August - September Highlights Annual Report

Tara Desmond
January 6, 2026
  • Major Presence at the Illinois State Fair
  • ICGA had a strong, visible presence throughout the Illinois State Fair, engaging with members, partners, and lawmakers. During Fair Week, ICGA staff and farmer leaders met with numerous Illinois state legislators to build relationships and discuss key state-level priorities such as regulatory certainty, rural economic development, infrastructure needs, conservation cost-share programs, and the importance of keeping agriculture competitive in Illinois.
  • Farm Progress Show Engagement
  • August also included significant outreach at the Farm Progress Show, where ICGA directors and staff met with farmers, industry partners, and policymakers. Conversations centered on conservation programs, ethanol demand, ag workforce needs, and the farm financial outlook — reinforcing ICGA’s work across policy, market development, and conservation adoption.
  • Preparation for Fall Session
  • Heading into the fall, the policy team continued its groundwork for Springfield’s veto session and maintained federal conversations.
  • IL Corn Testifies on Urgent Need for Mississippi River Infrastructure Upgrades
  • ICGA farmer leader Mark Bunselmeyer testified before the Mississippi River Commission, urging federal leaders to accelerate long-delayed upgrades to Lock 25 and the broader NESP system. He emphasized that nearly half of Illinois corn depends on the river, and decades of farmer advocacy and investment have been met with stalled progress and soaring project costs. Mark called for consistent funding, streamlined Corps processes, and greater input from river users to ensure a modern, reliable waterway system that Illinois farm families and the national economy depend on.

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Sarah Hastings, Melinda Fourez, Sen. Chapin Rose, Mark Degler, Steve Fourez, and Dale Haudrich

Farmers Push for Change at the State Capitol

By Lyndi Allen • April 16, 2026
Illinois farmers came to the state capitol this week to draw attention to the poor farm economy as the planting season begins. Farmers met with their representatives and key legislators
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How a County Fair Queen Represents Agriculture Across Illinois

By Tara Desmond • April 16, 2026
Illinois Fair Queen Krista Phillips shares how her role goes beyond the crown connecting communities and advocating for agriculture statewide.
Ashley, Lindsay and Laura in DC

Rooted in Illinois Ag: Meet Lindsay Croke from IL Corn TV

By Lindsay Croke • April 16, 2026
Lindsay Croke is the IL Corn Director of Communications and Marketing today, but she’s served many roles over her 20+ years at IL Corn and brings a lot of historical perspective of IL Corn’s work and goals to IL Corn TV show as a host. We sat down with Lindsay to figure out how she landed at IL Corn, what the work here has meant to her and to our industry, and why she sticks around.
Steve Koeller, Justin Moore, Shane Gray, Rep. Katie Stuart, Chad Dillenberger, and Dale Haudrich

NCERC: Driving the Future of Ethanol

By Lyndi Allen • April 8, 2026
Representative Katie Stuart and Illinois farmers visited NCERC for a tour, to learn about its expansion plans, and interview Illinois farmers
thumbnail from farmdoc webinar

Farmer Production Decision-Making

By Tara Desmond • April 8, 2026
Researchers reveal most farmers operate from a single, highly consistent production plan and change it far less often than conservation advisors typically assume.
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The Stories & Videos Illinois Farmers Loved This Winter and Spring

By Tara Desmond • April 8, 2026
Catch up on IL Corn’s top stories and videos from Q1 2026, featuring farmers, yields, policy updates, and must-see moments from the field.
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