Duckworth Speaks with Illinois Corn Growers and Illinois Soybean Association

July 15, 2022
A group of people wearing face masks are sitting around a table.

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) this week met with Illinois Corn Growers and Illinois Soybean Association members to discuss how she can continue to support our nation’s corn and soybean growers and rural communities in Illinois, including through the 2023 Farm Bill. During the meetings, Duckworth and the Illinois Corn Growers also discussed how protecting our state’s waterways (locks and dam infrastructure) and incentivizing agricultural production for renewable fuels (Next Generation Fuels Act) can help grow Illinois’s agriculture industry.

“America has always depended on our nation’s farmers and ranchers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is such a significant boost for them,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s corn and soybean farmers is so important to the strength of our state and our nation, and I look forward to continuing my efforts to support farmers throughout the state to help make sure they have the resources and information they need.”

A group of people in suits are sitting around a table

The Duckworth-championed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help support Illinois’s agriculture sector by providing major support to the state’s waterway infrastructure. In January, Duckworth helped announce that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) allocated $829.1 million in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program (NESP) on the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS). This ecosystem restoration and navigation improvement project will update two Lock & Dams and build another which will make it easier for farmers with agricultural products to navigate the waterway.



Duckworth is also an advocate for American biofuels and helped introduce the Home Front Energy Independence Act in March. The bill would incentivize and expand the use and production of biofuel that’s grown in America, while making a less expensive fuel option available to the nation’s farmers and families.

PRESS RELEASE Contact: Gwen Pepin, Gwendolyn_Pepin@duckworth.senate.gov

Justin Moore headshot
By Tara Desmond July 23, 2025
Meet Justin Moore a staff member at IL Corn.
washington dc photo
By Lindsay Croke July 17, 2025
“If such language is included in the policy recommendations, it could significantly hamper the work of America’s farmers and raise prices on consumers without providing any additional layer of safety for the American public,” the letter said. “If the pesticides in the original report were to disappear completely, crop
FFA students at USDA
By Lyndi Allen July 17, 2025
IL Corn leaders met with lawmakers in Washington, D.C. to discuss key ag priorities like trade, conservation, ethanol, and lock and dam infrastructure, while mentoring the next generation of advocates from Illinois FFA.
corn
By Lydia Rogers July 14, 2025
Debunking Myths
headshot of Shelby Watson
By Tara Desmond July 14, 2025
We recently caught up with Shelby Watson following the announcement of her promotion to Director, The Americas & Allied Industry Programs at USAPEEC. In her expanded role, Shelby is taking on new responsibilities across Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.
Crops destroyed by storm
By Lyndi Allen July 10, 2025
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the new Supplemental Disaster Relief Program, providing assistance to farmers with crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024.
Show More