USAID funding freeze halts food security and ag research at Midwest university labs
The Soybean Innovation Lab based at the University of Illinois has laid off 30 employees and expects to shut down in the spring if funding isn’t restored.
-
-
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is still small but has increased, analysis shows
The amount of American cropland, pastureland and forestland owned by foreign investors continued to increase in 2023, according to a recent analysis by the American Farm Bureau Federation.
-
A Midwest farmland owner tests a longstanding wetland conservation law called ‘swampbuster’
A case in federal court aims to dismantle a decades-old wetlands law, best known for its nickname.
-
For decades, the government banned hemp. Now, it’s funding hemp research
Lincoln University in Missouri is heading a USDA-funded project researching the commodity, but its prohibition created high hurdles for getting the crop off the ground.
-
Federal aid for farmers aims to offset losses on farms. Will it help?
The one-time payments could offer short-term support as many farmers grapple with less income and extreme weather.
-
The soybean is poised to become Illinois’ official state bean
Lawmakers have put the soybean on track to become Illinois’s official state bean. The Prarie State is the top producer of soybeans in the U.S., with about a quarter of its land used for growing the crop.
-
How Donald Trump’s tariffs have — and could — affect Illinois agriculture
For his second term, Trump proposed various tariffs on the campaign trail and after his election, including a 60% tariff increase on Chinese imports and an additional 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico.
-
Collard enthusiasts are using science and preservation to lift up rare varieties of the leafy green
Collard greens are a nutritious vegetable with a rich cultural heritage in the U.S. Now, scientists and enthusiasts are working to preserve and popularize heirloom varieties that could be tastier and more climate resilient than common grocery greens.
-
Trump’s proposed tariffs target big U.S. trading partners. What that could mean for Midwest farmers
Many economists and commodity groups say import taxes on products from countries such as China, Mexico and Canada could boomerang and harm U.S. agriculture.
-
More of the nation’s milk supply will be tested for bird flu under a new federal rule
The new strategy aims to pinpoint where bird flu exists in the U.S. and halt its spread. There have been hundreds of cases in cattle and dozens in humans.
-
Farm groups say producers need a new farm bill, but many expect another extension as time runs out
The clock is ticking for Congress to address the expired farm bill. Several groups are urging lawmakers to get an updated bill to the finish line before the end of the year.
-
In an effort to reduce deadly grain bin accidents, OSHA expands safety emphasis program
There are dozens of grain handling accidents that occur each year in the U.S. That’s why OSHA has placed several states under regional emphasis programs over the years to promote worker safety at grain handling facilities.
-
Cicadas impacted some apple harvests in Central Illinois, but Curtis Orchard was spared
This summer, three broods of cicadas emerged at the same time in parts of Illinois. Cicadas lay their eggs in the bark of small trees, which can damage or stunt their growth. The volume of cicadas varied from town to town.
-
Some farmers left in limbo after Missouri’s state budget limits funding for a USDA grant
Missouri’s 2025 state budget includes less than a third of the federal funding the state received for Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program grants. More than a dozen producers with selected projects are without funding for now. The day Emily Wright expected to hear whether her vegetable and flower farm in mid-Missouri would receive grant funding…
-
It tastes like chicken, but ‘cultivated’ meat sees growing opposition from U.S. lawmakers
Cultivated meat – meat grown from animal cells – is touted as a way to meet growing global demand with far fewer climate impacts. Yet two states banned the sale of cultivated meat earlier this year, and there are proposals in several Midwestern states to do the same. The meat sizzling in the pan at…
