Welcome to IFES 2025! The Illinois Farm Economics Summit returns this December to help producers and landowners navigate the current economic conditions and policy issues impacting global, US, and Illinois agriculture. Join us for IFES 2025 this December as the farmdoc team analyzes factors shaping farm profitability this year through presentations, discussion, and Q&A on grain and livestock markets, farm financials and profitability, farm and risk management, farmland values and leasing, farm policy, and more. The farmdoc team of experts will provide information and insights to aid with management decisions during this ongoing period of financial stress.
Presenting and participating farmdoc team members will include Joe Janzen, Brittney Goodrich, Gerald Mashange, Nick Paulson, Gary Schnitkey, Jonathan Coppess, Scott Irwin, Brad Zwilling, Natalie Loduca, and Juo-Han Tsay.
We also encourage you to consider the Farm Assets Conference (FAC) to be held in Bloomington, IL on Friday December 12th. Learn more about FAC 2025.
The Farm Assets Conference is a day long event which includes presentations from the following week’s farmdoc IFES meetings across the state and information from the University of Illinois crop scientists. You can join us in Bloomington on December 12.
Registration
Preregistration for the 2025 IFES meetings is $80 per person through December 7th. Registration is $100 per person one week before the event (beginning December 8th). Walk-in registrations will be accepted the day of the meetings if space allows but cannot be guaranteed.
For registration questions contact Todd Gleason, tgleason@illinois.edu.
Dates and Locations
- Monday, December 15, 2025 – Dekalb, IL – Dekalb County Farm Bureau
- Tuesday, December 16, 2025 – Peoria, IL – Par-a-dice Hotel
- Wednesday, December 17, 2025 – Mt. Vernon, IL – DoubleTree Hotel
Daily Schedule
Meeting sessions from 8 am to 12:30 pm
Your registration fee includes coffee and refreshments prior to and at breaks during the morning sessions and lunch following the meetings at 12:30 pm
Session 1
- A set of presentations on the current outlook for grain and livestock markets, farm financial position, and farm income and return projections.
Session 2
- A combination of presentations, discussion, and Q&A covering successful management strategies to implement during periods of financial stress, particularly focused on the most financially stressed operations. Specific topics of focus will include access to farmland via ownership and leasing, managing cash flows, and diversification of income streams.
Session 3
- A combination of presentations, discussion, and Q&A covering the latest developments in farm policy. Specific topics of focus will include recent changes to Farm Bill programs (commodity programs and crop insurance) and tax policy in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and implications of other policy areas including tax, trade, and biofuels.