Officials with the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA)

and Illinois Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA) responded to a Farm World article from

March 22, “Illinois Group Wants Binding County Board Decisions on CAFOs,”

that an state-based environmental group might soon announce a state legislator

will adapt the group’s recommendations for confined animal facility operations

(CAFOs) into a bill.

Dairy has become one of the bigger focuses of 2018 farm bill discussions.

 

The 2014 farm bill has offered protection to farmers across the country to help mitigate dropping commodity prices. Between 2014-16 milk prices fell from $24 to

$16 per cwt., but dairy farmers did not have the farm bill programs in place to help. Last week, experts on the dairy industry gave testimony during a hearing in front

of members of the House Agriculture Committee.

Cameron Mills has been farming with no-till for 18 years

and has used cover crops for 10. Despite his experience, he admits there are unknowns

about each practice.

From technology dealing with cows and

grasshoppers to advances in irrigation and weed control, Alltech is hoping

that their new crop of agri-tech startup companies are primed to bring about

real change in the agriculture industry.

Everyone has an opinion – and that statement couldn’t be more true than when it comes to the industry of agriculture.

 

One of the many social media modes on which people express opinions are independent audio shows streamed exclusively online – called podcasts. However, unlike other social media platforms, podcasts are more than angry paragraphs or the half-hearted

two cents someone leaves in a comment. Podcasts can be organized, thoughtful discussions between people who care about a given topic.

 Central Illinois brothers Cavan and Steele Sullivan always tend to do their homework, research issues well and take calculated risks that so far

have paid off handsomely.