Lack of middleman between Illinois farmers and consumers limits market for fruits and vegetables
In the shadow of corn, soybeans and climate change, a handful of farmers are building a supply chain for local produce in Illinois.
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As labor costs rise, AI is learning to farm
In Illinois, a domestic labor shortage and costly migrant workers deter farmers from growing fruits and vegetables.
Crop insurance costs taxpayers billions. But it only benefits big farms and companies.
Federal crop insurance providers steer coverage toward more profitable commodities like corn and soybeans, reinforcing Illinois' two-crop system.
Cash crops, hidden costs: Inside Illinois’ complex agricultural system
The Tribune is launching a series of special reports to examine how corn and soybeans made Illinois an agricultural giant and the challenges a two-crop strategy presents amid a changing...
Who owns most of the farmland in Illinois? Not farmers.
Less than 25% of Illinois farmland is owned by the farmer who works the land, with the rest leased by individuals, family trusts and, increasingly, investors looking to turn a...
Federal judge dismisses suit that threatened wetlands on farmland nationwide
The lawsuit by a Chicago-area investor accused federal wetland protections of threatening property rights.
Farmers head to court to protect wetlands against suit by Chicago investor and two law firms
Under Swampbuster, any farmer who drains a wetland on their property is ineligible for federal benefits.
Chicago energy executive donates $100M for clean energy initiatives at U. of C. and World Resources Institute
Center will address barriers to adoption in the U.S. and India, while U. of C. academy will train next generation of clean energy leaders.
More Midwestern wetlands threatened as federal lawsuit targets farm programs
A Chicago investor is seeking to upend one of the federal government's last mechanisms to protect wetlands. Iowa farmers are rallying to stop him.
ATVs are swarming Pembroke Township. Residents say a rare ecosystem and the community are defenseless.
Residents of a rural Black community in Pembroke Township report regular trespassing and gun activity by out-of-town off-roaders on ecologically significant sand dunes.