Crop Insurance

Despite all his accolades and achievements, Dwight D. Eisenhower remained modest and plainspoken.

For U.S. farmers and ranchers, May 22 was right out of a Dickens novel: It was the best of days and the worst of days.

In February 2018, this space outlined my assessment of Congress’s meandering approach to the overdue farm bill. It was a waste of ink.

Agricultural operations in Illinois have been significantly impacted by recent severe weather, tornadoes and flooding.

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2025 crop year have until April 15 to revise elections and sign contracts.

From issues impacting the farm economy, including record costs for labor, interest and taxes, to trade and biofuels, there a lot of challenges facing farmers today. But there also are opportunities, said Caleb Ragland, president of the American Soybean Association.

As the trade deficit and farm production costs continue to rise, the state of the agricultural economy is “dire,” lamented new U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins.

Crop insurers gathered for the industry’s annual convention, where leaders celebrated significant growth and charted a course for the future of American agriculture’s most important risk management tool.

A visit to Washington provided a powerful glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of local farmers as they navigate unpredictable weather and global market conditions.

There are a lot of new faces in the nation’s capital with the ushering in of 2025. Crop insurance may be familiar to some of the incoming officials and staff, but it will be brand new for others.

Just weeks into the Republican takeover of Congress and the White House, Project 2025 is the cornerstone of President Donald Trump’s governing plans.

While the 2018 farm bill might be on its second extension, the subsidy for one crop insurance product will increase without the benefit of new legislation, benefiting farmers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the 2025 enrollment periods for key safety-net programs — Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage, as well as Dairy Margin Coverage.

In a tough farm economy like this one, having the right crop insurance coverage to protect your farming operation and manage your risk is even more important.

Agriculture groups are grateful that Congress extended the 2018 farm bill for another year, but urge lawmakers to stay focused on new, modernized legislation that recognizes the many changes and challenges of the past six years.

Family farms accounted for 96% of total U.S. farms and 83% of the total value of production, according to the Agricultural Resource Management Survey.

ILSoyAdvisor Soy Envoys recapped the top agronomic challenges of 2024 and what potentially lies ahead for 2025 in an Illinois Soybean Association Field Advisor podcast.

Every preelection poll for the U.S. presidential race saw it as a too-close-to-call nail-biter. Not one predicted the sweeping victory posted by former, now President-elect Donald Trump.

Lincoln Land Community College Continuing, Corporate and Professional Education and Todd Steinacher, agronomic coach, will offer a comprehensive Agronomy Journey Conference.

Between harvest and preparing for the state corn-husking competition, From the Fields contributor Clay Geyer has a busy October ahead of him.

Illinois Stewardship Alliance representatives took the oft-used phrase “where the rubber meets the road” literally as they traveled across Illinois to host listening sessions as part of the group’s golden anniversary celebration.

With the farm bill, Next Generation Fuels Act and global trade discussions on the table in Congress, now is the time for farmers to make their voices heard.

To gain a better perspective in the current November and December futures price volatility, a soybean trade specialist noted historic parallels in the past 20 years, buyer opportunities and demand potentials.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover from recent tornadoes, high winds and flooding in Illinois.

For the third year in a row, Hoosier farmers broke a record for the number of conservation practices in the state, according to the Conservation Tillage Transect survey.

As soon as the large mahogany door in the congressional building was opened, the farmers were greeted with hellos and handshakes. “Do you want some Indiana popcorn?” the staff in Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Pence’s office proudly asked.

This year, like last year, is a farm bill year — and this year, like last year, probably won’t deliver a farm bill. The reason is the oldest one in Washington, D.C.: politics.

A longstanding complaint here is the utter incomprehensibility of federal milk pricing policy. For years we’ve joked that only four people in the world understand its complexity.

Agricultural producers should make an appointment with their local Farm Service Agency office to complete crop acreage reports before the applicable deadline after planting is complete.

The Illinois General Assembly approved a record $53.1 billion spending plan that included some good and bad news for agriculture-related programs.

We in agriculture have a long tradition of marketing our bounty by more pleasant, if not less-than-truthful, names in hopes that less-informed eaters buy the sizzle rather than the fact.

The Biden administration’s trade agenda — mostly forgotten after three years of COVID, inflation, war in Ukraine, brutality in the Middle East and a cantankerous Congress — recently surfaced and, wow, is it a mess.

When it comes to the 2024 farm bill, we are at one of those critical points, and if we’re going to reach the finish line, it’s time for Congress to pick up the pace.

Budget constraints forced the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service to eliminate four crop and livestock reports.

Business and numbers attracted Aaron Johnson to a career in agricultural financing, but the relationship and people aspect of the business became his passion during the past several decades.

The slowest dance on Capitol Hill, the writing of a new farm bill, gained tempo May 1 when both the House and Senate Ag committees released versions of their bills.

House Committee on Agriculture Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson announced work on the 2024 farm bill, which includes bipartisan policies and several titles affecting farmers.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of what is referred to as the foundation of the modern crop insurance program.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is encouraging dairy producers to enroll for 2024 Dairy Margin Coverage, an important safety net program that helps offset milk and feed price differences.

Three farmers with decades of experience utilizing soil conservation practices on their farms detailed their efforts in a “Toolshed Talk.”

With a September deadline, and a congressional summer vacation on the calendar, the clock is ticking on a new five-year farm bill.

Is there a government conspiracy afoot to deprive farmers of receiving their full benefits from crop insurance? Not at all, according to an economist.

Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage or Price Loss Coverage programs for the 2024 crop year have until March 15 to revise elections and sign contracts.

A trio of farmers tackled issues ranging from soil management to grain marketing during a panel discussion at the Illinois Soybean Association’s Soybean Summit.

America’s crop insurers are committed to building on the foundational principles of crop insurance to strengthen the farm safety net and offer more risk management products to more farmers.

As America’s farmers and ranchers continue to face immense climate and weather-related challenges, both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and private-sector crop insurers are committed to strengthening the crop insurance program.

Leadership from the Senate and House agriculture committees delivered a clear message to the Crop Insurance Industry Annual Convention: Crop insurance has bicameral and bipartisan support from the “four corners” of agriculture.

As the deadline to purchase federal crop insurance moves closer, COUNTRY Financial is providing enhanced coverages for Illinois farmers in addition to federal crop insurance.

No one can will the corn or soybean market to jump a dollar, but developing a marketing plan can provide leverage to weather the swings.

While January left the old year behind, it didn’t leave behind any of the baggage 2023 saddled American farmers and ranchers with.