Check out the challenges and opportunities for growing industrial hemp at an informational forum Tuesday, June 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the Mini Expo Building at the McLean County Fairgrounds. Speakers include: Dr. Win Phippen of Western Illinois University, 2018 Industrial Hemp Research Trials Bill Bodine of Illinois Farm Bureau, Rules & Regulations As of April 30, 2019 Illinois farmers can apply for a license to grow industrial hemp from the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Illinois Farm Bureau® (IFB) created Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow (ALOT), an agricultural leadership development program designed to give participants a head-start on tackling tomorrow’s responsibilities. Twenty-one IFB members representing seventeen counties have successfully completed the 40th ALOT program. Tori Streitmatter and Kristen Kubsch represented McLean County. The 2019 ALOT sessions were held in Oglesby, Cambridge, Polo, Springfield, and Bloomington.  To date, over 1000 participants have graduated from the program. The nine-week training program allows participants