For starters, a moment to appreciate the chance to largely enjoy a holiday weekend without being glued to the news out of Springfield as lawmakers dash toward the end of the spring session by passing huge bills in wee hours.
Not that we might be spared such a fate as the 31st of May approaches, but at least it’ll be a regular weekend past when we’d all rather be engaged in more pleasant spring rituals.
That said, every year the end of session contains too many developments to properly contextualize as they happen, so expect reviews of whatever passes or fails this week to carry well into June. But before then, I commend to your attention a piece from Tara Sun of the Medill Illinois News Bureau. Sun is a journalism grad student at Northwestern, which partners with Capitol News Illinois to enhance the type of Statehouse-based coverage that is CNI’s prime focus.
The headline: “Illinois grows millions of bushels of soybeans. Why aren’t we eating them? More local infrastructure urgently needed for Illinois’ own crops, especially soybeans, to make it from farm to table.”
Most folks understand agriculture remains a bedrock of the state economy, and there’s a fair chance even in-town residents know Illinois grows more soybeans than any other state. But I’m also comfortable asserting that it’s rare to find the nonfarm Illinoisan who truly understands the challenges of being a crop producer – I certainly don’t, even after 25 years of Midwestern newspaper work – and reports like Sun’s help broaden everyone’s understanding.
The entire piece is worth a read (tinyurl.com/MedillSoybeans), but it’s worth highlighting a few quotes and statistics.
The Illinois Soybean Association reports that 60% of Illinois soybeans leave the state, while the vast majority of the remainder is used for animal consumption. China is a leading importer of Illinois soybeans – a bit of a concern given recent disruptions in traditional international trade relations – and the fact that so much of the yield leaves the state overlaps significantly with transportation infrastructure concerns.
Sun’s report is about more than just a hill of beans.
“Ninety-five percent of food consumed in the state of Illinois is imported,” said state Rep. Sonya Harper, D-Chicago, House Agriculture and Conservation Committee chairwoman. “If there were any type of natural disaster, Illinois only has enough food that will last us for three days.”
I’ve written before about the Local Food Infrastructure Grant program, a key Harper initiative, which is showing early signs of potentially substantial impact if officials remain committed, especially financially.
Ag has long been big business. No one who understands Illinois would argue against its past, present and future importance. When considering farm policy, everyone needs good information to help contribute.
• Scott T. Holland writes about state government issues for Shaw Local News Network. He can be reached at sholland@shawmedia.com.
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May 27, 2026 at 10:02AM
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