Maize Matters: Springfield Sparks for Farm Succession

Apr 10, 2024

A farm’s legacy is one of its most important aspects. No matter if you are a seventh-generation farmer or beginning a career in production agriculture, passing on a farm to the next generation is important to the future. In 2023, we highlighted the statistic that 96% of Illinois farms are family owned. Illinois estate tax laws create a burden for many family farms, challenging that statistic annually.

In early February, Senator David Koehler (D-Peoria) and Rep. Sharon Chung (D-Bloomington) introduced the Family Farm Preservation Act, a bill amending the estate tax for farm families.

"Recently, my family’s farm implemented major changes due to the estate tax,” IL Corn Growers Association Vice President and farmer from Waterloo, Garrett Hawkins said. “Anything we can do to make it easier for farmers to pass on their operations to the next generation is good for farmers, rural communities and our state economy.”

The bill makes the current $4 million estate tax threshold an exemption and raises it to $6 million. The legislation changes the law so only dollars over $6 million would be taxed instead of the entire amount.

ICGA is proud to work alongside the Illinois Farm Bureauwho spearheaded this change, to ensure farmers are represented at the Capital and the family farm legacy is protected.

Click here to see more...

Video: predictive weed Management saves on herbicide costs and increases yield potential

Gowan Canada is partnering with Geco Strategic Weed Management to help Canadian growers take a strategic approach to weed control through data-driven prediction and planning.

Geco’s technology uses data and AI to map where weeds have been over the past five years and predict where patches are likely to emerge next season. These insights allow farms and retailers to plan ahead and target actions in the most challenging areas.

“Our technology enables the question: if you could know where your most problematic patches are and where they are spreading to, what could you do differently? That’s what our technology makes possible,” said Greg Stewart, CEO of Geco. “Many of our farms are already using our prescriptions along with Gowan products, so this collaboration is a natural next step.”