Illinois districts are seeking more ag teachers and FFA advisers. “We’ve never hit 100 (ag teacher) openings in one year, and we’re at 99 right now,” said Dean Dittmar, Facilitating Coordination in Agricultural Education coordinator. Interested in becoming a teacher or adviser? Dittmar discusses the process in this article.   Read more

Following a slow start to planting, Illinois farmers hustled the past three weeks as weather improved, with the majority of crops in the ground as of Monday. Planting progress reached 78% complete for corn and 62% complete for soybeans in Illinois, the National Agricultural Statistics Service reported.   Read more

The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) officially launched Monday with 13 participating countries, including the U.S., representing about 40% of the world economy. U.S. ag groups mostly welcomed the framework, with some still pushing for better market access in the region.   Read more

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to a timeline for publishing future biofuel mandate blending targets. The agreement negotiated between EPA and Growth Energy would require the agency to propose Renewable Volume Obligations (RVO) for 2023 no later than Sept. 16, then finalize those targets by April 28, 2023.   Read more

While ag production in 2022-23 will likely increase in the U.S., the current sticker shock at the grocery store isn’t going away anytime soon. “My feeling is the markets will take care of this. It just takes time,” said Joe Glauber, senior research fellow for The International Food Policy Research Institute.   Read more

Twenty students from Pleasant Hill Elementary adopted a newborn calf, Vikki Rose, from the Mackinson Dairy Farm in Pontiac and have been tracking her growth this school year. “Adopt-A-Calf helps close that gap by bringing the farm experience directly into the classroom,” Dairy Council Senior Nutrition Educator Monica Nyman said in a press release. Read about their visit to meet Vikki Rose.   Read more