Weather

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

A unexpected reduction in corn ending stocks was among the few surprises in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s April supply and demand estimates report.

To paraphrase Forrest Gump, spring is like a box of chocolate — you never know what you’re going to get.

Beyond a comprehensive look at farmland values, the Illinois Society of Professional Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers’ annual report also features other tidbits of interest in each Prairie State region.

Some of the highlights I came away with from the Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition’s 2025 Grazing Conference are: soil microbes help the water percolate through the soil and cover crops help feed the soil microbes which make them multiply.

It is great to see several tractors in the fields around northern Illinois. They are putting fertilizer down and soil finishing the fields. No planting yet, but it will not be too long.

April is a perfect time to check items off your gardening to-do list.

While my husband has been busy putting a new floor in a grain bin and getting the planters ready, I have been working lots of overtime preparing farm and individual tax returns.

Grass will be ready for turnout soon. It is hard to hold out, but so important to give grass a fair start.

The futures market is reacting as expected with all this tariff news creating plenty of uncertainty which usually trends lower as most players look to eliminate risk.

We have faced several consecutive days over a six-state area where there have been multiple tornados causing damage, a lot of rain, lightning, hail and serious flooding and washouts of roads and bridges.

Prospective planting and quarterly grain stock numbers released March 31 were at or near expectations and primarily already priced into the market.

The Illinois Soybean Association’s new-look rainfall simulator trailer hit the road for a demonstration at a central Illinois school.

Agricultural economic conditions remained relatively weak across the Corn Belt, driven by concerns over drought conditions, trade, balance sheets and the lack of farm bill clarity.

A ribbon-cutting celebration and open house marked the opening of Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Innovation Farm.

Tight supplies of cattle and resilient demand for beef are expected to support fed steer prices this year, according to projections at the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

The peak wind speed in Illinois happens in March and April and it is the least windy in July and August.

The farming community has shifted toward planting soybeans earlier than traditionally recommended.

More than 2,400 students attended a virtual field trip to a dairy farm during National School Breakfast Week.

The amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades, according to new Iowa State University research.

It is difficult — for some, even impossible — to create a strong financial foundation for the future when most of your money must go toward bills and debt.

March is a month that I sometimes struggle with. The weather is starting to warm up, then a cold snap comes through. It is a month of anticipation for the upcoming spring and summer projects.

We continue to have lamb customers since March is Ramadan and they come out before, during and after that holiday, and they all want eggs, too, but our supply was limited until just this week when I was able to get some hens from a fellow emptying his barn.

In reviewing my February writing, I realize that quite a few things actually were finished or at least started in the last month — I am pleased to report that!

As March hit, we finally got some relief on the weather and had some nice days that first week. February stayed ugly until the end and muddy, muddy, muddy.

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.

Happy National Agriculture Week! As the old saying goes, spring has sprung. The question on the tip of the tongue of many people I’ve spoken with recently is: Do you think we are going to get any more wintry weather?

Crop production baseline forecasts for the 2025-2026 marketing year balance sheets were unveiled at the Agricultural Outlook Forum.

The top five items tonight on my local news channel were automobile crashes caused by slick road surfaces. And these weren’t just little fender benders, although there was one of those that happened in a store parking lot.

It is a new day for agriculture, said Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins.

There is always something to learn from a previous growing season. As the new year begins, it’s a great time for farmers to analyze results from their fields to make informed decisions for 2025.

Following reports of high disease outbreaks last year, the World Meteorological Organization is predicting a 60% chance of La Niña weather in 2025, which could lead to cooler conditions.

With the blustery cold we have seen across most parts of the country in recent days, it’s hard to believe that spring is right around the corner. Springtime brings planting, fresh blossoms and, of course, taxes.

Red crown rot is a concerning, relatively new disease to the Midwest that more farmers are finding in their fields. The pathogen was found in Illinois in 2018 and Indiana in 2022.

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.

As we bid farewell to February, I find myself aching for the warmth and promise of spring in the heart of middle America.

So far, this winter has been pretty friendly to the winter chores. We might be concerned about the lack of moisture for next spring’s crops, but right now dry is good.

Brrr, it’s cold outside. My sheep need good hay in their bellies to keep them warm during this time. That’s why I tested my hay and found out it averages only 8.75% crude protein.

Crop Nutrition Week 2025, a weeklong virtual learning event hosted by AgroLiquid, delivered data-driven strategies to help growers build stronger returns on their fertility investments.

Farmers may add root structure as another trait to consider when choosing corn hybrids for their operation.

The number of monarch butterflies spending the winter in the western United States has dropped to its second-lowest mark in nearly three decades as pesticides, diminishing habitat and climate change take their toll on the beloved pollinator.

The long-term downward spiral in the number of U.S. cattle farms and ranches informs us that our industry is in a severe crisis.

Cattle numbers are down in the United States and the cattle market is focused on providing incentives to cattlemen for herd rebuilding.

Cattlemen have several options to control brush or woody plants in pastures.

The CattleFax Outlook Seminar, held as part of CattleCon 2025 in San Antonio, shared expert market and weather analysis.

Other than a minor tweak in the wheat balance sheet, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s domestic supply and demand estimates for the major crops were unchanged, but there were downward movements globally in the report.

We shipped two loads of fat cattle this past week and will ship another this week. Two of these loads were sold cash, and for the first time ever, we sold cattle for more than $200 per hundredweight.

We have completed the shop renovation project we started a year ago and got the heaters installed. This overdue improvement is a game changer.

The weather hasn’t presented too many challenges this winter, so far, but we know better than to celebrate just yet. We are still in a near-desperation need for runoff rain.