Sangamon, Scott, Morgan Rank In Top Ten in the Nation for Soybean Production
By Benjamin Cox on March 23, 2023 at 6:21pm

The USDA National Agriculture Statistic Service (NASS) released county estimates for 2022 corn and soybean production, with Illinois counties holding the top spot for production in both crops. Illinois’ hold as the number one producer of soybeans in the United States remains solid, with the top eleven counties for soybean yield in 2022 located in […]
Orr Corporation Continues Work, Fundraising For Fred Bradshaw Center
By Benjamin Cox on March 9, 2023 at 11:54am

The Orr Corporation says it’s not quite finished with the Fred L. Bradshaw Learning Center near Perry. The corporation along with members from John Wood Community College dedicated the facility back in August. According to the Quincy Herald-Whig, more than 1,000 people have come through the facility since then for classes, events, and a variety […]
Morgan Commissioners Pass Resolution Supporting Agriculture For National Ag Month
By Benjamin Cox on March 6, 2023 at 6:31pm

The Morgan County Commissioners are pro-agriculture. The Commissioners passed a special resolution this morning to acknowledge and support the biggest sector in the county this morning. The resolution was presented by Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau President Dale Hadden and Manager Lindsay Ryan. Hadden, who owns and operates nearly 7,000 acres near Jacksonville, says now was the […]
Marr Family To Be Featured in Super Bowl Ad
By Benjamin Cox on February 11, 2023 at 1:40pm

Illinois viewers of this Sunday’s Super Bowl will learn that 96-percent of Illinois farms are owned by family farmers. It’s an ad campaign organized by the Illinois Farm Families coalition. Morgan County Farmer Marty Marr and his family will be featured in the Super Bowl ad airing on Fox Illinois affiliates during the first half […]
JBS USA Acquires Bushnell, IL-Based TriOak Foods
By Benjamin Cox on December 6, 2022 at 9:17am

A global pork producer with local ties has purchased some local assets. JBS USA has reached an agreement to acquire some assets of a McDonough County pork and grain producer. The Journal Courier reports that JBS has come to an agreement with Bushnell-based TriOak Foods. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, but JBS […]
Ryan Receives Farm Bureau Certified Manager Status
By Benjamin Cox on October 11, 2022 at 9:31am

The Cass-Morgan Farm Bureau has a bureau manager that has been recognized for professional achievement and leadership. Lindsay Ryan was re-certified as a designated Farm Bureau Certified Manager last month. It’s a distinction she’s held since 2012. Ryan says it’s a lengthy process to get certified. Ryan says that the Illinois Farm Bureau created it […]
Barge Traffic on Rivers Slow As River Levels Sink
By Benjamin Cox on October 5, 2022 at 6:04am

Portions of the Mississippi River have water levels are the lowest they have been in a decade. The water levels are causing trouble to farmers and shippers who move grain down the river at harvest. Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Thursday that normally, tows are able to move 36 barges at […]
Chapin Farmer Taking Part In Carbon Farming Market
By Benjamin Cox on August 22, 2022 at 8:53am

A Morgan County farmer is a part of the latest buzz in agriculture. Carbon Farming is a whole farm approach to optimizing carbon capture on working landscapes by implementing practices that are known to improve the rate at which CO2 is removed from the atmosphere and stored in plant material and/or soil organic matter. John […]
Wellhausen Named New Manager for Greene & Jersey counties Farm Bureaus
By Benjamin Cox on July 14, 2022 at 12:43pm

The Greene & Jersey Counties Farm Bureau recently announced the hire of a new manager. Macy Wellhausen will be joining both bureaus. Wellhausen currently lives in Farmersville, and is a 2019 graduate of North Mac High School and graduated in May from Illinois State University with a degree in Agri Business.
Maschoffs Biometric Lawsuit Dismissed
By Benjamin Cox on July 13, 2022 at 5:02pm

The region’s largest pork producer had a lawsuit dismissed in federal court on Monday alleging they had violated the state’s biometric privacy law. A federal lawsuit filed in late September 2021 in U.S. District Court in Springfield by Rene Reyes, a former employee, against The Maschhoffs LLC asked for class-action status challenging the producer’s practice […]