Youth groups interested in helping save the honey bee population have an opportunity with GROWMARK’s pollinator garden program. Just choose a location and the program provides seed and signage to start a garden. Learn how to participate.

 RFD’s DeLoss Jahnke talks with Standard Grain’s Joe Vaclavik about the markets.   Read and listen

“Local government is where things get done.” That was the message from Illinois Farm Bureau’s Ryan Whitehouse during the recent Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference. Whitehouse and other staff discussed how county Farm Bureaus can build closer relationships with local government.   Read more

“One thing that’s improved year over year is transportation,” said Eric Wuthrich, the newly-elected Grain and Feed Association of Illinois president. The outlook continues to evolve for ag transportation as freight rates ease, but steel remains high. Learn more about what’s ahead for ag transportation.   Read more

5 with Mark Illinois Farm Bureau’s Mark Gebhards provides his takeaways of issues impacting agriculture in this interview with RFD’s Rita Frazer. Topics included: Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference highlights State bill introduction deadlines Ag takeaways from state budget Dicamba cutoff date Broadband funding LISTEN    

Nitrate losses can be reduced with different fertilizer practices, cover crops and longer crop rotations, according to Lowell Gentry, retired University of Illinois researcher. Gentry reported his research results to the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council. “Nitrate (losses) are trending down,” he said. “We might say, ‘We are managing to move the needle.’”   Read more