New Focus on the Future meetings to help Illinois agriculture community build, sustain farm legacy
Every farm has an individual story to tell, and it is up to the generations of farmers living it to tell the tale.
In 2026, University of Illinois Extension and Illinois Farm Bureau are partnering for a series to help farmers and landowners build, sustain, and share their farm’s legacy.
“Focus on the Future: Sustaining Farm Legacy” events will feature critical and practical updates for farmers on the current agricultural environment, including succession planning, asset stewardship, Farm Bill, and market conditions.
“Meeting Illinois farmers where they are with today’s farming decisions will help guide, strengthen, support, and most importantly, hear their stories through their life experiences,” says Travis Burke, assistant dean and program leader for agriculture and agribusiness at Illinois Extension.
Each location will also include specific programming focused on building strong landowner-tenant relationships, understanding today’s farm economics, conservation and sustainability updates, succession planning, and networking and discussion.
These new, informative meetings are designed specifically for Illinois farmland owners and agricultural stakeholders to network and gain support networks by connecting with Illinois Farm Bureau and Extension leaders.
With three in-person locations and a simultaneous hybrid online option for each event, more Illinois landowners can be reached.
• March 2: Champaign, I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center
• June 30: Sycamore, DeKalb County Farm Bureau
• Aug. 25: Mount Vernon, DoubleTree Hotel
The cost is $20 per location with lunch included. For those who cannot attend in person, a hybrid online option will be available. Each event will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is required at go.illinois.edu/FarmLegacy.
“It is essential for both Extension and Farm Bureau's legacies to be a trusted source for Illinois farmers, landowners, and stakeholders to turn to when making decisions about their farms, for both today and the future,” says Burke.
For questions or if you will need a reasonable accommodation to participate, contact Reagen Tibbs at rgtibbs@illinois.edu or (217) 732-8289. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet access needs.
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide.
The Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy. Learn more at extension.illinois.edu.