About 70,000 people visited Indianapolis for the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo for a busy week of leadership development, service projects and other activities.

While the National FFA Convention and Expo is about learning to be successful leaders, students also have time to just be kids.

Women Changing the Face of Agriculture, a program of Illinois Agri-Women, will host its first three-event series across the state in March.

Participating in leadership programs provides a variety of opportunities for farmers that include improving communication skills, learning new farming techniques and enhancing their business plans.

Starting a farm transition or retirement plan early helps protect the land, reduce family conflict and keep the business running smoothly.

Our grassroots leaders identify a challenge, bring neighbors together and get to work. That local leadership is what makes Farm Bureau strong.

As farmers face mounting economic headwinds and thin profit margins, Indiana Farm Bureau has officially laid out its legislative roadmap for the 2027 General Assembly session, zeroing in on rural investment, tax relief and food system resilience.

The 99th National FFA Convention and Expo is taking place later this month in Indianapolis, running Oct. 21-24.

This year, 231 Illinois FFA members will receive their American FFA Degree, the highest achievable degree within the FFA organization.

Hayden Stookey, Indiana FFA state president, is looking forward to the National FFA Convention later this month.

Dana Merriman, Rock Falls High School’s agriculture teacher and FFA adviser, is building the school’s ag and FFA program from the ground up.

Eighty students from local FFA chapters were able to get their hands dirty and learn about land use at the Section 2 FFA Land Use Contest in northwestern Illinois.

Luke Schilling of Eastern Hancock FFA in east-central Indiana is a finalist for the American Star in Agribusiness award at the National FFA Convention.

Jaron Black has put thousands of hours into his FFA supervised agricultural experience project for several years which has earned him national recognition.

Benjamin Biros started working with a family chrysanthemum business at a young age — and now he has been selected as one of the top FFA projects in the nation by the National FFA Organization.

American Star Farmer finalist Justin Myers purchased his first farm several years before he became an FFA member.

America’s entire cattle industry depends on a market that is disappearing before our eyes: the negotiated cash cattle market.

The biggest surprise this season is how solid and consistent corn yields remain, despite experiencing extreme weather variations.

The Illinois Agri-Women organization has awarded four scholarships for females studying agriculture.

Growing up, 4-H was simply part of life.

Indiana 4-H youth collected more than 181,000 pounds of food for 52 local food banks this summer through the Fight the Hunger, Stock the Trailer competition.

Casey's is continuing its partnership with 4-H, America's largest youth development organization, to help create opportunities for young people and strengthen the rural communities both organizations proudly serve.

Chad Bell is working on the final steps to prepare for harvest as he waits for field conditions to be favorable and his corn to dry to appropriate moisture levels.

Indiana Pork donated $5,000 worth of ground pork to a Vanderburgh County food pantry, which will provide thousands of protein-rich meals for local families facing food insecurity.

State agriculture leaders gathered in Maine for the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture’s 2026 annual meeting to discuss key industry challenges and opportunities.

Dairy Management Inc. is accepting entries for its 2027 New Product Competition, challenging undergraduate and graduate students across the United States to develop innovative dairy-based products for consumers seeking sustained energy.

The Illinois FFA S.T.A.R. Conferences empower section officer teams through intensive, day-long training where they master their roles, build regional connections and collaborate with the major state officer team.

Applications for the 2027 CME Group Beef Industry Scholarship are currently being accepted by the National Cattlemen's Foundation.

For 20 years, the W.D. Farr Scholarship has created a legacy of helping graduate students pursue careers in meat science, animal science and related fields.

Merck Animal Health announced it has awarded $90,000 in scholarships to nine future bovine veterinarians in partnership with the American Association of Bovine Practitioners Foundation.

Illinois Soybean Association’s Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development program has announced its third class of participants.

With approval from the Illinois Board of Higher Education, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications is now the eighth academic department in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois.

Two colleges at the University of Illinois are teaming up to run the campus horse farm more efficiently while keeping the herd available for student learning.

If rebuilding the U.S. cow herd is a national objective, sustaining the people and businesses that maintain it must be part of that objective.

More than 26,000 farmers and visitors attended Becknology Days this year — the highest turnout in the event’s history.

The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition hosted a first-of-its-kind contest for youth as part of the Heart of America Grazing Conference in Effingham.

The cost and commodity price squeeze continues as it nears time to plan for next year’s crop and correlating fertilizer strategy.

Members of the first-place winners of the 2026 Legacy Farm Family Award are involved with farming operations located in Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture announced the winners of the 2026 Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest at the Indiana State Fair.

Farmer leaders of the Illinois Corn Growers Association recently advocated for their peers on Capitol Hill.

Whether advocating on Capitol Hill, mentoring campers or preparing for the Illinois State Fair, the Illinois FFA state officer team is embracing every opportunity to serve.

Blue skies and sunshine marked the perfect weather for Southern Illinois University’s Ag Field Day where a drone and artificial intelligence, some of the latest technology to sweep the farming industry, were among the star performers.

Deidra Roell, a fifth-generation grain farmer in Washington County in southern Indiana, shared the latest on her farm with AgriNews.

After undergoing a rigorous judging process, 20 farmers were identified as the Illinois Soybean Association’s fifth class of Illinois 20 Under 40 farmers.

What makes a state fair so unique is it provides multiple, wide-ranging experiences within the same day.

For over two decades, Wayne and Jamie Keller have been sponsors of the Du Quoin State Fair Junior Livestock Show.

Toby Behrends of Sheffield was named Grand Champion Overall Master Showman during the 2026 Illinois State Fair Master Showmanship Contest.

The 2026 4-H Grand Drive, presented by Farm Credit Mid-America, shined the spotlight on the top 4-H exhibitors in Indiana.

A phone call from a friend changed Debbie Ruff’s career trajectory 35 years ago, and she’s “still having fun” as ag literacy coordinator.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Agricultural Robotics Club accomplished an impressive feat in its first international competition.