Illinois Agriculture Collaborates to Make an Impact
May 23, 2024
Illinois agriculture worked together this week magnifying farmer voices on a collection of topics.
1. Supporting the Livestock Industry
- Farmer led organizations signed a letter supporting language in the House’s farm bill that prevents a segmented marketplace for livestock producers. The legislation challenges California’s infamous Proposition 12 and reinstates market certainty for Illinois farmers. Proposition 12 impacts the Illinois pork industry which supports nearly 34,000 jobs and contributes $3.3 billion to the economy.
2. Support for a Bipartisan farm bill
- The IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) and the Illinois Soybean Association penned a letter to some members of the House Committee on Agriculture requesting a bipartisan, honest farm bill. The letter highlighted the legislation’s additional funding for market development and crop insurance coverage. However, it raised questions on additions to Title I made at the expense of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- “While our top priority is protecting crop insurance, our second is a bipartisan farm bill. We are encouraged by proposals that increase trade program funding and guarantees for ARC. However, we cannot overlook the funding mechanism in the House proposal that undermines SNAP programs Americans rely on and creates a clear partisan divide,” said the letter.
“As an industry and state, it is important we stand alongside and support each other,” ICGA President Dave Rylander said. “As the farm bill and other policies progress, we will continue to work together on issues impacting our memberships.”

By Lindsay Croke
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June 30, 2025
When we think of Independence Day traditions, sweet corn on the cob is as iconic as fireworks and often even more central to the celebration. According to Instacart, purchases of sweet corn surge by 380% over the annual average heading into July 4th, outranking other grilling staples like baby back ribs and burgers. But corn's role in your Fourth of July celebration goes far beyond your plate. In Illinois alone, 8,300 acres of sweet corn are harvested annually, averaging 155 cwt per acre. That’s more than 128 million pounds of locally grown sweetness fueling summer cookouts across the state. And while sweet corn makes a big impression on the grill, most of Illinois’ corn crop isn’t sweet corn - it’s field corn. Less than 1% of the state’s crop is sweet corn, while the rest is used in products that are often invisible to consumers but vital to everyday life: fuel, packaging, fireworks, and even spirits.