Agriculture

The Illinois Soybean Association nominated Pitstick, who farms 5,700 acres of corn and soybeans with his son, Dale Pitstick.

It doesn't take a long trip outside to find someone blowing their nose or stuck in a terrible sneezing fit. Dr. Hetal Amin from Morris Hospital says she's seen an increase in patients suffering from allergies having more symptoms that are lasting longer.

Wonder Lake area residents are protesting a small slaughterhouse operation proposed by Sunberry Farm, co-owner Sergiy Bazylyuk, in Greenwood Township

FFA students brought their tractors and animals to the lawn of the elementary school for kids to learn about agriculture.

The weather was perfect and the animals and tractors did not disappoint as Oregon Elementary School students flocked to the Oregon High School's FFA Petting Zoo and Ag Event on Friday, May 9, 2025. FFA students brought their tractors and animals to the lawn of the elementary school for kids to learn about agriculture.

Last summer, construction started on the sale facility at TWG Ranch; its inaugural bull sale was held on April 12, when 105 bulls were sold.

Corn and soybeans are planted at the same time on the Henert farm.

Three hundred fifth graders attended the annual Ag Expo on Friday, April 25, at the Lee County 4H Fairgrounds in Amboy.

300 fifth graders from Lee County spent the day learning about many facets of agriculture during the annual Ag Expo at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

Read the transcript from our Talk-Line podcast featuring Lee County Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Katie Baker.

The TALK-LINE interview for April 21 featured Lee County Extension 4-H Youth Development Program Coordinator Katie Baker discussing the upcoming “Ag Expo” for fifth grade students to attend on Friday, April 25, at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

Toby Steffen was named state winner of the Specialty Crop Production category of the State FFA Awards Day. Logan Bols placed second in the Forage Production category. Both Steffen and Bols are members of the Newark FFA Chapter.

A bill in Springfield would regulate the mink industry at the state level, creating mink farm licensing and requirements. But proponents and opponents have two vastly different opinions on what the bill really aims to do.

The tractor, a 1949 Case, was sold Saturday, April 5, 2025, at Hazelhurst auction.

Farm machinery of all makes and models were the big draw at the Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Auction on Saturday, April 5, 2025, The outdoor auction has been held on a 30-acre site since the 1940s and has become a local must-attend event for northwestern Illinois farmers.

The ag program offers a variety of interactive classes, including crop and animal sciences, agriculture mechanics, horticulture, woodworking and landscape design.

Area fourth-graders attended the 22nd Kids Day at the Farm on Thursday hosted by the Kankakee County Farm Bureau at the Kankakee County Fairgrounds.

In the midst of National Agriculture Week, the Lee County Board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday making a commitment to support and promote agriculture in the county.

Read the transcript from our Shaw Local Radio podcast with Lee County “Ag In The Classroom” representative Katie Pratt on the state of agriculture in the county.

The TALK-LINE interview for March 20 featured Lee County Farm Bureau and Lee County “Ag In The Classroom” representative Katie Pratt.

Cultivating Connections is intended to bring in administrators and local school leaders who don’t necessarily have an ag background and provide them with an enriching experience that demonstrates the value of an agriculture education.

Farm toy and craft exhibitors, a silent auction, a coloring station for kids, and a Farm Toy Display Competition were all part of the fundraiser for the Forreston FFA program

Sunny skies and spring-like temperatures didn’t deter visitors from stopping by the Forreston FFA Alumni’s 37th Annual Farm Toy and Craft Show at Forreston High School on Saturday, March 8. Farm toy and craft exhibitors, a silent auction, a coloring station for kids, and a Farm Toy Display Competition were all part of the fundraiser for the Forreston FFA program.

JCE Co-op, formerly Jo-Carroll Energy Co-op, on Monday announced the connection of its 7,000th fiber customer, the Garden Plain Township.

