be able to cut my application rate down almost in half.

Farmers will have to decide where technology genuinely adds value and where it simply adds another bill.

Rick Bieber considers a shovel as one of his most important tools.

Long-term profitability will depend less on producing a good crop and more on earning a profitable price for it, predicts Jim Henry.

Nothing sells better than bad news it seems. But consumers still want to buy the beef we have.

My friends in town often ask me what I think of the beef market. They just don’t grasp what it takes to be successful in the cattle industry.

Fall calving is starting to kick into a higher gear. We are at the time where the majority of the herd should starting dropping babies.

Hauling water across rugged landscapes has become a daily chore for many ranchers in the U.S. Rockies.

Whether you’re building soil, boosting protein in your ration, or extending grazing days, red clover remains a dependable, productive and sustainable choice for Midwest producers.

A Federal Reserve survey found agriculture conditions across the Corn Belt improved slightly, but generally remained strained.

In spite of several days of bad weather, the 169th Indiana State Fair brought together Hoosiers for a fun-filled 15 days.

The yield average in the Prairie State’s top corn-producing county is estimated to be the lowest in five years.

Insect pressure in Cliff Lane’s fields has been lower this year compared to previous years.

We have had too much rain, but I will also tell you I am feeling pretty blessed compared to what others have had.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture announced the winners of the 2026 Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest at the Indiana State Fair.

Overall agricultural conditions in the Corn Belt continue to be dampened by lower commodity prices, higher input costs and tighter credit.