Agriculture
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Why the world’s top coffee producer is switching up its beans
Dec 09, 2025 4:47 pm - In the coming years, coffee from Brazil might start to taste a bit different. The South American country is the world’s biggest producer of arabica, a mild variety of coffee bean. But as climate change makes it harder to grow those beans, some farmers are investing in robusta, which produces a more bitter bean but can tolerate higher temperatures and is more resistant to diseases.
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Trump is proposing a $12 billion aid package for farmers hit hard by his trade war with ChinaDec 08, 2025 8:59 am - President Donald Trump is planning a $12 billion farm aid package, according to a White House official — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war.
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Ag economists evaluate machinery cost decisionsNov 06, 2025 7:16 pm - With farm machinery expenses at an all-time high, farmers might need to take a closer look at the numbers before purchasing machinery.
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Trade takeaways from Trump's meeting with Chinese leader Xi
Oct 30, 2025 8:03 am - U.S. President Donald Trump said he had an “amazing” meeting Thursday with China’s top leader Xi Jinping that produced very important decisions. The first official Chinese comments on the meeting were less specific and suggested any trade deal is not done.
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Illinois pumpkin harvest underway; heat weakens crop in some areasOct 09, 2025 4:30 pm - October is a busy month for the top pumpkin producing state and while consumers likely won’t see the effects, Mother Nature challenged some Illinois fields this season.
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Trump plans aid package for US soybean farmers while seeking trade deal with ChinaOct 05, 2025 5:20 pm - WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is planning a significant aid package to U.S. soybean farmers to help them survive China’s boycott of American beans in response ...
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Suburban soybean farmers looking for solution to China’s boycott amid tariff warOct 04, 2025 2:00 pm - The effect of a Chinese boycott of American soybeans in retaliation for punitive U.S. tariffs is being felt even in the suburbs.
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The world's tallest sunflower blooms in an Indiana backyard as a tribute to UkraineSep 12, 2025 4:05 pm - FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — When Alex Babich, 47, stood in his backyard in Fort Wayne, Indiana, craning his neck to look 35 feet into the sky, he wasn’t just staring at a sun...
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Woodchip bioreactor helps Peoria area farmer reduce nitrogen runoffSep 09, 2025 4:39 pm - A Marshall County farmer installs woodchip bioreactor on his land to reduce nitrogen runoff, doing his part to meet statewide nutrient loss reduction goals and improve local water quality.
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U of I grad’s company ‘turning poop into profit’Sep 09, 2025 2:01 pm - Bianca Bailey founded Agriwater to transform livestock waste into clean water and valuable byproducts using an electrocoagulation technique she developed. She is now competing for $100k in the AFBF Ag Innovation Challenge.