IL Corn Announces 2026 State and Federal Legislative Priorities

Feb 05, 2026

By Lyndi Allen

As ongoing economic pressures are facing Illinois farmers, IL Corn Growers Association (ICGA) is advocating for demand growth and family farm profitability. ICGA represents more than 50,000 Illinois farmers that grow more than 11 million acres of corn in Illinois and works to create a future for Illinois farmers to operate freely, responsibly, and successfully through grassroots advocacy.

“As corn farmers head into another year of economic downturn, advocacy becomes increasingly more important for agriculture. There are opportunities for our state and federal governments to grow demand for corn. It is the job of IL Corn Growers Association to identify, understand, and make these opportunities a reality,” said Illinois farmer and ICGA president Mark Bunselmeyer.

ICGA looks forward to pursuing the following priorities:

State

Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Program
ICGA supports the investment for existing fuel dispensing and tank infrastructure that needs upgrades to support higher blends of renewable fuels. The proposal awards grants from existing industry funds to incentivize upgrading the infrastructure for cleaner biofuels.
Support Family Farm Preservation Act
ICGA supports the reforms to the Illinois Estate Tax and provide tax relief for Farm Families. Updates policy language to reflect modern farm estates and farm family descendants.
Continued funding for NCERC & Expansion

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Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?