The American Farm Bureau Federation, along with 17 other agriculture, industry and housing organizations, filed a federal lawsuit questioning the legality of the Biden administration’s final “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) rule. The suit details the “impossible — and unpredictable — burdens” the regulation would have on farmers, ranchers and landowners. READ MORE

What does it take to grow an award-winning crop? Dale Hadden of Morgan County said a good start to the season set the tone for his successful crop. Then, it’s up to Mother Nature. With an entry of 335.7 bushels per acre, Hadden won the 2022 Illinois state corn yield contest and was second in his class nationally. Across the state, all six winners of their classes surpassed 300 bushels per acre. Hadden and Troy Uphoff of Shelby County reflected on last year’s crop. READ MORE

What’s your first thought when it comes to high yields? Matt Bennett, regional sales manager for Precision Planting, says you should start at the very beginning. “Uniformity, or lack thereof, is the biggest yield robber,” he said. Even emergence in the first few days after planting can prove costly all season long. Bennett and Cory Muhlbauer, lead agronomist at Precision Planting, advise farmers to focus on three Cs while seeding their crops. READ MORE

Are you ready to tackle the issues of food security and sustainability? The Illinois Agricultural Leadership Foundation is accepting applications for the 19-month program for its class of 2025. The program includes a series of seminars featuring leading practitioners, a week-long seminar in Washington, D.C. and a two-week international seminar. READ MORE

Take your conservation efforts to the next level by applying for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Illinois Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will invest up to $12.1 million in new CSP contracts. Applications close Feb. 3 to be considered for funding in fiscal year 2023. READ MORE

It was a cooler and drier year statewide than normal, according to the Illinois State Water Survey. But the statistics do not represent all places in Illinois. “Calendar year 2022 was somewhat to much drier than normal in most of central and southern Illinois, but wetter than normal in areas that experienced extreme rainfall, such as the St. Louis Metro East and far northern Illinois,” said Trent Ford, state climatologist. He recaps extreme weather events from 2022 and an active start to 2023. READ MORE     PLUS: Some parts of Illinois could receive measurable snow Wednesday night. Find out