Who Owns Most of the Farmland in Illinois? Not Farmers.
31st July 2025
Fembot ‘journalism’–start with an endearing anecdote, then try to stretch it into ‘data’ that supports the agenda you started with.
Skip the first eight paragraphs to get to the actual news.
Less than a fourth of Illinois farmland is owned by the farmer who works the land, according to data from the Illinois Farm Business Farm Management, a nonprofit association that helps farmers make management decisions. The rest is leased to farmers by individuals, family trusts and, increasingly, businesses.
The Tribune is launching a series of special reports analyzing the hurdles many farmers face in trying to be good stewards of the land as climate change intensifies. Among the challenges are fewer opportunities for farmers — and would-be farmers — to own their land.
And there you have it: CLIMATE CHANGE! WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE!