Central Illinois Farm Network

State Representative Jason Bunting (R-Emington)  has passed legislation out of committee which creates the Solar Powered Road Signs Pilot Program Act. House Bill 2630 requires the Department of Transportation to develop a pilot program to test the use of solar powered LED road signs in 5 counties of varied population. After getting reports concerning the program from those counties, the Department shall file a report with the General Assembly that contains the complete findin

The first ever severe weather coverage last week on the brand new 93.7 FM. By Kent Casson You now have a new option for a radio preset featuring the latest ag news, area sports coverage, local news and weather information. It’s all on 93.7 FM. Casson Media has acquired the station, which is licensed to Pontiac, returning it to local ownership. Route 24 Radio serves area communities such as Pontiac, Fairbury, Forrest, Chatsworth, Graymont, Dwight, Flanagan, Streator, Gridley,

ISAP has published the  2025 Annual Report  recapping the exciting achievements made by the partnership over the past year! ISAP’s 2025 highlight reel includes piloting a new soil health training designed specifically for Soil and Water Conservation District employees, delivering numerous educational programs focused on conservation drainage while also beginning several on‑farm drainage projects that demonstrate these practices in real‑world settings, convening the Alphabet S

Valley Irrigation announced the recipients of its Valley Connected: AgSense ® Technology $10,000 Giveaway , awarding two growers the opportunity to enhance their operations with advanced remote irrigation management tools.   The two winners of the giveaway are: ·        Perry Galloway, Galloway Cotton Farms, Gregory, Arkansas ·        Art Olsen, Olsen Ranch,  Harrisburg, Nebraska   The giveaway was designed to help growers take the next step in connected irrigation by equip

The Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC) has issued its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2026-27 crop year.   For 2026-2027, NREC is focusing on critical areas of investigation identified by farmers and other key stakeholders based on the goals outlined in the Illinois Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy. While much of NREC’s current research has concentrated on nitrogen and phosphorus, NREC acknowledges that other nutrients also contribute to crop nutritio

The McLean County Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Agribusiness Council and sponsored by GROWMARK, Inc., proudly hosted its annual Agriculture Awareness Breakfast on Wednesday, March 18th. This event brought together local leaders, educators, farmers, and students to celebrate the vital role agriculture plays in McLean County.   Attendees heard a keynote address delivered by Brad Drake, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of GROWMARK, Inc., titled “

The Central Illinois Farm Network now has another radio affiliate in Central Illinois. Hear CIFN programming on WPOK-FM 93.7 “Route 24 Radio.” “It makes sense to put plenty of ag programming on the new 93.7 as we are in the middle of farm country,” said Casson Media’s Kent Casson, who has returned the station to local ownership. The radio station is licensed to Pontiac with a strong 12,000-watt signal that also covers Bloomington-Normal and smaller towns throughout the area.

By Kent Casson Typically, everyone in the farming community is looking ahead to planted acreage and highly-anticipated USDA reports this time of year to see what type of market influence occurs. This year markets have much more to watch than simply what USDA says as we have all kinds of news happening around the world that tends to be unpredictable leading to volatility. The war in Iran has been in the spotlight during the past few weeks as it has led to increased crude oil p

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) today announced a construction contract with Mortenson Construction to build a new sterile fly production facility at Moore Air Base in Edinburg, Texas. This facility is a key component in Secretary Rollins’  sweeping 5-prong strategy  (PDF, 1005 KB) to fight New World Screwworm (NWS), as it will expand USDA’s domestic response capacity, bolstering protection for U.S. livestock, wildlife, and p

Agri-Pulse  is pleased to announce that Ambassador Julie Callahan, Chief Agricultural Negotiator of the United States. will be one of the keynote speakers at the Ag & Food Policy Summit on March 23. “We are delighted to have Ambassador Callahan join us again this year to share how she is working to break down trade barriers and expand international trade opportunities,” said  Agri-Pulse  Founder and Publisher Sara Wyant. “She brings a deep understanding of the complex and oft