By USDA SPRINGFIELD – There were 6.1 days suitable for field work during the week ending June 20. Statewide, the average temperature was 75.2 degrees, 2.2 degrees above normal. Precipitation averaged 0.72 inches, 0.27 inches below normal. Topsoil moisture supply was rated 4 percent very short, 28 percent short, 64 percent adequate, and 4 percent…… MORE
There were 3.7 days suitable for field work during the week ending May 23.… MORE
Rainy conditions hindered farmers’ ability to get into the fields this week as only 4.2 days were suitable for fieldwork.… MORE
Planting across Illinois is ahead of average, even with some wet weather last week.… MORE
The cool, wet weather could have been a relief to some farmers concerned about dryness as the planting season continues.… MORE
Weather last week in Illinois was warm and damp for farmers, with the average temperature 62.8 degrees and precipitation just over an inch.… MORE
Some cold soil could have held back the planting for the past week.… MORE
Let’s talk crop progress! And there is some progress to report.… MORE
It’s time to start the weekly USDA Illinois crop report.… MORE
Small business farmers across the state could soon sell directly to consumers instead of only farmers’ markets under a new Act. … MORE
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.” …
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…
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…
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…