Agriculture in the Prairie State — farming, agribusiness, commodity markets and the food production supply chain — anchors a large share of the state's economy, and coverage here follows the industry as it moves. Reporting reaches Chicago, Aurora, Rockford, Peoria and Springfield.
Country Mutual has filed a lawsuit against the national farm group, which the Illinois Farm Bureau has also challenged in court.
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November 2, 2026
SIU, Mizzou Get $300K for Soybean Drought StudyA USDA grant will fund research using drones and artificial intelligence to monitor drought stress in soybean crops.
November 2, 2026
Dashboard Tracks Farm Injuries Across Five Midwest StatesA University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign research team has built an interactive tool covering agricultural injuries from 2016 to 2024.
October 27, 2026
Illinois Elevators Report High Rates of Discolored SoybeansState grain elevators are currently managing shipments containing beans with varying degrees of surface discoloration.
October 22, 2026
Governor Pritzker Backs FFPA in Legislative SessionIllinois Governor J.B. Pritzker announced his support for the FFPA during the ongoing state legislative session.
October 13, 2026
Illinois Farm Bureau Named Niemerg Friend of AgricultureThe state organization honored the legislator for his voting record and ongoing support for the local farming community.
October 13, 2026
Illinois Launched Fall Cover Crop Savings ProgramThe state has opened enrollment for its agricultural initiative offering crop insurance discounts to participating farmers.
October 10, 2026
Illinois Farm Bureau Named McClure Friend of AgricultureThe state's largest farm organization honored the senator for his commitment to agricultural legislative issues.
October 5, 2026
Illinois Cash Rents Will Decline Less in 2027Higher crop prices are expected to limit the decrease in rental costs for Illinois farmland next year.
October 5, 2026
Illinois Farm Bureau Opened Rural Development Grant ProgramThe organization has launched a funding initiative to support infrastructure and public safety projects across Illinois.
October 2, 2026
Illinois Wheat Board Will Elect Five New MembersThe Illinois Wheat Development Board is holding elections for five vacant leadership positions on October 28, 2026.
The beat runs across crop production and yield reports, commodity price movements, agribusiness consolidation, farm equipment and technology adoption, and the supply chain decisions that connect Illinois fields to processors and export markets. Illinois ranks among the country's leading producers of corn and soybeans, and price and weather developments in those two crops shape the agricultural story here more than any other variable. Federal farm bill provisions and crop insurance programs each generate a recurring layer of policy coverage layered on top of the production news. Drought conditions, flooding and the broader pattern of weather variability have become a structural element of how agricultural coverage here is framed season to season.
