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Detasseling corn used to be a rite of passage for some young people in the Midwest. Jason Cope, co-founder of farm tech company PowerPollen, thinks it’s essential to mechanize arduous tasks like detasseling.
Oct. 26 is National Pumpkin Day.
Illinois may be home to the Pumpkin Capital of the World, but the winner of the largest pumpkin this year is from Minnesota.
One Illinois farmer said his yield has dropped by about 60% since last year.
“When Donald Trump gets me inside the building I’m standing outside of right now, it won’t be this way anymore. American agriculture will come roaring back, and so will American health.”
Because of the success of the fair this year the amount of the checks to the various groups was increased by 20%.
This year’s fair had an estimated local/regional economic impact of more than $86 million with sales tax revenue of $2.6 million.
About 60% of U.S. grain exports are taken by barge down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where the corn, soybeans and wheat is stored and ultimately transferred for shipment to other countries.