Agriculture in Illinois is a massive economic engine, consistently ranking among the top global producers of agricultural output due to the sheer scale of its commodity production. This output contributes tens of billions of dollars annually to the state’s economy, supporting a vast network of related industries and jobs. While known for major grain crops, the agricultural landscape includes a diverse range of products, from staple feed grains to high-value specialty produce.
Illinois’s Core Commodities: Corn and Soybeans
The Illinois agricultural identity is defined primarily by the large-scale production of corn and soybeans. The state is regularly ranked as the nation’s number one producer of soybeans and the number two producer of corn, a duopoly that occupies over 90% of the state’s cultivated acres. This near-equal distribution is maintained through a rotational system where farmers alternate planting corn one year and soybeans the next. This rotation manages soil fertility and disease pressure, as soybeans are legumes that naturally fix nitrogen into the soil, reducing the need for synthetic fertilizer for the following corn crop.
The harvest extends into global industrial and food supply chains. A significant portion of Illinois corn is channeled into ethanol production, making the state a leading national producer of the biofuel. Corn is also a primary component of livestock feed and is exported globally as a feed grain. Soybeans are mainly processed into soybean oil, used in food products and biodiesel, and soybean meal, which serves as a high-protein supplement for livestock worldwide.
Secondary Field Crops and Feed Grains
While corn and soybeans dominate the acreage, other field crops play a significant role in Illinois’s agricultural diversity and livestock economy. Winter wheat is the most prominent of these secondary grains, typically planted in the fall and harvested in the early summer. This timing allows some farmers in the southern half of the state to utilize a double-cropping system, planting soybeans immediately after the wheat harvest to secure a second income.
Oats and hay are also grown. Oats are often used as a cover crop or a rotational grain in northern Illinois, sometimes planted with a legume to establish forage before harvest. Hay, including alfalfa and clover, is cultivated as a forage crop, primarily supporting the state’s beef and dairy cattle industries. Grain sorghum, a drought-tolerant crop, is raised in some areas, offering a flexible option for livestock feed and industrial uses when planting conditions are less favorable for corn.
Fruits, Vegetables, and Specialty Produce
Illinois agricultural output includes a sector dedicated to horticulture and specialty crops grown for direct human consumption. The state is the nation’s leading producer of pumpkins, with the majority of the harvest destined for processing into canned pumpkin purée. Illinois also contributes over two-thirds of the total national supply of horseradish, grown predominantly near Collinsville, which is often called the “Horseradish Capital of the World.”
A variety of fruits and vegetables thrive across the state, particularly in the milder southern regions. Apples and peaches are grown in numerous orchards, with some farms focusing on local market sales and agritourism. The state ranks in the top ten nationally for several vegetables, including asparagus, cauliflower, and green peas, which are often directed toward local farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs.
The Environmental and Economic Context
The foundation of Illinois’s agricultural productivity is its rich soil, primarily the dark, fertile soil order known as Mollisols. These soils developed over thousands of years under the native tallgrass prairie, resulting in a thick, dark surface layer rich in organic matter. The humid continental climate, with its warm summers and ample rainfall, provides the ideal growing conditions for these crops to flourish in the deep, well-drained loess soils.
The movement of this volume of grain depends on a sophisticated transportation network. Illinois is the central hub for the North American rail system, possessing the most track miles and serving as the meeting point for all six Class I railroads. This rail network facilitates the long-distance shipment of bulk grain and processed products to national and international markets. The state’s numerous navigable waterways, including the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, handle over 60% of the corn and soybean harvest, providing a low-cost, high-capacity barge route to the Gulf of Mexico for export.