Cool and dry were the watchwords for Illinois farmers last week. … MORE
Category Archives: Ask The Expert: Agriculture
Illinois corn harvesting has begun
Illinois corn has just begun the harvest.… MORE
Rainy weather pushed cash crops last week
Rainy weather pushed the two major cash crops in Illinois last week, according to the USDA crop report.… MORE
Illinois starting to show up on NOAA Drought Monitor
Despite the rain of this summer, parts of Illinois are starting to show up on the NOAA Drought Monitor.… MORE
Hot and dry days making commodity markets “jittery”
While wet conditions mixed with a cold snap provided tough planting for farmers, recent hot and dry days make the market jittery.… MORE
USDA State Statistician: “It’s time to plant crops”
The farmers are taking a look at the possibilities of 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. … MORE
PODCAST: Don Meyer, McLean County Ag. History
In his July episode of McLean County Ag History, Don Meyer explains how 88 acres of what was once farmland is tied to local schools, businesses and a wealthy beer baron. LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE: … MORE
Ask The Expert: Agriculture Test
If you ate today, thank a farmer.… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…