Latest Agriculture News From The Illinois Newsroom Team
Rantoul village trustees will vote on cannabis craft grower proposal
The Rantoul Village Board has agreed to vote next week on whether to allow a cannabis growing operation to open in the village. Rantoul trustees agreed to take the vote after hearing a new presentation Tuesday night from Blake Schilb.

Going once, going twice, gone! Auctions are moving online and changing a rural tradition
Auctions — a marketplace for knick knacks, farm land and everything in between — are often also gathering events for rural communities. That’s changing as

Rantoul village trustees will vote on cannabis craft grower proposal
The Rantoul Village Board has agreed to vote next week on whether to allow a cannabis growing operation to open in the village. Rantoul trustees agreed to take the vote after hearing a new presentation Tuesday night from Blake Schilb.

The farm bill is a big deal if you produce, or eat, food — but it may face a tough time in Congres
Every five years, Congress has to renew the farm bill — a gigantic piece of legislation that supports and protects food production, natural resources and

Piatt County wind farm opponents face off against a new state law encouraging their construction.
Voters in the central Illinois county of about 16,000 rejected wind farms in general, in an advisory referendum that the county board had placed on the April 4 ballot.

This spring brings worry rather than rain for some parts of the Great Plains and Midwest
Last winter’s precipitation relieved some areas of drought, yet in other places it’s deepened, making spring stressful for farmers and ranchers. Spring is the time

Milkweed — the plant that’s good for butterflies, yet still banned in many Midwestern cities
Across the Midwest, some city codes threaten people with fines for having milkweed on their property. But experts say many places have dropped those rules to support monarchs with urban and suburban butterfly gardens.

CO2 pipelines would be a boon for ethanol. But some question if they’re really a climate solution
Three companies want to capture carbon dioxide from Midwestern ethanol plants, transport it by pipeline and store it underground. Many in the ethanol industry claim

Farmer City hasn’t had a grocery store in seven years. Local citizens want that to change.
FARMER CITY – Laura Enger has lived in Farmer City for most of her life. When the only grocery store in town closed over seven

New Illinois law brings big changes for Cottage Food businesses
CHAMPAIGN – If you’ve ever bought a scone or a jar of strawberry jam at your local farmers market, you’ve likely supported someone in the

How small rural towns can access Inflation Reduction Act funding
Rural towns and utilities could get funding for all kinds of projects through the federal Inflation Reduction Act — but experts say it will take

Worried about spying and tensions with China, Midwest states want to limit who can buy farmland
Legislation is being proposed at the federal and state level to restrict foreign ownership of farmland, especially by China. The scrutiny comes after a Midwestern

The federal government isn’t actually measuring how inflation is hurting rural America
The consumer price index is widely used by Americans to determine inflation, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics only surveys American counties that include a