Agriculture
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How an Illinois farmer turned flooded farmland into rice paddies
Sep 09, 2025 10:09 am - One Illinois man’s decadeslong fight to convert his fields into rice paddies demonstrates how it’s possible to bring diversity to the Corn Belt, but improbable so long as federal farm policy remains focused on soybeans and corn.
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U.S. agricultural trade deficit reaches nearly $29 billionAug 21, 2025 12:51 pm - The U.S. ag trade deficit climbed to a new high the first half of 2025.The deficit hit a record $28.6 billion through June, according to USDA data released this month.
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Illinois beekeepers battle losses, costs to keep hives buzzing
Aug 19, 2025 10:36 am - Beekeepers face steep startup costs and significant bee colony losses — often exceeding 50% annually. Illinois has more than 5,400 registered beekeepers, with nearly nine in 10 managing 10 hives or fewer.
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Governor gives boon to trial lawyers, vetoes treasurer-backed bill
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Recent aerial applicator crashes draw attention to safetyAug 14, 2025 4:23 pm - Summer skies fill with planes and helicopters in rural Illinois every summer as corn and soybean fields need crop protection. However, the risk to aerial applicators was magnified last month with four crashes within eight days in Illinois.
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‘Creating a little wine community’: Geneva Winery expands production in Elburn, plans to grow
Aug 12, 2025 11:31 am - Brent Copstead, owner of Geneva Winery, is expanding the business to include an event venue, vineyard and larger production facility.
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Sonny Acres to build special event space, The Barn on NorthAug 12, 2025 10:30 am - Sonny Acres, the farm and family entertainment complex in West Chicago, is building a 7,000-square-foot building, The Barn on North, to host special events.
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Why burgers cost so much right now
Aug 11, 2025 9:32 am - There’s no question that steak and hamburgers contribute to global warming, driven by cows’ potent methane burps and their wide-ranging grazing habits. But a warming planet with intensifying extreme weather is also affecting the price of your steak and hamburgers.
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Illinois Extension’s SNAP education program ending, impacting food security for 1 millionAug 05, 2025 9:47 pm - Illinois Extension's nutrition program helping 1 million state residents annually will end due to federal cuts, affecting 2K partnerships and over 200 jobs.
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The world nearly beat polio. But fake records, an imperfect vaccine and missteps aided its comeback
Aug 05, 2025 8:00 am - The World Health Organization has closed in on its bold goal of eradicating polio several times, but the paralytic virus is entrenched in parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. As workers focus the vaccination campaign there, WHO and partners have been derailed by mismanagement and what insiders describe as blind allegiance to an outdated strategy and a problematic oral vaccine.