Producing Food for a Growing World

The stakes are too high to guess about this year's crop.

From pests to disease to weather, you face mounting challenges that threaten profitability, production, and health. You need strategies to reduce the worry that keeps you up at night. Illinois Extension professionals help you navigate the risk by bringing the research from the university to you at the farm. Stay updated with ways to reduce risk so you can sleep better at night and wake up with a plan that fits your farm operation.

Farming, it's what we do. 

From north to south, Illinois measures 400 miles that is home to 72,000 farms on 27 million acres.* That's nearly 75% of all the land in Illinois. And, it's prime, productive land, leveled by glaciers and wind, that makes it perfect for crop production. 

Our grain farms are a big deal to the world.

• Illinois is a leading producer of soybeans and corn.
• Our ag products generate more than $19 billion each year.
  • 54% from corn.
  • 27% from soybeans.
• Nearly 44% of Illinois grain is exported.
  • We're third in the nation for ag commodity exports at $8.2 billion.
  • We're second in the nation for soybean and feed grain exports.

*2019 stats from Illinois Department of Agriculture

• Northwestern Illinois Agricultural R&D Center: 320-acre facility, established in 1980 near Monmouth in Warren County
• Orr Agricultural R&D Center: 478 acres of cropland, pasture and woodland located in western Illinois
• Dixon Springs Agricultural Center:  5,100 acres in Pope County. Research at DSAC includes observation trials of vegetable crops within high tunnels, beef cattle reproductive physiology, forest ecology, soil health, forestry policy, and invasive species control.
• The Dudley Smith Initiative: Innovative research and outreach that advances innovations within the agricultural system
• Crop Sciences Resource and Education Center