The Will County Board was to vote Thursday on the Pride of the Prairie solar project that would spread through parts of Manhattan, Green Garden and Wilton townships.

From Capitol News Illinois: The Illinois estate tax creates a heavy burden for families trying to pass down farms between generations. A bill in the legislature seeks to raise the tax exemption to $6 million, from $4 million

From Capitol News Illinois: A lack of domestic workforce participation in agriculture pushes Illinois farmers to employ foreign workers through the temporary H-2A non-immigrant visa program. Illinois’ employment of farmers through the visa program has grown rapidly

Prices were already rising, but the Iran war is accelerating increases as farmers prepare for one of the most expensive planting seasons in years

Radios not only provided entertainment in that pre-internet era, but also were literally instant windows to the world’s news.

According to USDA, the national average price for conventional hard-shell eggs in mid-March was $1.43 a dozen.

Project next goes to Will County Board committee on Thursday for review after two-day public hearing.

The Will County Board Planning & Zoning Commission on Tuesday will reconvene a public hearing on Earthrise Energy's proposal for a 6,100-acre solar complex.

Senate Bill 3019 would ensure the Illinois Finance Authority has the ability to assist first-time farmers with purchasing new equipment and real estate.

After no rain in February, Ogle County farmers saw a steady rain and heavy snow fall onto thawed ground in recent weeks as they approach planting season, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said.

Aside from watching geopolitical factors and spring weather, traders are also anticipating USDA’s quarterly grain stocks and prospective plantings reports, scheduled for release March 31.

From Capitol News Illinois: Illinois food producers and businesses can apply for a share of $3.6 million through the Illinois Department of Agriculture as part of a grant program to support local food infrastructure systems

The top five highest yielding counties in Illinois were Macon, Carroll, Edgar, Ogle and Schuyler.

Applications are now open for FarmPath, a national, multi-year program designed to make farming more accessible and achievable for aspiring and beginning farmers across the United States.

The 44th Sublette Antique Tractor and Toy Show will take place across five buildings in Sublette on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15.

Five Illinois producers, including one from Dixon, were honored Thursday as 2026 Master Farmers at Prairie Farmer magazine’s annual event in Bloomington.

This is a collaborative meeting to collect input from the community on local conservation priorities, the Kendall County Soil & Water Conservation District said.

From Capitol News Illinois: While the payments offer some relief, farmers say they are not enough, and the Illinois Department of Agriculture warns that damage to key trading relationships may have long-term consequences for Illinois farmers

The DeKalb High School chapter of Future Farmers of America held a barnyard zoo Wednesday night as part of National FFA Week. The event was open to the public and offered the chance to learn about farming and see farm animals up close.

USDA’s farm income forecast released this month projects another challenging year ahead for most farmers, except those in the beef sector.

Dillan Vancil: Congress should stop using band‑aid bailouts and fix trade policy so farmers are not collateral damage every time there’s a trade war. Read Vancil's full questionnaire here

Demand for ag labor through the H-2A temporary visa program in Illinois and the nation continues to rise.

The Ogle County Soil & Water Conservation District has opened applications for the 2026 Partners for Conservation cost-share program.

Since two heavy snowstorms hit the area early this winter, Ogle County farmers have been hoping for more moisture to no avail, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said Thursday.

Nearly the entire state is abnormally dry or in some form of drought as a result of a shortfall of precipitation last year, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor released Jan. 15.

Text for a new farm bill could be released by February and Congress will likely consider ag labor reform during the first quarter of this year, congressional ag leaders told attendees of American Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Convention.

Nic Geudtner and his mother, Diana Geudtner, are farming vertically and aeroponically growing greens and herbs year-round in rehabbed Fox Lake warehouse

Landowners and operators looking to enhance their property through conservation practices are encouraged to apply for the Partners for Conservation cost-share program.

Meat and dairy groups praised the new guidelines, while the American Soybean Association released a statement noting its concern the report calls into question the process of soybean oil extraction.

Back in the 1800s, the selection—not to mention the quality—of the meats consumers could buy was a lot slimmer. But the constant has always been that meat has offered farmers an easier, more compact way to get their grain to market.

The Friends of the Fox River is urging community members to join their efforts to prevent the U.S. EPA from ending protections for millions of acres of wetlands and miles of streams. It all comes down to what's defined as "Waters of the United States."

Ron Burling, Grundy County's executive director of the USDA Service Agency, is retiring after a nearly 40 year career.

After more than a decade of whole milk being absent from school cafeterias, legislation allowing for more milk options awaits the president’s signature.

After more than a decade of whole milk being absent from school cafeterias, legislation allowing for more milk options awaits the president’s signature.

Livestock markets in 2025 have been more favorable than in recent years compared to crop markets, but a high price environment does not mean producers should ease up on risk management.

The law created funding to support small farmers and food distributors — those with fewer than 50 employees — in producing locally grown food for Illinois communities.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Springfield, met with Illinois Farm Bureau members at the organization’s annual meeting in Chicago to highlight agriculture’s vital role in the economy and the importance of providing fair, balanced support as farmers navigate ongoing challenges.

Decades after the last Oliver tractor rolled off the line, a German Valley farmer keeps its story turning. His collector’s museum of Oliver memorabilia celebrates a brand that vanished from fields but not from memory.

From Capitol News Illinois: The $12 billion the Trump administration is providing U.S. farmers is not nearly enough to make up for the losses farmers are suffering from tariffs, the director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture said.

Willard Simpson of Franklin Grove served in the United States Army from 1943-1946 and fought in the Battle of the Bulge in Europe during World War II.

From Civil War roots to seventh-generation hands, the Chapman family’s Ashton sesquicentennial farm carries a legacy of hard work and humility.

The size of the $12 billion aid package is roughly the value of total U.S. soybean exports to China in 2024 and half of the total exports of U.S. farm goods to China in 2024.

Feathered gobblers are much more than the center of customers’ holiday meals for Renee Koster and her family at Windsweep Farm in Lee County.

AgriGold agronomist Kevin Gale said yields were fairly good for the northern half of Illinois, but fell short of early season potential.

Amboy Junior High School signed the charter and celebrated the establishment of its very own National FFA Organization chapter at an open house Nov. 10, 2025.

The Earl D. Schoeffner Farm Museum in Momence has opened a Charles Dickens Christmas exhibit, which runs every Friday and Saturday through December from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The USDA report released after the government reopened showed only two Chinese purchases of American soybeans since the summit in South Korea that totaled 332,000 metric tons, short of the 12 million metric tons the Trump administration said China agreed to purchase by January

Ogle County farmers are 80-85% done with harvest and are ahead of schedule due to recent dry conditions, Ogle County Farm Bureau Manager Ron Kern said Nov. 12, 2025.

The Farm Ministry at Leaf River Baptist Church hosted its third annual after-harvest party on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2025, serving close to 50 meals to local farmers, agribusiness professionals, and their families.

With farm machinery expenses at an all-time high, farmers might need to take a closer look at the numbers before purchasing machinery.