Environment

Farmer sentiment about the ag economy increased in October ahead of the election, rising 27 points from the month before, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

As we head into the holiday season, please support those who support your community. There are many reasons to shop in your local, rural communities.

Voters chose to send Donald Trump, who served his first term as U.S. president from 2016 to 2020, back to the White House in the Nov. 5 national election.

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program released Environmental Stewardship Version 3 supporting the dairy community’s efforts to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.

An Illinois State University organics class toured a farm and milling facility to see up close the field-to-bag process.

Over its 50-year history, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance’s causes may have shifted, but it has never lost its focus on advocating for local farmers and communities.

Nominations are now being accepted for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Environmental Stewardship Award.

Indiana has one of the smallest state agriculture departments in the nation — and Don Lamb would not have it any other way.

We, the citizenry of these United States of America, are subject to too many regulations at the federal, state and local level.

The story of the newly married couple and their dream of continuing the family farming legacy is a tale of determination and resilience in the face of challenges.

With multiple corporations targeting Illinois for underground carbon storage and the pipelines that go along with it, the General Assembly passed the Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration Act.

If the third time is a charm, Michael Happ might finally make an impression on federal lawmakers and administrators with his fact-filled, 24-page report on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s continued financing of Big Ag’s big manure habit.

Tractors are in the streets in Paris, Rome, Brussels and many other cities and towns across Europe this winter.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture plans to distribute more than $545,000 over a three-year period thanks to funding allocated in the Specialty Crop Block Grant program in the federal farm bill.

For at least the past decade, “a growing number of peer-reviewed medical studies have linked exposure to nitrates in drinking water to elevated incidences of cancer.” As the environmental news service clearly states, this news isn’t exactly news.

One of the best jobs I ever had was at Scott County Nursing Center when I was a senior at Winchester High School. Through the co-op class, I went to school the first half of the day and worked in the office at the nursing center the second half.

Establishing an online store can help put more food dollars into the hands of farmers that are selling meat directly to consumers. “Your online store can be a competitive advantage,” said Katie Olthoff, farm wife and co-founder of ChopLocal.

Illinois Farmers Union members and supporters from across the state convened for the ILFU annual meeting.

An Israeli company has received a preliminary green light from health officials to sell the world’s first steaks made from cultivated beef cells, not the entire animal, officials said.

Engine maker Cummins Inc. will recall 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a settlement with federal and California authorities that also requires the company to remedy environmental damage caused by illegal software that let it skirt diesel emissions tests.

Another year has passed with an outcry for improved sustainability on our planet. If you ask 10 people to define sustainability, you will get 10 different answers.

Growing up in a diversified agricultural environment enabled me to “bloom where I was planted” while pursuing a career in agriculture to inspire the next generation of leaders.

When it comes to technology, I would not consider myself an early adopter. I prefer chatting with a cashier to using a self-checkout. I write lists with a pen and paper instead of an app on my phone.

Wisconsin regulators can’t legally impose environmental regulations on factory farms before they become operational, two farm advocacy groups allege in a lawsuit.

Indiana Farm Bureau hosted nine policy advisory groups in which farmers worked through county policy suggestions.

A collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, adding more cheese to chicken sandwiches and sparking a virtual butter board craze are among the highlights that solidified the dairy checkoff’s mission of growing sales and trust in 2022 on behalf of America’s dairy farmers and importers.

Illinois has to step up its game in protecting its environment. Last year, the state enacted the Climate & Equitable Jobs Act, which was a big step forward.

Supporting Illinois farmers’ local nutrient loss reduction goals and pollinator habitat preservation, Illinois Farm Bureau is awarding $175,000 in grants to county Farm Bureaus for local projects.

The holidays are just around the corner, and for those who celebrate Christmas, it’s almost time to pick up an evergreen tree. But will it be real or fake?

Applications are being accepted until March 10 for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association 2023 Environmental Stewardship Award.

Lifelong Montgomery County farmer, Sugar Creek steward and conservation cropping innovator Kenny Cain received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hoosier Environmental Council at the 2022 Greening the Statehouse event in Westfield.

As a young Farm Bureau member, I knew what was happening in my local community. I would occasionally hear about the issues at the Georgia state house or in Congress.

If the political polls are to be believed, November’s midterm election will sweep today’s Democrats out of power in the U.S. House of Representatives and put Republicans back in charge.

Every day is Earth Day to a farmer. Preserving and protecting our natural resources has always been and will always be a priority in every aspect of food production.

Spring is my favorite time of year on the farm. Our mama cows are welcoming their calves. The fields are green, and everything feels a little more vibrant with life.

A change in how we think about water, air and land could improve efforts to conserve the environment. Dan Wildcat, professor at Haskell Indian Nations University, discussed his views during a webinar hosted by North Central Region Water Network.

Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly are reviving a plan to make Illinois reliant only on renewable power sources by 2050 with policies and regulations to encourage a switch to generating energy from such sustainable sources as wind and solar.

A farm in Kewaunee County has agreed to pay the state $144,000 to resolve pollution violations.

President Joe Biden has put his team to work reviewing dozens of actions taken by former President Donald Trump, aiming to reverse orders that he says harm the environment or endanger public health.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $50,000 in funding to two student teams through its People, Prosperity and the Planet grants program.

In a year of uncertainty, Illinois Farm Bureau remained certain of its commitment to environmental stewardship in Illinois agriculture. The organization kept a steady stride in its ongoing efforts in the environmental sphere, ranging from nutrient stewardship activity to climate work.

The Illinois Soybean Association and Illinois Corn Growers Association have teamed up to research on-farm conservation practices and the financial implications of their adoption via the Precision Conservation Management Program.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued another report favoring agribusinesses over environmentalists in a decades-long battle over a massive flood control project in the south Mississippi Delta.

The Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments on whether to allow two groups to go to trial with a lawsuit claiming Iowa has allowed crop and hog farmers to pollute the Raccoon River, denying citizens safe water for drinking and recreation.