As the Kankakee County Fair closes its gates on Sunday night, one thing could be said with certainty - families from near and far found enjoyment at the fairgrounds.

When a photo opportunity knocks, a Dixon photographer opens the barn door to find the grit and determination that tells the stories of farmers and their families

Sheep, beef, and dairy cows took centerstage at the Ogle County 4-H Fair in Oregon on Thursday, July 31, 2025.

The Conservation Foundation’s Dickson-Murst Farm in Montgomery is hosting a free Day at the Farm event Aug. 17.

The Kankakee County Fair opens its five-day run this Wednesday. The annual celebration of all things agriculture runs through Sunday.

Antique farm equipment in a rainbow of colors from original rust to shiny yellow and green filled the show grounds from July 25-27, 2025, on the Bos Brothers Historical Farm, located on Springhill Road south of Erie.

While old-time wheat threshing was the main dish at the Bos Bros Fall Harvest Show from July 25-27 near Erie, broom making, blacksmithing, basket weaving and other “hands on” historical skills were all on the menu.

Old-time wheat threshing was the big event at the Bos Bros Fall Harvest's old-fashioned threshing bee south of Erie from July 25-27, 2025.

Grassland CRP, offered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency, is a voluntary working lands conservation program that enables participants to conserve grasslands while also continuing most grazing and haying practices, according to a news release from the Carroll County FSA.

The event, which will feature bounce houses, face painting, and, of course, sweet corn, will be from 4-7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 1, at 9317 state Route 84, Savanna.

See local 4-H club members in action with their animals and experience the wide array of displays and presentations

The Foundation will offer soft-serve ice cream, flurries, sundaes and root beer floats from Aug. 5 to 9, 2025, during the Carroll County Fair.

Plans for another data center have sprouted in Yorkville’s agriculture fields. A 130-acre data center campus is being proposed south of Corneils Road and east of Beecher Road.

Agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program.

Hemp has become the subject of heated debate in Illinois and elsewhere as the plant has been increasingly used to create synthetic products with intoxicating compounds not regulated by the federal government.

Antique farm machinery in a spectrum of colors and styles will descend again on the Bos Brothers Historical Farm, located on Springhill Road south of Erie, for the 10th anniversary show Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 25-27, 2025. Show hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

It is a heavy year for prevent plant crop insurance claims as some farmers, especially in southern Illinois, struggled to find a planting window as the calendar neared July.

Families celebrating the Fourth of July will still face high grocery bills, with prices down an average of just 30 cents from last year’s record, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2025 marketbasket survey.

Growing food doesn’t have to be a dirty job, just ask a local farmer who can coax herbs and veggies from rockwool and water

A Carroll County business owner does more than just sell seed and feed, he likes to get to know the people who grow, help them get the most out of his products, and lend a hand to learning.

The markets are held each Thursday night from 5-7:30 p.m. at 123 N. Second St., along the riverfront below the Oregon dam.

Three main factors contribute to the formation of Midwest dust storms: strong winds, dry soil in farm fields and large amounts of loose soil.

The Bureau County Cattleman celebrated the 46th annual Beef and Ag Festival on Saturday, June 21, 2025 at Soldiers and Sailors Park in Princeton. The event featured vendors, food, live music, a kids pedal pull petting zoo, bounces houses and more.

The three-day event recognizes achievements of Illinois FFA members, elects the major state officer team, and celebrates agriculture

Natalie Pratt, who graduated from Amboy High School this year, has family ties to FFA that reach back to her childhood. Her mother, aunt and uncle all served as state officers, and Pratt often traveled with her mother to FFA conventions and workshops.

Experience vintage Will County farm history up close at Tractor Discovery Day on Saturday at the Tractor Supply Co., 2161 E Laraway Road, New Lenox.

The exhibit features 68 individual art pieces that highlight the importance of agriculture in northern Illinois and will be on display through July 12.

Outdoor farmers market season is underway this spring, with many options in the McHenry County area.

Event is a major fundraiser for the Mt. Morris-Oregon FFA Alumni Association that helps fund activities in conjunction with OHS FFA chapter.

The Will County Thresherman’s Association's annual 40-mile Vintage Tractor Drive Fundraiser goes from Manhattan to Wilmington.

The pull begins at noon with antique tractors, followed by farm stock tractors at 2 p.m., MTTPA trucks at 4 p.m., and finally MTTPA and ISP Trucks and Tractors at 7 p.m.

An Ogle County farm was once again bursting with yellow, green, red, and a bit of blue as several hundred garden tractors converged on May 17, 2025 for the 16th annual AJ’s Garden Jamboree, 1675 S. Columbian Rd., Oregon. The event also included activities for kids.

The Illinois Soybean Association nominated Pitstick, who farms 5,700 acres of corn and soybeans with his son, Dale Pitstick.

It doesn't take a long trip outside to find someone blowing their nose or stuck in a terrible sneezing fit. Dr. Hetal Amin from Morris Hospital says she's seen an increase in patients suffering from allergies having more symptoms that are lasting longer.

Wonder Lake area residents are protesting a small slaughterhouse operation proposed by Sunberry Farm, co-owner Sergiy Bazylyuk, in Greenwood Township

FFA students brought their tractors and animals to the lawn of the elementary school for kids to learn about agriculture.

The weather was perfect and the animals and tractors did not disappoint as Oregon Elementary School students flocked to the Oregon High School's FFA Petting Zoo and Ag Event on Friday, May 9, 2025. FFA students brought their tractors and animals to the lawn of the elementary school for kids to learn about agriculture.

Last summer, construction started on the sale facility at TWG Ranch; its inaugural bull sale was held on April 12, when 105 bulls were sold.

Corn and soybeans are planted at the same time on the Henert farm.

Three hundred fifth graders attended the annual Ag Expo on Friday, April 25, at the Lee County 4H Fairgrounds in Amboy.

300 fifth graders from Lee County spent the day learning about many facets of agriculture during the annual Ag Expo at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

Read the transcript from our Talk-Line podcast featuring Lee County Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Katie Baker.

The TALK-LINE interview for April 21 featured Lee County Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Katie Baker discussing the upcoming “Ag Expo” for fifth grade students to attend on Friday, April 25, at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

Toby Steffen was named state winner of the Specialty Crop Production category of the State FFA Awards Day. Logan Bols placed second in the Forage Production category. Both Steffen and Bols are members of the Newark FFA Chapter.

A bill in Springfield would regulate the mink industry at the state level, creating mink farm licensing and requirements. But proponents and opponents have two vastly different opinions on what the bill really aims to do.

The tractor, a 1949 Case, was sold Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Hazelhurst auction.

Farm machinery of all makes and models were the big draw at the Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Auction on Saturday, April 5, 2025, The outdoor auction has been held on a 30-acre site since the 1940s and has become a local must-attend event for northwestern Illinois farmers.

The ag program offers a variety of interactive classes, including crop and animal sciences, agriculture mechanics, horticulture, woodworking and landscape design.

Area fourth-graders attended the 22nd Kids Day at the Farm on Thursday hosted by the Kankakee County Farm Bureau at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds.

In the midst of National Agriculture Week, the Lee County Board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday making a commitment to support and promote agriculture in the county.