URBANA, Ill. – With harvest season behind us and spring planting on the horizon, now is the time to prepare for the year ahead. University of Illinois Extension invites farmers, agronomists, and agriculture professionals to attend one of the upcoming Agronomy Summits across the state in January and February of 2026.
These in-person events provide up-to-date research-based insights from university and industry experts to help producers make informed decisions for the 2026 growing season. Sessions will cover soil health, nutrient management, pest control, crop market outlooks, and emerging technologies in agriculture. Attendees will walk away with practical tools, research updates, and new connections to strengthen their operations.
“Agronomy Summits are designed to bring the latest research and resources directly to local communities,” says Kathryn Seebruck, commercial agriculture educator serving Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties. “Our goal is to provide timely, relevant information that producers can apply immediately on their farms.”
Farmers who participated in last year’s summit events believed the presentations to be very informative and expressed appreciation for the specificity of topics covered, while agricultural advisors stated the presentations were a great resource that will help them and their farmer clients going forward. The 2026 Agronomy Summits will be held at the following locations across Illinois:
- Peoria Agronomy Summit | Jan. 12
- Southeastern Agronomy Summit | Fairfield, Jan. 22
- Northwest Illinois Agronomy Summit | Freeport, Jan. 28
- Southwestern Agronomy Summit | Waterloo, Feb. 3
- Oglesby Agronomy Summit | Feb. 5
- Joliet Agronomy Summit | Feb. 10
- Springfield Agronomy Summit | Feb. 17
- Clark County Agronomy Summit | Feb. 24
Registration fees vary by location and include lunch and all sessions. Certified Crop Adviser continuing education units will be offered. Register online by individual location.
For questions or if you need an accommodation to participate, please contact the local event staff listed at the link above. Early requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.
WRITERS: Emily Hansen, commercial agriculture educator, Illinois Extension serving Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties; Kathryn Seebruck, commercial agriculture educator, Illinois Extension serving Jo Daviess, Stephenson, and Winnebago counties; Reagen Tibbs, Illinois Extension serving Logan, Menard, and Sangamon counties
EDITOR: Jenna Braasch, media communications coordinator, Illinois Extension
University of Illinois Extension develops educational programs, extends knowledge, and builds partnerships to support people, communities, and their environments as part of the state's land-grant institution. Extension serves as the leading public outreach effort for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences in all 102 Illinois counties through a network of 27 multi-county units and over 700 staff statewide. Extension’s mission is responsive to eight strategic priorities — community, economy, environment, food and agriculture, health, partnerships, technology and discovery, and workforce excellence — that are served through six program areas — 4-H youth development, agriculture and agribusiness, community and economic development, family and consumer science, integrated health disparities, and natural resources, environment, and energy.