Farmland

Illinois and Indiana had the highest amount of agricultural land lost to development in the Midwest over a 20-year period.

The legacy of Mike Plumer’s soil conservation work continues to live on through those he taught.

For the first time since the end of 2019, farmland values in the 7th Federal Reserve District did not see a year-over-year increase.

Pheasants Forever provides a program that works hand-in-hand with farmers to combine wildlife habitat with farming profitability.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service unveiled a new easement option that offers long-term protection of the land and ensures timely transfer of ownership to qualified producers.

Area farmers and farmland owners with an interest in local sustainable agriculture will have the opportunity to network at the upcoming Common Ground Gathering.

Marshall, Putnam and Stark counties in Illinois have been approved for funding to address damages from tornados and severe storms.

The U.S. agriculture sector is responsible for nearly 6% of the nation’s gross national product, yet it is operating on farm bill policy set six years ago.

USDA announced that one Illinois county will be accepting applications for the Emergency Conservation Program and two Illinois counties are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program.

It’s a new day. No more campaign text messages. No more political ads. We open a new chapter and prepare for a new dialogue with a new Congress and new president come January.

The leading soybean-producing country in the world is projected to see the slowest acreage growth in a decade while still reaching record production.

A constructed wetland designed to receive tile drainage water from 73 acres of corn and soybeans is doing its job of removing nitrates.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced a $1.5 billion investment for 92 partner-driven conservation projects, including one in Illinois and Indiana, through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program.

Ron Dykstra knew from a very young age that he wanted to farm.

Craig Stevenson, an Air Force veteran from Monon in northern Indiana, learned many skills during his time in the military that have aided him in his most recent job.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture will begin issuing more than $2.14 billion in payments to eligible agricultural producers and landowners — providing much needed support through key conservation and safety net programs.

Indiana Farm Bureau will focus on issues like property taxes and water rights during the 2025 legislative session.

Alternative energy sources such as wind, geothermal, hydro and solar have grown increasingly popular as ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen the grid by decentralizing power production.

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.

Owning farmland goes well beyond simply growing a crop, and the upcoming second annual Farmland Owners Conference will help sort out and clarify questions and concerns.

In an episode of Purdue Agriculture’s “Managing Strategic Risks on Your Farm” podcast series, agricultural economists discussed how you can position your farm to not only survive, but actually thrive in a risky world.

Indiana farmland prices reached record highs in 2024, according to Purdue Farmland Value and Cash Rents Survey results.

Indiana Republican gubernatorial nominee U.S. Sen. Mike Braun shared a plan called the Freedom and Opportunity Agenda, aimed at supporting rural communities.

Farmer sentiment about the ag economy is on a downward trend, according to the latest Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer reading.

America’s farmers and ranchers are getting hit hard this year with low commodity prices and another record-setting agricultural trade deficit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting offers for more than 2.2 million acres through this year’s Grassland, General and Continuous Conservation Reserve Program sign-ups.

Prices paid for Prairie State farmland declined across all categories during the first half of 2024, according to Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers survey respondents.

More than 200 Indiana Farm Bureau members gathered to determine the organization’s policy positions for 2025.

Farmland values for the Seventh Federal Reserve District increased 2% in the second quarter of 2024 from a year earlier, marking the smallest year-over-year gain since the third quarter of 2020.

A desire to garden and grow food has developed into a cut flower farm for Anna Guziak-Prochnicka.

Richard Lyons of Harvel is the recipient of the 2024 Illinois Leopold Conservation Award.

A new Land Use Change Initiative is leading efforts to resolve inconsistencies in definitions, metrics and methodologies for quantifying land use change.

Farmers were more optimistic about the ag economy in July, despite lower corn and soybean prices, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

Women who own or manage farmland or who have an interest in farming are invited to the Learning Circle hosted by The Land Conservancy of McHenry County.

Grazing sheep on utility-scale solar sites is not a new practice for some shepherds.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates more than 10 million acres will be converted to solar energy by 2050, and the American Farmland Trust projects over 80% could be sited on agricultural lands.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from recent tornadoes, high winds and flooding in Illinois.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County has received a $135,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust to support the growth of the local food system in McHenry County.

Weeding through the alphabet soup of conservation funding opportunities — both known and unknown — is time-consuming and perhaps frustrating.

Three central Illinois farm families were honored for their conservation agriculture efforts.

American Farmland Trust and ADM are launching the next season of a program that supports Illinois farmers and the environment.

Indiana farmland acres decreased between 1.5% and 2%, about 350,000 acres, from 2010 to 2022, according to a report from Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

Farmers continued to have concerns about the ag economy — especially future expectations, according to the Purdue University/CME Group Ag Economy Barometer.

U.S. Department of Agriculture announced counties in Illinois are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program to address tornado and severe storm damage.

What would you do if you had $330,000 to spend on anything you wanted? That is the amount of money his family’s medium-sized farm in southwest Iowa has lost to soybean cyst nematodes over the last 10 years, said Scott Kay.

Berkeley Boehne and his brother, Vaughn, raise corn, soybeans and wheat on their DeKalb County farm, where they also feed pigs and operate a custom manure application business.

Agricultural producers should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline after planting is complete.

In spite of fluctuations in commodity prices, farmland values remain steady, said Howard Halderman, president of the Halderman Farm Management and Real Estate Services, during a webinar.

Quint Shambaugh, principal of Pinion LLC, discussed the agronomics and economics of tile drainage during a webinar hosted by Halderman Farm Management and Real Estate Services.

The Land Conservancy of McHenry County and McHenry County College’s Center for Agrarian Learning are presenting the documentary, “Common Ground.”