Kay Shipman: Media Award Recipient

November 21, 2023
A man in a suit and tie is shaking hands with a woman in a black jacket.

The IL Corn Growers Association’s 2023 Excellence in Media Award was given to Kay Shipman, formerly a writer for Illinois Farm Bureau’s FarmWeek, at the ICGA Annual Meeting today in Bloomington. The award is given each year to an individual who promotes Illinois agriculture and, specifically, Illinois corn and corn farmers, through their coverage in traditional media or through their engagement on social media.

“Kay invested 34 years at FarmWeek, covering state government, conservation, and education issues on behalf of Illinois farmers. She did so with passion and a genuine love for our industry, as evidenced by her reporting and the additional years she spent covering agriculture before coming to FarmWeek. We are so grateful for Kay’s service to our industry and for the accurate telling of our story and the issues that matter to us over all these years,” said Matt Rush, ICGA President and farmer from Fairfield, IL.

 

Shipman retired from 34 years of service to FarmWeek in April 2023. She previously served as an ag reporter for the Peoria Journal Star, the Lafayette, Indiana Journal and Courier, the Galesburg Register Mail, and the Wheatland, Wyoming Record-Times. She was also an agriculture science writer at Purdue University’s Agricultural Research Station.

 

Shipman is also heavily invested in ag education, serving as a member and former vice chair of the Illinois Council for Agriculture Education and having served two terms as a governor-appointed member of the Illinois Committee for Agricultural Education.

 

“Knowing the two most immediate recipients of this award very well, I am joining a stellar group,” she said. “It is gratifying to know that your lifetime of work is very much appreciated by the people you loved and the industry you served.”

 

Shipman lives in Bloomington with her husband, Paul Swiech.

The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Illinois corn farmers will be impacted by many provisions in the Budget Reconciliation Bill that passed in both chambers this week.
By Tara Desmond July 3, 2025
Mid-Year Highlights: IL Corn Top 10 Read Stories
A map of the world with arrows pointing to trade countries
By Lyndi Allen July 3, 2025
Trade plays a critical role in driving demand for U.S. corn—not only as grain or feed, but also as fuel.
Top Videos of 2025
By Tara Desmond July 2, 2025
Harvesting the Best: A Look at IL Corn’s Top 10 Videos of 2025
By Lindsay Croke 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.
The sun is setting behind the capitol building in washington d.c.
By Lyndi Allen June 27, 2025
From Springfield to D.C., lawmakers are listening, and Illinois corn farmers are leading the conversations.
Show More