The Chicago Union Stockyards could handle at any one time:
75,000 hogs
21,000 cattle
22,000 sheep
Livestock came from all over by rail and by truck to the south side of Chicago from 1865 to 1971. After the Stockyards closed, the Chicago-Joliet Stockyards opened and some area farmers shipped their livestock there. Other marketing ...
An artist relies on agriculture for so many of the tools they use:
Sketchpad/Paper – Made with wood cellulose (from trees) or cotton cellulose (from cotton plants).
Paints – Many paint pigments are obtained from plants, trees, or even insects. Oil paints are made with linseed oil derived from seeds of the ...
A look at some of the conservation practices used by farmers
Conservation Tillage - Farming with Crop Residues
Reduces soil erosion, keeping sediment and organic matter out of waterways
Combines soil drying and warming benefits of tillage while disturbing less soil
Conserves soil by retaining crop residue on soil surface
Vegetative Filter Strips
Removes sediment, organic ...
Remember the 1980’s television commercial for Wendy’s which featured Clara Peller asking, “Where’s the BEEF?”
The commercial was a hit and brought increased attention to eating “real” beef. Now, the “BEEF It’s What’s For Dinner” commercials resonate with consumers.
In DeKalb County, we raise 17,300 beef cattle on 69 farms. These cattle ...
May is Beef Month so let's talk about beef sustainability
Not only is beef delicious and nutritious, but the beef industry continues to implement numerous proven sustainability practices that contribute to the way beef is responsibly raised today.
Though the path to sustainability is never complete it is a continuous journey by ...
Corn farmers in DeKalb County produced 200+ bushel corn last year.
The USDA reported a total of 44 counties in the state finished with a corn yield average above 200 bushels per acre in 2021.
In DeKalb County, the 2021 yields showed corn averaged 202.7 bushels per acre and soybeans averaged 62.9 ...
There are many things that are associated with basketball which originate on the farm.
Basketball – Some basketballs are made of leather, which comes from the hide of beef cattle. The pros use leather basketballs. College basketballs are made of mostly synthetic materials.
Basketball shoes – Today’s shoes are a mix of ...
The livestock industry benefits our county and state by supporting food security, protecting the environment, strengthening communities and driving economic growth.
Supporting Food Security
Illinois is home to more than 71,000 farms. DeKalb County has about 2,300 farms. Ninety-six percent are family-owned and a third of Illinois farms include livestock. For these ...
