The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will extend its approval of controversial weedkillers for another five years, a victory for agriculture companies Bayer AG and BASF. (Wall Street Journal)

Earlier this month, Illinois launched a $5 million grant program to help livestock farmers and small meat and poultry plants offset COVID-19 business losses. The Illinois Department of Agriculture is still accepting grant applications but must receive them by Oct 31. Visit our Livestock Resources page for more information.

EDF Renewables had planned to build 24 turbines in the town of Jefferson near the Illinois border. But the developer has since scrapped plans for the project. (Associated Press

The harvest season in Illinois typically spans from September to November each year. During that time, drivers should be on the lookout for a variety of farm equipment including combines, tractors, grain carts and semi-trucks. (Effingham Daily News

The USDA announced Friday it authorized $500 million to fund a fourth round of food purchases for its Farmers to Families Food Box Program, which delivers fresh produce, dairy, milk and meat to Americans in need. (Fox Business)

– China accelerated purchases of U.S. farm products last month, new data shows, but overall it remains far behind on a commitment to buy about $140 billion in specific U.S. agricultural, energy and manufactured goods this year under a trade accord signed in January. (Wall Street Journal