Field Notes Ag Newsletter | Winter 2025

University of Illinois Extension’s Commercial Agriculture Educator, Kevin Brooks, presenting his seminar on “Planning Farm Succession.”

Farmland Owners Conference attracts over 220 attendees from 7 states

December 19, 2024

OGLESBY, Ill. – The 2024 Farmland Owners Conference held on November 28th, left attendees inspired, informed, and empowered. The event, held at Illinois Valley Community College, brought together over 220 landowners, agribusiness representatives, and industry experts to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in agriculture.The conference featured a diverse lineup of...

Blog articles

Anhydrous ammonia tanks in snowy farm field

Nutrient November: What are the 4R's?

November 15, 2024

Field Notes

With harvest wrapped up across most of Illinois, many growers are starting to consider fall nitrogen fertilizer applications. Fall applied nitrogen is fairly common throughout Illinois as ammonia is typically cheaper in the fall and there is less of a time crunch than spring applied N, but...

Finish this story

Cover crop spotlight: Cereal rye

October 10, 2024

Field Notes

Harvest is well underway across the state, with record yields projected for both corn and soybean. Many farmers are also gearing up to plant their winter cover crops. In recent...

Finish this story

A green field with grain bins in the background.

Navigating Cash Rents in 2025: Insights and Best Practices, Part Two

October 25, 2024

Farm Focus

This is the second post of a two-part blog series exploring cash rents for 2025. Part One described what a cash rent agreement is, the different types of cash rent agreements, and the trends in cash rent rates across Illinois. This post will analyze the projections for farmer returns in 2025, how...

Finish this story

The United States Capitol building in Washington, D.C.

A Century of Change: Tracing the History of the Farm Bill, Part Two

December 13, 2024

Farm Focus

This blog post is the second of a two-part series analyzing the history of the Farm Bill and the current proposals of a new Farm Bill in the United States Congress. Part one explored the history of agricultural policy in the United States from the early years of the Nation, through the Great...

Finish this story

News releases

December 19, 2024

New Ag Educator joins local Extension staff
OGLESBY, Ill. – The University of Illinois Extension is pleased to announce the addition of Emily Hansen as a Commercial Agriculture Educator serving Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties.  Emily joined our team in November 2023 and has already hit the ground running with programs...

December 19, 2024

Pesticide applicator tests to be offered in winter 2025
OGLESBY, Ill. – University of Illinois Extension – Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam counties is offering the following testing-only sessions and certification program for pesticide applicators.  Certification is required to apply restricted-use pesticides. All sessions are offered...

Ag Educator Emily Hansen gives presentation about soil health to field day attendees

November 14, 2024

Ag Field Day brings together students, growers, and industry experts
OGLESBY, Ill. — Illinois Valley Community College in partnership with the University of Illinois Extension hosted its annual Fall Field Day on September 6, 2024.  IVCC Ag + Extension’s Fall Field Day gives both students and the community a chance to learn about the latest research updates...

Events

View from the ground below growing wheat field with a drone flying above.

January 23, 2025

Oglesby Agronomy Summit
Make farm management decisions that keep crops trending upward. Finding tools to help strengthen confidence in decision-making on the farm is the theme for the Agronomy Summit stop on Jan. 23 at Illinois Valley Community College, Oglesby in room C-316. Attendees will hear research updates from...

January 16, 2025

Sustainability on the Farm - Cover Crops
Sustainability on the Farm is a series of educational programs designed to empower farmers and landowners with the knowledge and tools to implement sustainable agricultural practices on their land. The program will delve into a variety of topics, providing participants with practical insights and...

February 6, 2025

Sustainability on the Farm - Wildlife Habitat
Sustainability on the Farm is a series of educational programs designed to empower farmers and landowners with the knowledge and tools to implement sustainable agricultural practices on their land. The program will delve into a variety of topics, providing participants with practical insights and...

February 20, 2025

Sustainability on the Farm - Conservation Tillage
Sustainability on the Farm is a series of educational programs designed to empower farmers and landowners with the knowledge and tools to implement sustainable agricultural practices on their land. The program will delve into a variety of topics, providing participants with practical insights and...

March 6, 2025

Sustainability on the Farm - Edge of Field Practices
Sustainability on the Farm is a series of educational programs designed to empower farmers and landowners with the knowledge and tools to implement sustainable agricultural practices on their land. The program will delve into a variety of topics, providing participants with practical insights and...

March 20, 2025

Sustainability on the Farm - Cost Share Programs
Sustainability on the Farm is a series of educational programs designed to empower farmers and landowners with the knowledge and tools to implement sustainable agricultural practices on their land. The program will delve into a variety of topics, providing participants with practical insights and...

March 12, 2025

Informational Session on Phosphorus and Potassium Omission Trials
The University of Illinois Extension invites farmers and agronomists to attend an important informational session on the Phosphorus and Potassium Omission Trials being conducted statewide by the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences Soils Lab. This session will feature researcher...

Happy Holidays from Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam Extension!

We are happy to bring you the first edition of the Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam county Ag Newsletter. This issue covers the programs we have coming in Winter 2025, including the Oglesby Agronomy Summit, Sustainability on the Farm program series, and Pesticide Applicator/Operator Testing.

We had a fantastic 2024 as we welcomed a new Commercial Agriculture Educator, Emily Hansen, to our local Extension staff. Emily hit the ground running in 2024, bringing the Farmland Owners Conference to Illinois Valley Community College, hosting a roundtable discussion about cover crops, and organizing the IVCC Ag + Extension Fall Field Day.

As we continue to develop new local ag programs, your opinion matters to us. Fill out our program preference survey to let us know what you want to see!

Field Notes Ag Newsletter | Winter 2025

Farmland Owners Conference attracts over 220 attendees from 7 states

Nutrient November: What are the 4R's?

Cover crop spotlight: Cereal rye

Navigating Cash Rents in 2025: Insights and Best Practices, Part Two

A Century of Change: Tracing the History of the Farm Bill, Part Two

Talking soil health and plant-soil feedbacks with Emily Hansen

Happy Holidays from Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall, and Putnam Extension!

To learn more about our upcoming programs and events: