Agriculture

The Farm Family Resource Initiative provides a range of resources for farmers including a 24/7 helpline. Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello was joined by representatives from the SIU School of Medicine and dairy farmers from Red Bud to highlight features of the program.

Every five years, Congress has to renew the farm bill — a gigantic piece of legislation that supports and protects food production, natural resources and provides food benefits to low-income families.

Counties with the most cattle and calves overall are Jo Daviess, Stephenson and Clinton.

InFocus explores specialty farms, and their impact on the agriculture economy. WSIU's Jennifer Fuller talks with Michelle Sirles, Rendleman Orchards and Niki Davis, SIU HTEM.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a new rule that would change the requirements of meat, poultry and egg labels that say “Product of USA” or “Made in the USA” to better align with what consumers understand the claim to mean.

Tar spot, a fungal disease, first appeared in the U.S. in 2015 with reports in Indiana and Illinois. Since then, it has been spreading across the Midwest.

20 local agriculture students will each receive a $500 scholarship to support their studies.

Ag producers and forest landowners can apply for the USDA funding.

After the deadly bird flu hit egg-producing flocks, the supply of eggs shrank dramatically. That’s led to historically high prices for consumers.

Many ag industry and farm worker advocacy groups had high hopes that farm labor reform would make it through Congress last year. Now the future is murky.