Page 27 2026 Spring Farm Outlook LINCOLN DAILY NEWS March 2026 Hartsburg Research Plot. Jones came to the University of Illinois and has been researching nutrient uptake and loss in the Midwest, and the practices producers can implement to maximize the return on their fertilizer applications. Jones then outlined the plans for research at the Hartsburg Research Plot. First granted to Extension in the late 1910s/ early 1920s, this 17-acre plot is perfect to showcase and demonstrate current research topics that have an impact to local producers. Previous research at this plot has focused on nutrient uptake and loss, and that will continue to be the focus moving forward. This will be combined with field days and other outreach efforts to maximize the local impact of this important research. After lunch was Nick Seither, an entomologist with the University of Illinois. He discussed insects that could present an issue for crop producers in central Illinois in 2026. While the primary focuses of last year’s growing season were diseases such as Southern Rust or Tar Spot, insects can still cause issues during the entire season. Whether it is black cutworm in the early part of the season or Japanese beetles in the later part of the season, producers need to be mindful of potential insects, the economic thresholds of those insects, and the proper treatment method for them. Commercial Agriculture Educator Reagen Tibbs then discussed changes in agricultural policy at both the federal and state levels. At the federal level, trade policy and tariffs have been one of the key focuses of the current administration. The tariffs imposed during “Liberation Day” in April 2025 were challenged at the United States Supreme Court as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled on February 20 that those tariffs were indeed unconstitutional, but that did not stop the President from announcing new tariffs in the days after the decision. Additionally, on February 16, the House Agriculture Committee released the text of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, which seeks to finalize many of the agricultural programs excluded from the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act passed last summer. That bill was passed out of the Committee on March 5, so there is still much that could change before passage and enactment. To round out the day, Hunter Buchanan discussed the Sangamon County Farm-toFork Initiative. Buchanan, a local foods program coordinator with Illinois Extension, has been working closely with the Sangamon County government and other entities to increase access of locally produced food to schools and the community more broadly.
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