Central Illinois Farm Network

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

As we prepare for the Conservation in Action Tour in Raleigh, N.C., June 3-4, we’re taking a closer look at the conservation agriculture topics shaping the region. North Carolina’s Coastal Plain, with its heavy seasonal rainfall and frequent flooding, requires careful nutrient management across both cropland and livestock operations. Lessons learned from the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Great Lakes, and major Midwest river systems are informing integrated water-quality s

U.S. farmers continue to face market uncertainty and rising input costs which are being worsened by phosphate duties incurred through antidumping and countervailing investigations. According to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, “Antidumping and countervailing duties are intended to offset the value of dumping and/or subsidization, thereby leveling the playing field for domestic industries injured by such unfairly traded imports.” But in a recently published rese

By Kent Casson I just saw the first tractor and disk traveling down the road a half mile away and I’m ready for fieldwork! Well, kind of. What is it about seeing that first tractor out on a sunny day when a neighboring farmer thinks he must do something too? It’s kind of like when one sees the neighbor planting right across the road in early April and we say to ourselves, “if he’s going, I’m going.” Thanks to reader Safety Joe for providing the inspiration for that quote. Wh