Central Illinois Farm Network

Plenty of orange is on display this weekend at Historic Farm Days in Penfield, Illinois. It is the “Gathering of the Orange” for the Allis-Chalmers tractor which is the feature. Historic Farm Days includes tractor pulls every day, entertainment, daily tractor parades, food and more. For a background on the tradition at Penfield, visit www.historicfarmdays.com.

Another crop report is due this Friday (July 10) and is expected to show tighter corn ending stocks. This is tied to the quarterly stocks number. Aaron Curtis of MIDCO told The Central Illinois Farm Network this week that yield adjustments are unlikely given still decent crop ratings. A discussion meeting is also expected Friday for China trade talks and any confirmed purchases would be broadly bullish, especially for soybeans.

Three young farmers from central and southern Illinois were named FreshRoots Directors Cup honorees by Farm Credit Illinois: Brandon Cummins of Brookport, Bryce Brockelsby of Edinburg, and Thomas Perkins of Effingham. The Directors Cup presented by the cooperative’s board of directors celebrates young and beginning farmers committed to continuous learning and intentional living for a brighter future for their farm family business and community. Honorees will receive $5,000,

A survey of the member companies of the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ISPFMRA) has revealed that its members are currently managing over 2.7 million Illinois farm acres, which is over 11.3 percent of the state’s 24 million acres of agricultural land. “This is a 156 percent increase in ISPFMRA-managed acreage since this survey was last done in 2016,” commented Laura Enger, Farm Credit-Illinois, based in Mahomet, and current president of t

The Illinois Agri-Women are proud to Introduce the three Legacy Farm Family Award winners for the Generations of Women in Agriculture Across America (GoAg3) initiative. These remarkable families include first place Schultz/Miller Farm Family from northwest Illinois, southern Wisconsin and central Iowa. Four generations of women working in production agriculture are represented by fourteen exceptional women from the three living generations. They continue to make their m

According to a statement from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) today, President Donald Trump will not seek to renew the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) for trade. The administration wishes to “address the agreement’s shortcomings” and the trade deficits with Mexico and Canada.The USMCA will remain in force as negotiations continue and no immediate disruptions in trade are expected. In response, IL Corn Growers Association President and Illinois farmer Mark Bunselmeye

By Kent Casson Pop open the champagne bottle – we are done with the 2026 planting season! Hopefully. The crops are in the ground and let’s hope we won’t have to go out and replant anything this year. Overall, it was a smooth planting season that was somewhat drawn out by a few rain delays and up and down temperatures but we did it. Hard to believe there were drought concerns heading into the spring season then the rains came which returned moisture to the soil and brought man

Join the Livingston County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for a Toolshed Talk to learn about current weed and pest control measures and how conservation can help you control weeds and other pests on your farm. You will hear from Will Bushert, CCA with Evergreen FS, Doug Hanson with ProHarvest Seeds, and farmer Tom Kelly on the best methods they have found for weed and pest control. The Toolshed Talk will be on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at Kelly Brothers Farm, 2634

The Livingston County Farm Bureau Foundation invites you to attend the 7th annual LCFB Foundation Golf Outing. This four-player scramble style outing will take place Saturday, July 11 at the Dwight Country Club. Lowest score for men’s, women’s and mixed teams will earn prizes. On course contests include Longest Drive, Longest Putt and Closest to the Pin for men and women contestants. Registration is limited to the first 27 foursomes so register your team today. Registration f

By: Kent Casson Faith is described as a strong belief, trust or confidence in someone or something. It involves an inner assurance or commitment, often referred to as a conviction of those things not seen. Nobody knows more about faith than a farmer. We are putting corn and soybean seeds in the ground with hopes the crop emerges successfully, leading to good yields the following harvest. Since those seeds won’t grow in the bag, we have to go out to the fields and make our bes