Inflation is a word that’s in the news frequently, and it’s a word that makes people nervous. When prices for goods like food, clothing, and gasoline are on the rise, consumers fear that the purchasing power of their dollars is declining. (Business Insider)

The McHenry County Conservation District, in partnership with the local and state Farm Bureaus, installed a 30-by-30-foot bioreactor last summer just north of Woodstock, where nearly 100 people gathered Tuesday to learn about the technology. (The Courier)

Roughly 1.5 million Illinois residents live in poverty, and one in six children struggle with hunger. This demand puts additional strain on already-strapped food pantries and hunger-relief organizations, and drives significant need for increases in the country’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. (WGN)

In the summer of 2021, rumors started to circulate on social media that the U.S. government was forcing farmers to destroy their crops. This false rumor was largely spread in TikTok videos by people claiming that they had received letters from the U.S. Department of Agriculture instructing farmers to destroy their crops. (Snopes)

The Farmers’ Almanac has released its winter weather outlook for 2021-22 that has its own set of extremes. But if the prediction holds true, you can expect a typical winter in Illinois. (The Center Square)

Chicago wheat futures gained almost 1% on Monday, rebounding from last session’s losses on concerns over production downgrades in key exporting countries. Soybeans rose for the first time in three sessions and corn also gained ground. (MarketScreener)