McLean County Farm Bureau

FarmDoc Daily

• Mixing Politics and Perceptions of AI and Data Centers: Results from the Gardner Food & Agricultural Policy Survey
  With an eye towards the rapidly approaching 2026 midterm elections, this article further reviews survey results from the Gardner Food and Agricultural Policy Survey, but through the lens of political affiliation. Specifically, we examine how perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with AI and data center development vary among self-identified Democrats, Republicans, and Independents/Others. […]
• Diesel Fuel Price Impact on Fuel & Oil and Per-Acre Machinery Costs
  Diesel fuel prices for agricultural use in Illinois have reached a record high. Those higher prices are estimated to raise fuel and oil costs on Central Illinois grain farms with…
• Differences in Sentiment Among Corn and Soybean Producers
  This article examines dispersion in producer sentiment, as measured by the Ag Economy Barometer (AEB) index, among survey respondents over time, and illustrated differences in sentiment and survey answers among corn and soybean producers using results from the September 2026 AEB survey. Dispersion of survey responses varies substantially over time but is in general negatively […]