The value of farmland has increased in a few states in the Midwest, including Illinois. A report released last month by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago showed agricultural land values have surged. The report surveyed 151 bankers to determine the value of agricultural land. (WREX)  

Increasing access to fresh, locally sourced food and connecting families with how its grown are priorities for Chicago-based companies Sugar Beet Food Co-op and Herban Produce. During a recent farm-to-fork tour, 25 farmers from rural Illinois learned about the unique challenges both businesses face in the city. (The Pantagraph)

The community-support efforts of young Illinois farmers, including several in west-central Illinois, were highlighted this past weekend during the Illinois Farm Bureau’s annual meeting in Chicago. (Journal Courier)

Detecting the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools in organisms with the naked eye and an ultraviolet flashlight is now possible using technology developed at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (Science X Network)

California farmers who struggled to make it through record-breaking drought and heat in 2021 are bracing for another bad year, this time without any additional water from the state. (Bloomberg)

By large, bipartisan majorities, the House passed bills on Wednesday to introduce more transparency in cattle marketing and to keep in force a law that requires meatpackers to report purchase prices of livestock. The bills now go to the Senate for action. (Successful Farming)