Growers gave Trump a warm welcome at this year’s American Farm Bureau Federation conference here, with members of the traditionally right-leaning group — the industry’s biggest lobbying organization — saying they remain optimistic the agriculture economy is on the mend. (Politico)

Major steps to settle the two-year trade war between the United States and China were taken Jan. 15 and representatives from agriculture groups joined in cautious optimism about Phase 1 of an agreement. (Agri-News)

Illinois farmers will get a much-needed lift from two international trade agreements approved by the federal government last week, but experts are uncertain if their situations will improve in the long term. (Southern Illinoisan)

President Donald Trump thanked farmers Sunday for supporting him through a trade war with China as he promoted a new North American trade agreement and a separate one with China that he said will massively benefit farmers. (Associated Press)

Did you know that anything using a petroleum-based plastic could be replaced with a renewable bio-based plastic? John Caupert, executive director from NCERC, along with Alexis Hartman, college student and Illinois farmer, explain how we can all help create a more sustainable world by switching to renewable resources like corn-based plastics instead of traditional plastic. Watch the video on FarmWeekNow.

Bettie the beagle, a detector dog for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, picked up the scent of pork on a woman arriving from China at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. A ham sandwich in the purse of a passenger who had flown on a China Eastern Airlines flight from Shanghai was confiscated. The danger? That the food might be contaminated with African swine fever and spread the disease to the U.S. (Reuters)