Latest Agriculture News From The Illinois Newsroom Team
New USDA ‘climate-friendly’ farming and ranching practices have yet to be proven, report says
An environmental activist group charges that many “climate smart” farming practices recently added to a list for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding are not yet proven. The Environmental Working Group says funding from the Inflation Reduction Act should not be used to pay farmers for using the practices, until there is more evidence that they work.
Composting businesses are sprouting across the Midwest — but many cities are unprepared
Food waste takes up space in landfills and produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Composting that waste can reduce climate
Fish in Illinois lakes & streams will no longer be tested for DDT
Illinois is joining a growing list of states that will no longer test fish in lakes and rivers for DDT and other related pesticides. Illinois
Supporting Illinois’ Family Farms: A Community Discussion
Illinois Public Media hosted an advance screening of the film, “Greener Pastures” on September 15, 2023 at The Virginia Theatre with collaborator, The Land Connection.
State Fair reports nine-year attendance high
Fair manager points to good weather, recent renovations.
Update: Archer Daniels Midland resumes corn processing at plant in Decatur after explosion injures 8 employees
An explosion and fire at an Archer Daniels Midland facility in Illinois has injured eight employees and sent a tower of smoke into the air.
Serving farm fresh food in schools is getting big federal support — but will ‘farm to school’ stick?
It’s a hot, buggy morning and Derrick Hoffman is poking around a densely packed row of bushy cherry tomato plants. Behind him, rows of peppers,
Once again, Piatt County considers an application for a wind farm
Zoning hearings are underway in Piatt County on a new wind farm proposal, six months after the Piatt County Board rejected a similar proposal from the same company.
Midwest farmworkers struggle with extreme heat — and almost no regulatory safeguards
Juan Peña, 28, has worked in the fields since childhood, often exposing his body to extreme heat like the wave that hit the Midwest last
A state program helps farmers donate the food they raise to food banks.
Now, farmers in Illinois can contribute some of the food they produce to food banks though a centralized donation program. This month, Governor J-B Pritzker signed HB2879, which turns a two-year, USDA-funded Farm to Food Bank pilot program into a permanent, state-funded operation.
Piatt County to start wind farm zoning hearings on August 28.
The Piatt County Zoning Board has scheduled its first hearing on a new wind farm proposal from Apex Clean Energy for Monday, August 28 at the Monticello Community Center.
Peaches are in short supply this year after weather pitfalls in the Midwest and South
Despite the chatter and hustle of a dozen or so workers, the production line at Flamm Orchards in deep southern Illinois sits mostly quiet this
Illinois Gov. Pritzker unveils butter cow and the state fair’s theme: ‘Harvest the Fun’
The 102nd edition of the Dairy Building’s crown jewel features a butter model of Schultz ready to milk one of her 60 head at Mil-R-Mor Farm.