Many parts of Central Illinois, including Logan County, experienced high winds on May 21st, which caused large amounts of dust to be kicked up. These high winds and dust storms prompted the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue a Dust Storm Warning. This Warning stretched from Pekin to Decatur,...
Driving through the country this time of year, you’re likely to see two things: corn and soybeans. In 2023, 11.2 million acres of land in Illinois were planted in corn and nearly 10.4 million acres in soybeans. These two crops make up the vast majority of our agricultural production in...
This past month, the supreme court overturned Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) (1984) with the recent Loper Bright V. Raimondo (2024) decision. Chevron v. NRDC, also known as the Chevron deference, granted federal agencies leniency in interpreting ambiguous laws based on the idea...
Pesticides are essential for commercial growers to control weeds, insects, and disease, and are an integral part of an integrated weed management (IWM)...
Now is the time to get rid of any old or unwanted pesticides in your chemical storage area. The Illinois EPA one-day household hazardous waste collection schedule for this fall has been released to the public. Please note, all one-day collections require pre-registration. More information can be...
The growing season is underway at the University of Illinois Extension + Illinois Valley Community College Agriculture Research and Demonstration plots. On the IVCC side, plots were planted with multiple varieties of corn and soybeans donated by Channel Seed. These plots will be used to...
In a summer when many feel like they have been ambushed by cicadas, it’s easy to forget that the spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) has made its way into our state. Infestation status has been established in Cook County with no sightings documented yet in the rest of the state....
Edge-of-field practices are often lumped under the regenerative agriculture umbrella, but these practices tend to have different goals than those typically associated with regenerative systems. Most regenerative agricultural practices focus on building and maintaining soils, with enhancing...
June 20th is officially the first day of summer and with it comes the start of farmers market season. Farmers markets are a great opportunity to buy fresh, in-season produce and directly support local farms. Farmers markets help build community, support the local economy, strengthen our...
Regenerative agriculture may just sound like a new buzz word in the sustainable production space, but what does this term actually mean and why should it matter to Illinois farmers? Regenerative agriculture is an umbrella term used to describe the on-farm use of a wide range of sustainable...
