End of Year Photo Contest Winners

Learn how corn-based plastic (PLA) offers a biodegradable, eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastic. Lower emissions, renewable resources, and real climate benefits corn is part of the solution.

On June 12, 2025, President Donald Trump signed three resolutions under the Congressional Review Act that roll back California’s authority to enforce zero-emission vehicle standards.

As social media influence began to emerge, IL Corn recognized a unique opportunity to empower young agricultural communicators with the tools and knowledge to advocate for agriculture in fresh, meaningful ways. This vision led to an unforgettable internship experience for Claire Benjamin, the current Director of Communications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences . Benjamin interned with IL Corn from January to May 2011, which was the spring semester of her first year at the U. of I. As one of several IL Corn interns in 2011, she was encouraged to advocate for Illinois agriculture in whatever way suited her best. For her, the answer was simple: writing. She started a blog, Rural Route Review, to help people better understand agriculture, covering hot-button issues like GMOs, organic versus conventional farming, and more. “Oftentimes, communicators have something to say, but they need an audience. IL Corn gave me that platform. They gave me permission to seek out those audiences and share my own personal messages as an agriculturalist and fledgling writer,” Benjamin said. The experience became a turning point in her career. “When someone sees value in you as a communicator, that is really powerful,” she said. “I remember what it felt like to be believed in, and feeling like if someone trusts me now, then this is somewhere I can really build a career.” And she did. Benjamin has held communications roles at the U. of I. for over 12 years and has served as Director of Communications for the College of ACES since 2023. In her role, she helps fulfill the university’s land-grant mission by translating research and innovation into real-world impact for Illinois farmers and stakeholders. She works closely with a team of science writers, supports advocacy and advancement efforts, and collaborates with Dean Germán Bollero to demonstrate the continued relevance of the land-grant model—and how it’s evolving to continually serve the future of agriculture as well as families and communities across the state and beyond. Benjamin credits her IL Corn internship with giving her not only permission and a platform to communicate about agricultural issues, but also to engage meaningfully in the conversations that shape the industry. The connections she made during that time continue to influence her career today. She interned under Lindsay Croke whom she now collaborates with as a fellow agricultural communicator. “It is heartwarming to know how many people helped me get to where I am today, including Lindsay,” Benjamin said. “Agriculture excels at giving interns a chance,” she said. “Organizations like IL Corn prove through their internship programs that there’s room for everyone at the table and the more voices, the better.” Now, Benjamin is paying it forward, mentoring and guiding the next generation of communicators at the College of ACES. “How amazing that my own intern is the one interviewing me for this story,” she said. These days, she finds herself asking the same question that once guided her own journey: “What are the stories you want to tell?” Benjamin’s story is a full-circle reflection of IL Corn’s internship vision: investing in young communicators, entrusting them with a platform, and watching their impact on agriculture for years to come.

Corn is transported in all directions, in many ways—every bushel depends on the strength and reliability of the transportation system. For Illinois corn farmers, state and federal transportation policy plays a major role in shaping the system.

When it comes to our ears, we know that the mechanism of hearing and the brain work together for us to hear and understand. We often talk about how our brain helps to fill in the blanks and gaps for us, which sometimes makes it hard to realize that we may have some hearing loss. As we age, however, the issue of untreated hearing loss has been shown to increase the risk of developing dementia. It is well known that keeping the brain active is important as we age, it is often recommended that we do activities that “exercise” our brain as we age. Throw in some hearing loss and that task can become more difficult to accomplish. Hearing loss that is not treated can lead to a variety of issues for an individual. Some schools of thought consider these as possible reasons that lead to the higher risk of dementia: 1. The brain is working hard to strain to hear and fill in the gaps. 2. Hearing loss may lead to the brain shrinking faster. 3. Hearing loss can lead to social isolation which, in turn, makes the brain less engaged. A study done at John’s Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health looked at the connection between hearing loss and dementia and they found that hearing aid users were less likely to have dementia than those older adults that had hearing loss but didn’t use hearing aids. In essence, hearing loss doesn’t cause dementia, but it places people at a higher risk for developing it. The American Academy of Audiology lists some common symptoms of hearing loss and of dementia: Early Signs of Hearing Loss These are some common signs of hearing loss · Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments (restaurants, malls, cars, etc.…) · Feeling like people “mumble”; speech is unclear · Saying things like “I can hear, but I can’t understand!” · Family and friends often need to repeat themselves for you · Difficulty understanding someone if you aren’t looking at them · Your family says your TV and/or radio is too loud · Increased frustration during conversations · Avoiding social situations because it is hard to hear Early Signs of Dementia These are some common signs of dementia (MIND Center, 2019): · Forgetfulness (especially of recently learned information) · Difficulty performing tasks that are familiar (e.g., preparing a meal, placing a phone call, playing a game) · Problems with language (increased difficulty recalling words) · Disorientation to time and place (e.g., getting lost in familiar areas) · Poor or decreased judgment (e.g., inappropriate clothing choices, financial decisions) · Problems with complex mental tasks · Losing things and/or misplacing them into unusual places · Changes in mood or behavior (e.g., rapid mood swings) · Changes in personality (e.g., more confused, suspicious, fearful) · Loss of initiative; becoming more passive It is clear that issues people face due to hearing loss have an impact with symptoms of dementia. For example, if you have difficulty understanding what is being said to you, it could make information harder to retain, likely because the information wasn’t received correctly. Additionally, hearing loss affects our balance as well, which can lead to a higher risk of falls. Even a mild amount of hearing loss can put a person at a higher risk for dementia. So, protecting your hearing from loud noise to prevent hearing loss, becomes even more important tin reducing that risk. Not only that, but correcting hearing loss as soon as it is found, is very important as well. Often people are hesitant to use hearing aids, they often associate them with being old, or they may not think their hearing is bad enough for a hearing aid, or perhaps it is vanity, they don’t like the way they look. There are many options for correcting hearing with hearing aids, assistive listening devices or cochlear implants. An area of concern for many is the cost of such devices. Hearing aids can cost from 1500-3000 per hearing aid. Assistive listening devices can be less costly but are often meant for specific tasks, such as listening to the TV and therefore won’t help in all situations. Cochlear implants require surgery, and the cost is extremely high, often people that get these types of devices have more profound loss. There are organizations like the Lions Club and Sertoma, to name a few, that can assist people with the cost of hearing aids. Some state agencies like vocational rehabilitation can also assist with amplification. So, remember that protecting your hearing now not only will make life less stressful, it plays an important role in preventing bigger issues as we age. Let’s keep that brain engaged but don’t stress it out if it has to work too hard. It is never too late to protect your hearing and if you know you have some hearing loss, follow up with an audiologist as soon as possible. The is a part of a Farm Health Series. Check out the first story on how farm noises impact you .