USDA secretary visits Le Roy gas station to promote money for biofuels
LE ROY – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack visited Illinois on Tuesday to announce a new investment of $100 million for biofuel infrastructure. Sen. Tammy Duckworth met Vilsack at a Casey’s General Store in Le Roy. Duckworth
War and drought are affecting the world’s wheat supply. That could mean higher prices at the grocery
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine cut off wheat exports, while drought conditions in the Great Plains will further reduce grain stocks. Reduced supplies could trickle down
Champaign County survey is the first step in filling rural internet gaps
URBANA — Surveyors will start knocking on doors in rural Champaign County this weekend to ask residents if they are happy with their internet service.
One year later, farmers of color are still waiting on billions of federal relief dollars
The American Rescue Plan promised $4 billion in debt relief to “socially disadvantaged farmers.” But a swarm of lawsuits from banks and white farmers alleging
How small companies bring fast internet to rural places that telecom giants ignore
Installing fiber-optic internet in sparsely populated places like western Kansas is extremely expensive, even with government subsidies. But some smaller, local broadband providers are finding
Black farmers have lost $326 billion worth of farmland, study says
For the first time, researchers have assigned a value to the Black-owned farmland lost over the past century. Throughout the 20th century, Black farmers in
Kernza — the grain you’ve never heard of that could revolutionize farming
https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s60/audio/2022/05/kernzawebaudio.mp3 The perennial grain can produce an annual crop even as it stays in the ground for up to four years. Its deep root system
Biden visits Illinois; Sees bigger role for US farms due to Ukraine war
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden wants to put a spotlight on the spike in food prices from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Democrat plans to
Farmers in the Plains are in ‘dire straits’ due to drought, wildfire conditions
Most of Illinois has had plenty of rain, but even with a few recent rains, much of the Great Plains are in a drought. Wildfires
Antique tractor sells for $1.47 million in Illinois, shattering the world record
The 1913 CASE 30-60 is one of just five that still exist, making the model highly sought after by antique tractor enthusiasts. A century-year-old tractor
Most farmers are climate skeptics. But it turns out improving their soil also fights climate change
This story was produced in partnership with the Food & Environment Reporting Network Climate change is not a big concern for Lin Warfel. Sure, he’s
Pork producers are taking a gamble to get more money for lobbying and lawsuits
Looking for ways to fund lobbying and legal efforts to preserve their way of business, pork producers are turning down guaranteed money that could go
Farmers turn to old-fashioned manure as fertilizer prices soar
It’s never been a better time to sell manure. “We have been inundated with calls,” said Andy Scholting, president and co-founder of Nutrient Advisors, a
