October - November Highlights Annual Report
Tara Desmond
January 6, 2026
- State-Level Advocacy: Tariff Hearing & Executive Order Signing
- House Agriculture Chair Sonya Harper (D-Chicago) held a subject matter hearing on the impact of tariffs on Illinois’ farm economy, where IL Corn’s Director of Exports and Logistics, Collin Watters, testified alongside other commodity leaders and the Illinois Department of Agriculture. ICGA also attended Governor Pritzker’s signing of Executive Order 2025-07 on a Taylorville farm—an acknowledgment of the multi-year economic strain caused by trade disruptions, falling demand, and high input costs.
- National Recognition as Expert Voices
- This fall, ICGA staff and farmer leaders were featured speakers across major national and regional conferences, underscoring ICGA’s role as a leading voice on sustainability, biofuels, and farmer economics. ICGA participated in panels elevating Illinois corn farmers in national policy and climate-smart agriculture discussions.
- Organizational Momentum at the ICGA Annual Meeting
- New officers and directors were elected for 2025–2026, and ICGA honored leaders through the World of Corn Award and Media Award—reinforcing the organization’s strength, credibility, and member-driven leadership.

By Tara Desmond
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October 15, 2026
Jenny Webb has spent her career in Illinois agriculture. Now she’s about three months into a new job as president of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association (IFCA), the group that represents the ag retailers, applicators and suppliers who get fertilizer and crop protection products to your farm when you need them. Webb came to IFCA from Illinois Farm Bureau. She’s new to the fertilizer and chemical side of the business, but not to farmers or to the policy and regulatory issues that affect them. IL Corn sat down with her to talk about what she’s learned so far, the issues facing Illinois ag retailers, and why the work happening behind the scenes deserves more credit than it gets.










