
Lease agreements shifted toward more traditional crop-share agreements in 2026.

Rock Falls Chamber of Commerce announces times, dates for this year’s farmers markets and Market Day
The farmers market will be open from 7-11 a.m. every Wednesday and Saturday from May through October.

Hundreds of potential buyers – mostly farmers – wound their way through the mud on Saturday, April 4, 2026, to buy or sell tractors, wagons, planters and other ag-related items at the Hazelhurst Spring Consignment Sale.
The Gathering of the Green attracted hundreds of John Deere collectors and enthusiasts from numerous states and several countries for the four-day event that featured workshops, tours and a vendor area packed with treasures.

The top five highest yielding counties in Illinois were Macon, Carroll, Edgar, Ogle and Schuyler.
Five Illinois producers, including one from Dixon, were honored Thursday as 2026 Master Farmers at Prairie Farmer magazine’s annual event in Bloomington.

An acreage swing toward more soybeans and less corn in the upcoming growing season is forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Local youths interested in rabbits and small animal care are invited to participate in an upcoming 4-H rabbit workshop. The workshop will be held from 10 a.m. to noon April 18 in the Rabbit Barn at the Lee County Fairgrounds.

The Lee County 4-H Program is thrilled to announce another season of the Jr. Gardener Special Interest (SPIN) Club, a club aimed at empowering young minds to explore the wonders of gardening.
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