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A combine harvests corn with blue skies and cumulus clouds in the background.

Illinois Farm Cash Rent Trends in 2026

May 22, 2026

Illinois farmers and landowners have completed their farm lease negotiations for the 2026 production year. Forecasts indicate farmers will endure a fourth year in a row of operational losses. However, government payments have lessened this impact, and because each farm is different, the results are...

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Aerial shot of 4 farm fields intersecting with trees and greens at the center.

Illinois Farmland Values in 2026: Volatile Signals

May 21, 2026

Farmland Sales in Illinois are continuing their recent pattern of being unpredictable. Low farmer profits are the main driver of this volatility, but other factors also weigh on the marketplace. Sources for this article include: The Land Sales Bulletin, the 2026 Illinois Farmland...

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A flooded farm field with dark looming clouds overhead.

Farm Drainage Series Part 8: A USDA certified wetland review is required before altering farm drainage

May 19, 2026

Most farmers and absentee landowners who own or farm cropland in Illinois rely on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) benefit programs. These programs serve as a safety net to keep farm operations economically viable and motivate them to adopt environmentally friendly farming...

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Freshly harvested corn pushes out of a combine with blue sky and wispy clouds in background

Farm Drainage Series Part 7: Farmers Incentivizing Landowners to make Tile Improvements

May 5, 2026

Farm drainage tile systems in Illinois have aged, leaving many farms poorly drained, resulting in lower crop yields. Upgrading farm drainage systems faces many hurdles, but landowners' reluctance to invest in tile improvements is the primary obstacle. This reluctance on the part of landowners...

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A farmer in cap and coveralls is bent over looking at a broken tile and water.

Farm Drainage Series Part 6: Repairing and Maintaining Farm Tile Systems

April 14, 2026

This article is not to be construed as legal advice. Consult with your legal advisor before entering tile agreements.Contractors design modern farm drainage-tile installations to last for many decades. Some older systems are approaching and exceeding 100 years old. Hiring an experienced,...

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A tile contractor uses a backhoe loader to aid installation of a large tile main, with dirt road on left and farm field on the right.

Farm Drainage Series Part 5: Challenges Installing Drainage Tile Mains — Railroads, Highways, and Others

March 27, 2026

This article is not to be construed as legal advice. Consult with your legal advisor before entering tile agreements.Installing the necessary drainage tile on your farm often requires a tile main to direct water through an underground drain tile system and then through a neighbor’s...

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An excavator clears tree roots in a farm field with large shrub and blue sky in background.

Farm Drainage Series: Part 4 - Negotiating a Mutual Farm Tile Project: A Joint Tile Main Case Study

March 23, 2026

Note: This article is not to be construed as legal advice. Consult with your legal advisor before entering tile agreements. Improving farm drainage tiles in Illinois can be very challenging because most farmland is owned by absentee landowners rather than by the farmer. Owners...

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Two large grain bins on snow covered ground are visible at a stoplight intersection with a yellow light.

Farm Finance Series: The farm market value balance sheet

December 18, 2025

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 sheet is based on the current value of farm assets owned,...

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A muddy dirt road runs between two farm fields leading to an old abandoned hog house.

Farm Finance Series: The current situation and a look at history

December 1, 2025

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...

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A person's right hand holds a pen to a pad of paper, with glasses and mug off to side.

Farm Leasing Series: Cash-Rent farm lease contract tips for landowners and farmers.

November 11, 2025

Having a well-written farm lease is vital in today's farm rental marketplace. The purpose of this article is to provide tips to consider when constructing a cash farm lease in Illinois. Landowners and farmers can find farm lease templates online. Commonly used lease templates in Illinois are...

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Blog Authors

Kevin Brooks

Commercial Ag Educator, Farm Business Management and Marketing

Serving Fulton, Mason, Peoria and Tazewell Counties

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