Farmers and farm workers are still waiting for agricultural labor reform after proposal stalls
Congress failed to pass immigration reform in December that would have provided a path to legal status for migrant farm workers and capped wages.
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Why the price of eggs, a food staple for breakfast and baked goods, has risen so sharply
Consumers may have gotten used to seeing higher food prices at the grocery in the last couple of years, but egg prices have risen more than any other food product, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Consumer Price Index.
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Amid a national egg shortage, local farmers continue to deliver
CHAMPAIGN — Americans have felt the pain of inflation in grocery stores this year. The USDA estimates that the cost of groceries was 10.6 percent higher in November 2022 than November 2021. Prices may finally be on their way down as the Federal Reserve tinkers with interest rates, but the cost of one product –…
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Midwest states court indoor hog and poultry production, despite the millions of gallons of manure
Legislation and programs in states like Missouri and Nebraska are paving the way to welcome large livestock operations by limiting local control over the facilities. Some rural residents worry about the potential pollution and decreased quality of life that will bring. CLARKSBURG, Mo. — In Cooper County, Missouri, CAFOs are a controversial topic. Susan Williams…
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Broadband map holds the key to how much federal funding states will get to expand internet service
States, local governments and internet providers have until Friday, Jan. 13 to challenge the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Map.
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WILL at 100: A century of programming for the farming world
From its first sign-on in 1922 to the present day, agricultural programming for rural audiences has been an important part of programming on WILL-AM.
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Amid a global food crisis, federal funding for agriculture research continues to decline
China has surpassed the U.S., becoming the world’s top funder of agricultural research. Brazil — a major U.S. competitor in agricultural exports — has also increased its funding over the past two decades.
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A new, divided Congress will have to take on a new Farm Bill with far-reaching effects
WASHINGTON — The Congress that takes office next year will feature a Senate with a narrow Democratic majority and a House that, so far, has a slim Republican majority. What’s not clear is how that split in control will affect one of the biggest pieces of legislation on the agenda next year: the Farm Bill….
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Midwest cities have plenty of vacant lots. So why can’t urban farmers buy that land?
Urban farmers are trying to buy vacant lots for their farms to bring fresh, healthy food and green space to their neighborhoods, but they face challenges in acquiring that land. KANSAS CITY, Kan. — There’s a high demand for the vegetables Mediatrice Niyonkuru grows in her urban garden. Cassava leaves, muchicha and white eggplant are…
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John Deere says it will make the tractor of the future — no driver needed
Farm implement manufacturers, including giant John Deere, are well on their way to deploying autonomous tractors. Prototypes are in the field now, and they could be widely available by the end of the decade. Autonomous vehicles that drive themselves may come to farm fields long before they are common on roadways. John Deere intends to…
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USDA designates Champaign & Vermilion counties as primary natural disaster areas
After severe droughts in July and August, the U.S. Department of Agriculture designated Champaign and Vermilion counties as primary natural disaster areas. With that announcement, farmers with 30% crop loss, can apply for low-interest, emergency loans. This can help replace equipment or refinance certain debts. John Gehrke heads the loan program at the USDA Illinois…
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SNAP-Ed pays workers so little that some qualify for food benefits themselves
CHAMPAIGN — Del Jacobs likes almost everything about her job. As a SNAP-Ed community worker in Illinois, she likes getting to know the regulars at local food pantries and teaching them about healthy eating on a budget. She likes working with children, especially since she doesn’t have any kids of her own. What she doesn’t…
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White House’s upcoming hunger conference could have huge policy implications for food security
WASHINGTON D.C. — For the first time since the Nixon administration, the White House will hold a conference on hunger, nutrition and health, bringing together advocates, lawmakers and experts to come up with strategies to tackle food insecurity and diet-related health issues. The conference comes after a spike in food insecurity rates across the country…
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New climate law injects billions into agriculture conservation programs
CHAMPAIGN — Illinois State Conservationist Ivan Dozier is happy to explain the reasons why $18 billion has been set aside for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm conservation programs within the bipartisan Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, a $740 billion climate, tax and healthcare spending package signed into law by President Joe Biden this summer….
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Biden has a $369 billion climate plan — and new advisers to get the program running
President Biden is switching up his climate team at the White House. On Friday, Biden announced his national climate adviser, Gina McCarthy, will step down. Her deputy, Ali Zaidi, will move into her role. And John Podesta, a chief of staff for former President Bill Clinton and a climate adviser to former President Barack Obama,…
