Central Illinois Farm Network

By Kent Casson Anything with spring in the title is good this time of year. As our minds our on warmer weather and farming season just around the corner, the Illinois Soybean Association has announced the Springboard Challenge. The 2026 Springboard Challenge Conference is set for March 4-5 at 1108 Trinity Lane in Bloomington. This is the premier event uniting researchers, farmers and industry leaders to spark innovation in scalable products made from soy. Illinois soybean far

Valley® Irrigation, the global leader in advancing agricultural productivity through precision irrigation technologies, today announced the launch of the Valley Small Field Center Pivot, a purpose-built irrigation system designed for smaller and irregularly shaped fields. This addition reinforces Valley’s commitment to delivering high-performance irrigation solutions for every grower, regardless of field size or shape. The Valley Small Field Center Pivot is engineered with th

Prairie Farms Dairy and Hiland Dairy Foods today announced United in Tradition, a limited-time Indy 500® sweepstakes inspired by one of the most iconic celebrations in all of sports. The sweepstakes is part of a larger collaboration between Indianapolis Motor Speedway, American Dairy Association Indiana, and the Prairie Farms Family of Companies. From February through May 2026, fans can enter a consumer sweepstakes for the chance to win an unforgettable 2027 Indianapolis 50

Across the United States, many small-business owners are approaching retirement without a clear plan for what comes next. Although these entrepreneurs have spent decades building companies that support local jobs and services, many are unaware of succession options beyond transferring the business to their heirs or permanently closing it. The “Rural Business Transitions” webinar series offers practical guidance to keep these businesses running and protect the economic stabili

By Kent Casson Does anyone take a Sunday drive anymore? Growing up, Mom would often take us on a drive around the countryside Sunday afternoons and my grandmother would often ride along. This seems to be a distant memory now but I look back fondly on those times cruising up and down the paved and gravel roads to see some rural scenery. Living in an area with open fields and square miles, it was a treat to cruise by all of the timber land south of Fairbury where the roads were

The Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA), in partnership with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA), will launch the 2026 Spring Competent Attendant Anhydrous Ammonia Training next week, beginning February 23 in Bloomington. This in-person training is designed for individuals who work with or around anhydrous ammonia and is required for those responsible for its safe handling. Participants who successfully complete the course and pass the exam will receiv

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is opening the enrollment period for the Farmer Bridge Assistance (FBA) program, providing $11 billion in one-time bridge payments to row crop producers in response to temporary trade market disruptions and increased production costs. The FBA enrollment period opens Feb. 23 and closes April 17, 2026. “Improving the farm economy is our top priority at USDA, and we have simp

Illinois Soybean Growers (ISG) hosted an Agriculture Awareness Day at the Illinois State Capitol on Feb. 18. Throughout the day, farmers engaged with policymakers on a range of issues including biofuels, estate taxes, crop protection tools and conservation funding. During the event, farmers had the opportunity to engage with: Director Jerry Costello, Illinois Department of Agriculture; Leader Tony McCombie, Illinois House Republicans; Charlie Meier, Republican Spokesperson,

By: Kent Casson Don’t you just love this time of year? I realize it’s not sunny and 70 all of the time but if you go outside and take a deep breath, you can almost feel spring is just around the corner. As of this writing, our first big winter thaw of 2026 is underway with temperatures expected to reach the 50s and any remaining snow drifts are disintegrating by the minute. Everyone has that extra “spring” in their step. Winds are fairly calm, the sun is shining, robins will

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced the launch of the Farmer and Rancher Freedom Framework (PDF, 11.4 MB). Secretary Rollins was joined by U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner, country music artist and songwriter John Rich, Representative James Comer, and several farming families who have been targets of agricultural lawfare. “As we approach the 250th anniversary of the United States, it is high time to recall a simple but profoun