After years of rising input costs and volatile markets, Illinois farmers finally have updated farm policy that reflects their needs in the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” landmark legislation that delivers real, meaningful wins for Illinois farmers.

September usually marks a turning point. Summer turns to fall, vacation turns to school and the green hope and promise of growing crops turns into the yellow and gold of harvest. This month feels different, though.

Autumn is just around the corner, and it’s a busy season on the farm and in Farm Bureau. Harvest is well underway, Congress is heading back into session, and Farm Bureau’s grassroots policy is shaping up for the new year.

A recent change in climate policy by the Trump administration threatens to change everything on earth — from the fast-warming planet itself to all the life on it.

This year’s Farm Progress Show was all about the future — autonomy, efficiency and sustainability were on full display.

Brazilian beef imports are accelerating the ongoing contraction of the U.S. cattle industry by displacing domestic cattle producers, their cattle and domestic feedlots — and this is weakening America’s ability to be self-reliant in beef production.

It’s time for Congress to act now to make critical biofuels available year-round.

Trump political appointees are pushing an unprecedented restructuring on all U.S. Department of Agriculture programs.

Now in its second year, the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence honors a veteran or service member for outstanding contributions to agriculture and local communities.

Fuel-efficient SUVs and crossovers are quite popular these days, but there’s still a need for a full-size SUV that can carry up to eight passengers and tow a heavy load.

There’s something deeply gratifying about reporting on 4-H and FFA members who are raising animals, showing livestock and learning responsibility through hands-on work.

Over the years we’ve explored the environmental and economic benefits of adjusting management practices to include conservation.

Whether organic or conventional, my dad wanted me to understand how my food was grown and to appreciate the men and women who grew it.

On the southern Illinois farm of my youth, August always meant heat, humidity and the best food of the year.

If “America First” is the goal, then the American Beef Labeling Act is an integral component. You simply can’t say you’re putting America first when you’re catering to the self-interests of global corporations.

U.S. farmers and ranchers are committed to growing high-quality agricultural products and safe, nutritious food for families near and far.

This year’s U.S. corn exports show just how upside down the ag export picture is for farmers and ranchers.

A diverse cover crop mix helps build soil organic matter, increase soil water-holding capacity and infiltration, and improve nutrient use efficiency.

In small towns and rural communities across America, hunger often hides in plain sight.

From the moment the team was elected on June 12, everything changed in the everyday lives of the six new Illinois FFA major state officers.

In the case of biological crop inputs, there are many handling, storage and management considerations regarding on-farm implementation. Fortunately, farmers do have resources to help navigate the novelty of biologicals.

Many of us know the importance of road safety during planting and harvest seasons. However, less may realize that road safety is critical during the growing season, too, specifically at intersections.

One of the great honors of my role as American Farm Bureau Federation president is sharing the stories of farmers and ranchers from across this country with leaders who are making decisions that directly impact our work, our families and our livelihoods.

Last year, about this time, I wrote a column about putting things in perspective and understanding the national debt. The number that was the focus of my writing was 35 trillion. But, alas, a year has passed, and a new number has taken its place.

Last week’s column moved a reader to ask: "What fraction of the food assistance to low-income families has been spent in red districts in the past and what fraction of the population is in red districts?"

U.S. cattle producers with an interest in strengthening the economic position of their individual farms and ranches and in ensuring the health and safety of their livestock herd would not knowingly support policies that conflict with their own interests and goals.

Many of us grew up in homes where words like “please,” “thank you” and “you’re welcome” were as routine as brushing your teeth. These were not just phrases. They were signs of character.

“Why would federal policy favor legal fictional entities over individual family farms?” That’s a great question, and it was asked — and answered — by Jonathan Coppess, an associate professor of law and policy at the University of Illinois.

August recess is a prime time for Farm Bureau’s grassroots members to make their voices heard and share their stories.

In an apparent lightning strike of insight, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins offered her solution to what she and her GOP colleagues see as one of America’s biggest problems: agriculture’s one million or so undocumented workers.

I recently watched a PBS segment about the Lenape tribe of Native Americans, and one line in particular stuck with me. While sharing a traditional meal, an elder said, “Food anchors a community.”

Farm drones can be valuable in helping farmers keep an eye on their crops through the growing season.

Studies have shown that fewer than 20% of farm families have an effective estate plan to roadmap what happens to the family farm when dad and mom retire or pass away.

Lost in the breathless reporting on the huge federal budget cuts and even more massive federal tax cuts just passed by the heel-clicking Congress was a report on just how rich America’s mega-rich now are.

Farmers truly share a bond, no matter where we live or what we grow and raise.

It never ceases to amaze me how otherwise rational adults can turn into combative middle schoolers the moment certain hot-button topics hit the table.

Farming is an uncertain business. Farmers and ranchers received some certainty, however, with the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”

Even small Midwestern farms can harness the power of AI to boost productivity without breaking the bank.

With 2025 half gone, the cautious American ag economy, like the slowing U.S. economy, now tiptoes into its second half.

Imagination and growth fuel farming. Farmers and ranchers survey fields, flocks, herds and orchards, imagining the possibilities.

Chris Hoffman is president of Pennsylvania Farm Bureau. He is a first-generation hog and chicken farmer.

The recent U.S. and Israeli bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities had an immediate impact on the domestic economy, including costs associated with agricultural fertilizer.

As another large dust storm impacted Illinois, the conversation and questions continue about why and how to get the dust to settle and stay in the field rather than across roadways.

Questions and concerns about foreign countries owning U.S. land did not start recently nor will they end anytime soon.

The United States has the ability to produce nearly everything on grocery store shelves. That’s pretty remarkable.

Government, of course, has dozens of ways to indirectly impact ag markets.

If you’re in charge of reversing American agriculture’s three-years-old-and-growing trade deficit, your list of options is as limited as it is unworkable.

Beneath the red, white and blue fanfare lays a story that’s just as rooted in the soil as it is in our history books — because when America declared independence, it was farmers who helped make that freedom possible.

American farmers take the responsibility of providing a safe food supply to heart because we know that food security means national security.

Leadership and impact occurs in the small moments. And present happiness is not the way you should evaluate your current day, week or month.