Agriculture
How exactly did cyclospora infiltrate our food supply? We still don’t know
Food safety experts say contaminated water in farm fields is a likely culprit. But questions still remain about the current outbreak.
Farmers are struggling to turn a profit. How does it compare to the farm crisis in the ’80s?
Corn and soybean growers have seen several years of low commodity prices and increased costs for supplies like fertilizer and fuel. That has many farmers worried about whether they’ll turn a profit this year and drawn some comparisons to a dark time in American agriculture.
USDA cuts remove local conservation experts from nearly half of Illinois counties
The Trump administration cut 22% of the Natural Resources Conservation Service staff in 2025, impacting nearly half of Illinois counties.
Bayer won its Roundup case. Where does that leave thousands of pending lawsuits?
Attorneys say cases that claim the popular weedkiller causes cancer will have to change course to move forward in court after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with the agriculture company last month.
Silos are disappearing from the farm landscape. One woman wants to track them down before they do
For 150 years, silos have been a fixture of the Corn Belt, but efforts to preserve them have been haphazard.
In the fight to save prairies, some Great Plains ranchers embrace a new landscape – with goats
These ranchers tried to protect grassland from trees and shrubs in all the traditional ways. It didn’t work. So they brought in hungry goats that turned woody plants into a cash stream.
Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore grants for underserved farmers
A preliminary court order reinstated federal grants largely helping Black, Indigenous, veteran and immigrant farmers access land, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut earlier this year. Now, organizations are cautiously moving forward with their projects.
A potent weedkiller can drift for miles, killing crops and trees. EPA’s new rules may not stop it
New federal rules for dicamba aim to help cotton and soybean farmers control weeds. But the herbicide, which can kill other crops and trees, remains controversial.
Trump reduced tariffs on farm machinery. But prices could still increase
The Trump administration lowered tariffs on farm equipment last month. But with economic pressures on farmers, equipment dealers and manufacturers, the move may not bring much relief.
After drought and wildfires, wheat farmers in the Great Plains are in for a rough year
Nearly half of the U.S. winter wheat crop is in poor or very poor condition, following a tough growing season. Some farmers are choosing to leave their crop in the field
Trump says the U.S. doesn’t need a trade deal with its neighbors. Farm groups push hard for renewal
An official review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement begins in July. President Trump already has suggested the U.S. would be better off without it.
U of I’s historic round barns set for renovations following $10M alum gift
The historic round barns on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus are being renovated thanks to a $10 million donation from Leah Wightman,