Farming

With advocates estimating that as much as 95% of food consumed in Illinois is imported, a state program aims to support the local supply chain.

Higher costs and lower prices are squeezing farmers out of profitability. That’s led many to file for bankruptcy as a last resort to find aid.

Chapters of FFA, once called Future Farmers of America, are becoming more common in city schools. Program advisors say students are learning skills that can help them work in a wide range of industries — from biotech to cosmetology.

University of Illinois researchers analyzed traces of DNA in rivers and streams to learn how strips of trees near water — called riparian buffers — impact land species.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to send “bridge” payments to farmers who grow soybeans, cotton and other crops before March. Commodity groups and economists say the aid brings relief to farmers and their lenders, but they need long-term solutions.

Farmers across the central U.S. have navigated a myriad of challenges this year, including low crop prices and federal funding cuts.

The Trump administration announced this week that it would make $12 billion available in the form of one-time payments to U.S. farmers to help weather what it calls “temporary trade market disruptions” in the wake of ongoing tariff disputes with America’s trading partners.

Most of the package is earmarked for row-crop producers. It aims to help farmers – especially those who grow soybeans – balance out losses from high costs and a trade war with China.

The government shutdown stops USDA from administering farm subsidies, raising the specter of growing farm foreclosures. It also delays a bailout President Trump had promised for farmers impacted by tariffs.

The Trump administration is promising billions in a bailout for farmers. This harvest season the trade war with China has added to the farm economy’s woes, as producers deal with lower crop prices and high costs.