The average age of farmers in Illinois hovers at around sixty years of age. This statistic implies that many current farmers have memories of the 1980s when the world of Midwest farming fell apart: many family farm operations were forced out of business. The 1970s saw a sharp increase in grain...

Older machine sheds built in the 1970s dot the Illinois farm landscape. Are these old sheds worth keeping and using as rental buildings? The challenge is that many old pole sheds are in bad shape and too small for modern farm equipment. These sheds are expensive to maintain and repair. The owner is...

In August 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a new herbicide strategy aimed at better aligning with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). This new strategy will alter pesticide labels by adding extra mitigation measures that seek to reduce pesticide exposure to over 900...

Currently, budgets for corn and soybean production by Illinois Farmers is projected to be below breakeven on profitability.  University of Illinois Farmdoc budgets can be found here.Federal Crop Insurance can be...

The number one question I receive is, “What is the going rate for cash rent?” Most landowners are seeking an average to charge a farmer for the use of the land per acre for one year. One of the problems with this approach is that many landowners really don’t know whether their farm is below or...

As a teenager, one of my farm duties was cultivating the weeds out of the corn and soybeans. I preferred to drive our bigger tractor because it was easier to handle, but the cultivator was mounted on the back which posed some additional challenges to the job at hand. Back in those days, GPS was...

Disclaimer - The following is meant only for educational purposes and not to be construed as legal advice. The author of this article is a licensed Real Estate Managing Broker in the State of Illinois. Managing a farm is a big job. It requires oversight of the farmer(s) who...

Disclaimer – The following is meant only for educational purposes and not to be construed as legal advice.  Consult your legal advisor for actual legal advice. As we work our way through the Farm Estate Planning Series, we have established the importance of having an estate or...

Choosing a Trustee/Executor for Your Farm Estate Plan Disclaimer – The following is meant only for educational purposes and not to be construed as legal advice.  Consult your legal advisor for actual legal advice. As you work through the estate planning process,...