On November 15, USDA announced issuance of the second tranche of Market Facilitation Program (MFP) payments for 2019.  As of November 18, 2019, USDA reports that MFP 2019 has paid $6.898 billion of the announced $14.5 billion; MFP 2018 is…

Corn processed into US ethanol has grown dramatically, and accounted for 37% of total US corn use during the 2018 market year (USDA (US Department of Agriculture), Office of the Chief Economist, November 2019).  A related, but broader issue is,…

Due to lower corn and soybean yields, 2019 net farm incomes on Illinois grain farms are projected to decline more than $80,000 per farm from 2018 levels. The low yields are partially offset by higher corn and soybean prices and…

The release of the NOPA soybean crush estimates last Friday indicated crush levels picked up substantially in October.  Driven by a moderate export pace for soybeans and a decent crush margin, soybean crush appears back on track for the 2019-20…

In 2018, the total noncapital living expenses of 1,306 farm families enrolled in the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management Association (FBFM) average was $77,999–or $6,500 a month for each family. This average was 2.3 percent lower than in 2017.  Another…

Throughout its history, conservation policy can be understood, in part, as representing attempts at achieving balance. Policies have involved balancing the demands for producing crops with the limits of, and impacts on, natural resources; they have also tried to achieve…