Livestock

Incorporating cover crops into their regenerative farming system has been a learning process for the Riskedal family this spring.

America’s certified organic acreage fell almost 11% between 2019 and 2021. Many farmers have been asking: Is organic farming just a word?

The National Dairy Farmers Assuring Responsible Management Program is accepting nominations for its annual FARM Excellence Awards, spotlighting program participants who embody the program’s mission of continuous improvement.

Midwest Dairy announced that five students will receive $1,000 over the 2025-2026 academic school year to study agriculture education, dairy science, applied sciences and animal science, starting this fall at the college or university of their choice.

Farming practices in America have been under public scrutiny for well over a century, but the intensity and focus of that scrutiny have evolved significantly over time.

A wise-old rancher told me last year, “I can lead you to knowledge, but I can’t make you think.”

June is the beginning of grilling season and that’s been great for beef demand. If more of you would try lamb chops or lamb kabobs on the grill maybe we could see similar results in the lamb market.

After 17 wonderful years, we’ve made the heartfelt decision to sell Illinois Wool & Fiber Mill and The Complete Sheep Shoppe.

The National Pork Board invites consumers to “Taste What Pork Can Do” in a new campaign designed to deliver a message: Pork delivers taste, flavor, balanced nutrition and versatility.

This is the second in a series of columns featuring conversations with state Farm Bureau presidents about current issues in agriculture.

A biosecurity plan will be different for every cattle operation.

I cannot emphasize enough how wet it is in southern Illinois. The row crop guys were able to jump in and get some planting done, but may be wishing they hadn’t.

This cattle market is crazy good and has me wondering how long it can last.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition has worked successfully through the tension of whether it would still have grant funds for events after the days of DOGE.

Four members with outstanding projects that include cattle, flowers, sheep, auctioneering and hay production were presented the prestigious star awards during the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention.

The recently released MAHA report was the work product of the commission established by President Donald Trump’s executive order to “Make America Healthy Again.”

The Jersey cows are lined up waiting their turn for the afternoon milking as Ken Ropp and Brett Yoder readied the parlor equipment.

Demonstrations, equipment and education will be the features of the Illinois Forage Expo on July 30.

Our independent cattle and sheep industries have been steaming along through history as if they were without a strategic vision — rudderless and directionless.

Fire is a natural and necessary part of a healthy ecosystem.

The 51st annual Fastest Rookie Luncheon was held to celebrate the top-performing rookies ahead of the 109th Indianapolis 500.

Delegates wrote history at the 97th Illinois FFA State Convention with the vote to add a sentinel to the FFA officer team that now includes six members.

Earlier this winter while attending a farm show sponsored by a local radio station that carries Brownfield programming, a listener shared with me a poem, “Sermons We See,” by Edgar A. Guest.

When you’re 8 or 9 years old, you don’t see the world as you will as a 50- or 60-year-old. Much of what seems perfectly ordinary to a child often becomes quite extraordinary with the passing of time.

Illinois FFA state proficiency winners are selected based on FFA members’ outstanding skills in recordkeeping, leadership and scholastic achievement.

The Dave and Donna Scanlon family was proud to receive the Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of more than 100 years of agricultural heritage.

These students have been selected district winners for the Star in Agriscience award after an extensive process of evaluating the students and their record books.

The Star in Agricultural Placement award will be presented during the Stars Over Illinois ceremony on Wednesday, June11.

The winner of the Star in Agribusiness award will be announced during the Wednesday afternoon session of the Illinois FFA State Convention starting at 2 p.m.

Five district winners for the Star Farmer award will be honored on the stage of the Illinois FFA State Convention.

As planting season rolls on, southern Indiana From the Fields contributor Mindy Orschell shared an update on farm life with AgriNews.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition announced the launch of a new educational initiative for producers: the Illinois Grazing and Forage Hub.

Jason Baldes drove down a dusty, sagebrush highway, pulling 11 young buffalo in a trailer from Colorado to the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming.

A Delaware animal shelter is trying to care for and rehome thousands of chicks that survived being left in a postal service truck for three days.

Pato O’Ward learned that it behooves Indianapolis 500 drivers to take part in the rookie tradition of milking a cow if they ever want to drink the stuff in victory lane upon winning “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

In the first quarter of 2025, the 7th Federal Reserve District’s agricultural land values saw a 1% increase from a year ago, and “good” farmland values rose 4% from the fourth quarter of 2024 on average across five states.

If a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak occurs in the United States, the day-to-day operations and how beef producers do business will be different.

Merck Animal Health announced the commercial availability of Armatrex silane quaternary ammonium salt, an Environmental Protection Agency-registered, spray-on antimicrobial solution.

Farmer Dan Glessing isn’t ready to get too upset over President Donald Trump’s trade wars.

Limiting stress and maintaining a strong relationship with a veterinarian are vital for a rancher’s success in fighting bovine respiratory disease.

America Dairy Association Indiana gave out 10,000 pints of chocolate milk to mini-marathon and 5K runners.

This is the first in a series of columns featuring conversations with state Farm Bureau presidents about current issues in agriculture.

The Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, now in its 12th year, showcases top entrepreneurs developing solutions to address both traditional and new challenges facing farmers and rural communities.

I’ve got my bean crop planted into green standing cereal rye that had been sprayed just the day previous. It went into great soil conditions.

The mill has been busy. We have received a lot of new fiber orders and working through the ones already had.

Jim and I traveled back home to join family and friends for the funeral services for my husband’s uncle.

There are good days and bad days — and Wednesday was the latter at Ropp Jersey Cheese.

Saying we’re facing uncertainty in rural America is an understatement. We’re in the midst of a seismic shift — a true paradigm shift.

Although U.S. beef producers have met the challenge of reducing injection site lesions in beef carcasses, one issue they have not fixed is eliminating foreign objects.

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association announced that applications are open for three unique internship experiences for the fall 2025 semester.