February is National Pesticide Safety Education Month, and the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), the American Phytopathological Society (APS), and the Entomological Society of America (ESA) are inviting you to participate in promoting pesticide safety awareness and practices during February...
Just a quick reminder that Paraquat users are required to participate in product training every three years. EPA requires that Paraquat applicators take an EPA-approved training program every three years in order to mix, load, apply, or handle Paraquat. Users should check the date printed on their...
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has introduced new digital tools designed to help pesticide applicators comply with the Endangered Species Act (ESA) mitigation requirements. These requirements, which have expanded in recent years, require applicators to implement runoff and spray...
You’ve got questions and we’ve got answers. Here are some of the more frequent questions we get from Illinois pesticide applicators. Don’t see what you are looking for? Let us know what you are wondering about. Also, a lot of information...
The farm economy in central Illinois is entering yet another year of financial pressures. Recent projections show that, despite slight increases in market prices, many corn and soybean producers could expect negative returns. Long-term data shows that 2024 was the lowest income year for grain farms...
Among the many topics making headlines in 2025, agricultural trade policy has been one of the most discussed and impactful for agricultural producers in central Illinois and across the United States. At the center of this has been tariffs on imported goods. There have been legal challenges to these...
As the Midwest agriculture sector faces another year of low profits, farmers need to take a closer look at their farm balance sheet, which is a snapshot of their financial condition on a specific day. The market-value balance sheetis based on the current value of farm assets owned,...
The Illinois Department of Agriculture has announced that rulemaking related to an amendment to the Illinois Pesticide Act, enacted in 2023, is now open for public comment. This amendment focuses on regulating residential barrier mosquito treatments, beyond what exists for most other types of...
The University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program has released their upcoming clinic schedule with locations that span the state. Offerings will be similar to that of recent years although quite limited compared to when in-person was the only option. If you are interested in attending...
With lower grain prices, higher interest rates, and increased production costs, some farms are facing a challenging financial situation. According to the Federal Reserve, the number of individuals experiencing severe financial stress remains low, but the trend is moving upward. The hard news is...
