For young people looking to take over Illinois farms, the costs can be steep
The average age of farmers in Illinois is over 58. High input costs, a hefty estate tax, and an older...
Agriculture
The latest Illinois agriculture coverage of state government to newspapers, broadcast outlets and other media throughout the state.
Illinois farmers ease critical labor shortages through this agricultural visa program
Illinois farms benefit by hiring foreign workers to do jobs Americans don’t want.
Raw milk proponents push for fewer restrictions on Illinois sales despite state health warnings
The state’s Department of Public Health still heavily regulates and warns against the product and a bill to loosen that...
Illinois soybean farmers welcome federal aid, but fear long-term trade damage
Federal payments are headed to Illinois farmers after last year’s trade war.
State grants allow small Illinois farmers to develop local food-sharing networks
Local food system grants will return in 2026 with $4 million in funding.
Illinois ag director says Trump trade policies are ‘crushing’ farmers
The aid package is about half the size of one offered in the first Trump administration.
The floods kept coming. He needed to grow a crop that would thrive in water — or to quit.
An Illinois farmer turned flood-prone fields into rice paddies, but federal policy still favors corn and soy.
The federal farm policy trap: why some farmers are stuck raising crops that no longer thrive
Alexander County farmers struggle with repeated floods and long-delayed federal easement programs.
Illinois beekeepers battle losses, costs to keep hives buzzing
Beekeeping in Illinois is holding steady despite significant costs and persistent biological challenges.
Illinois’ soil conservation funding stagnates amid recent high-profile dust storms
Conservation workers in the state say lawmakers continue to deprioritize their efforts.
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