Second City Greens in Lockport is a hydroponic farm that grows seven varieties of herbs, artisanal lettuces and select leafy greens, such as Swiss chard and kale.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture issued a 30-day suspension, effective immediately, on the exhibition or sale of poultry at swap meets, exhibitions, flea markets and auction markets in response to the ongoing threat of H5N1 avian flu

Communication is vital while developing farm transition plans.

The Rock Falls City Council on a split vote Tuesday night failed to approve an ordinance that would allow residents to keep chickens in the city.

Over the past two years, the USDA has helped over 47,800 distressed borrowers keep their land and continue their agricultural operations by providing approximately $2.5 billion in assistance.

The Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit will take place Wednesday, Jan. 29, at the Highland Community College Student Conference Center, 2998 W. Pearl City Road in Freeport.

Alec Wetzell of Franklin Grove and Kim Ewald of Compton were selected to participate after winning the District Discussion Meet.

Donation will be used to purchase beef.

The Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit is an annual event that brings together farmers, agronomists, researchers and other agricultural professionals to discuss the latest trends, research and advancements in agriculture.

Farmers and farmland owners interested in local sustainable agriculture will have the opportunity to network at the upcoming Common Ground gathering.

BerryView Orchard was one of six Ogle County farms in this year’s stroll

People enjoy an early autumn day on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, doing the McHenry County Farm Stroll, a self-guided tour of 11 family farms in McHenry County that featured demonstrations and products for sale at eleven farms in McHenry County.

DeKalb County Community Gardens has rebranded and will now be known as Rooted For Good, but the organization’s services will remain the same.

Visitors to the Bos Brothers Historical Farm “Old-Fashioned Fall Harvest” on Saturday got a real taste – literally, of what field to table means. A variety of antique farm machinery in a rainbow of colors and styles, descended on the Bos Brothers Historical Farm on Springhill Road, south of Erie, to give visitors a glimpse of how farmers reaped their corn and soybeans before the days of automated, air conditioned combines aided by global positioning for field navigation.

“Managing Tight Crop Profit Margins” is a two-hour seminar designed specifically for producers to help them manage risk associated with the current commodity markets and identify market conditions to capture profit margins through this year into next.

Kalmar Kolors Alpacas, located along U.S. 30 six miles west of Morrison, is listed among the alpaca farms that will be open to visitors during the weekend.

Hosted by University of Illinois Extension, Ag Awareness Days ‘24 took 338 youths on a fast-paced, interactive, guided tour of science, engineering and technology that drive today’s farm operations.

Isabel's restaurant in Woodstock was an early example of farm-to-table dining – in this case from the owners' own farm in Marengo.

Both districts’ growing attention to ag offerings has been spurred by two things, teachers say: the hands-on nature of ag programs and the lessons students can directly apply to their own lives.

The DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association hosted a dedication of a new historical marker Tuesday celebrating the creation of the yield monitor invented by Steve Faivre, Dave Larson and Jim Bassett. Yield monitors are standard combine equipment and give growers data on crop yields.

The University of Illinois Extension will offer anhydrous ammonia certified grower training from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11, at Illinois Valley Community College, Room C-316. This certification is essential for growers who use anhydrous ammonia.

Find an apple orchard in and around Geneva, Oswego, Plano, Woodstock, Plainfield, Aurora, Yorkville, McHenry, Union, La Salle, Mt. Morris and Rock Falls.

DeKalb County Community Gardens (DCCG) has received approximately $1.5 million in USDA grant funding, enabling the agency to expand access to healthy and sustainably grown foods and address the root causes of hunger, officials announced Monday,

Farmers should brace for even tighter margins and implement applicable risk management practices based on the latest crop price estimates from the University of Illinois farmdoc team.

It’s been 10 years of the DeKalb County Barn Tour, and organizers have some new additions to the event they’ll roll out Saturday. This year's tour will showcase six barns in Cortland and Sycamore.

The Miss McHenry County pageant took place at the grandstand at the county fair Tuesday. Junior Miss and Teen Miss were also crowned. The fairs runs through Sunday in Woodstock.