Editors Note: This story was written for JRNL 411 in the spring semester

Rows of apples, peaches and strawberries stretch farther than the eye can see, while dozens of workers are buzzing around crops as another season approaches. The roots are planted deep in Union County for Flamm Orchards – a family operation that stretches back six generations. But for Austin Flamm, owner of Flamm’s, rising fuel costs and wages are outpacing what they can earn for their products, tightening already slim profit margins and raising concerns about long-term sustainability.

Illinois boasts a strong agricultural resume, leading the way in soybean and pumpkin production across the nation, according to the USDA. In the southern half of the state, a diverse landscape of farming operations produce crops ranging from fresh peaches to catfish stretched between the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. 

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While this diversity has long been a source of strength, it’s now at risk. Several farmers have watched as the core of their operations have struggled in the changing environment. 

A region rooted in agriculture

The Flamm family has cultivated the same land for generations, producing a variety of fruits and vegetables that supply local markets and regional distributors, making them one of the more stable operations in the region.

“Here we are in 2025 and Flamm’s are the only ones left in Cobden that make our sole living off of fruit production, and over time, things went less regionalized and local, and they’ve gone more industrialized,” Flamm said.

For other producers who are just starting or lacking generational infrastructure, the pressures are growing. In Randolph County, the midday sun gleams down on dozens of small ponds, each containing unique species of fish. Alex Veath, owner of Seven Springs Fish Farm and Lake Management, drives through the gravel roads that separate the ponds in his white truck.

He stops on the occasion to toss handfuls of feed into the blue water while thousands of shiny scales and fins appear at the water’s surface. His aquaculture operation is struggling to keep up with the rising cost of fish feed and electricity, both of which are essential for maintaining healthy stock and safe facilities.

“Fish feed costs have risen by nearly 30% due to multiple factors, including consolidation among manufacturers, higher demand for key ingredients such as fishmeal and fish oil, rising energy costs and fluctuations in commodity prices,” Veath said.

In Madison county alongside the mighty Mississippi, the early glow of a March morning spills onto the fourth largest horseradish farm in the region. In a dark, cold barn, horseradish roots sit in a pile taller than Jeff Heepke himself waiting to be transported into another room to be packed and stored for shipping. The fourth generation owner of Heepke Farms splits the operation between himself and his two brothers, growing 200 acres of horseradish and the typical three row-crop rotation on their 4,000 acre farm.

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Recently, more food safety policies have been pushed for crops to regulate production, harvest and handling of fruits and vegetables to prevent foodborne illnesses. Horseradish is exempt from the FDA’s produce safety rules and labeled “rarely consumed raw” because it requires being cooked before consumption. Heepke said he finds more and more producers who he believes are “bullied” into growing other crops additionally as an effect of this. 

“Some of the other horseradish producers also raise sweetcorn, so they kind of get stuck in it that way,” Heepke said. 

Labor is also a concern for the Heepke family, as their entire operation is supported by their temporary agricultural employees on H-2A visas, which is a complicated process in itself he says. A looming threat for the Heepke family is whether that program will stand strong under the new administration. 

“It’s not cheap at all, but they are reliable help and get the job we need done,” Heepke said. “So, overall the concern is if those programs will stay in place.” 

Pressures mounting across the industry

Input costs for fertilizer, fuel and labor have risen by more than 60% between 2020 and 2022 according to the USDA. Local producers, who often operate on narrow margins, cannot absorb these costs in the same way larger farms can. They also lack the scale to negotiate bulk pricing or invest in efficiency upgrades.

“Over the past three or four years, expenses have risen significantly across multiple areas,” Veath said. “Insurance costs have increased by nearly 40%, and the cost and availability of supplies, fish feed and equipment repairs have all become major challenges.”

Most specialty producers do not qualify for traditional crop insurance. Programs are typically designed for large-scale production of commodity crops, which leaves fruit, vegetable and niche livestock operations exposed to risks that other farms can offset.

Niche farming comes with risks. A single misjudgement in oxygen levels or water quality could wipe out a year’s worth of work in just a few minutes for Veath and the thousands of fish he monitors. A high risk in farming that has no form of insurance coverage. 

The challenge is compounded by foreign competition. Subsidized imports, especially in crops like rice and fish, are flooding the market and pushing prices down. Illinois growers, who operate under stricter environmental and labor regulations, say they cannot always compete against the low price of imports.

“Tariffs and trade disruptions have impacted the availability and pricing of imported equipment, chemicals, and certain feed ingredients.” Veath said. “Our seines for catching fish are made by only a few companies, and the cost of purchasing them domestically is 10 times higher than importing them.”

Programs cut as needs grow

Recent reductions in state programs have also taken a toll. Initiatives like IL-EATS and Local Food Purchase Assistance, which once connected local growers to schools, food banks and public institutions, have seen decreased funding and reduced reach. These programs once served as vital outlets for surplus produce and created steady demand for small farms.

“All that money is not available, and maybe more importantly, that product that we had a home for last year, right now, we don’t have a home for it,” Flamm said. “I believe that we’re going to find a home for it, but it’s not to say that we’re not going to have it.”

Growers say these cuts have eliminated not only revenue, but a sense of connection between local agriculture and the broader public good.

“I like the program because it does more than buy our extra supply, it’s an economic stimulus in multiple facets,” Flamm said.  “Number one, it provides a greater opportunity for us to grow our business, employ more people and support our local economy. Number two, it provides for the people working within that program, and at the food banks, it provides them a job and a reason to show up every day, and number three, the ultimate end goal of that is it’s going to people that need the food. So, you have these people who might not be able to afford to go to the grocery store and get that fresh nutritional stuff that they need, and this allows them an avenue to do so.”

What lawmakers are saying

State legislators are beginning to speak out. In Springfield, several lawmakers have called attention to the challenges faced by small and mid-size producers. They have pointed to the need for improved insurance options, better access to grants and the restoration of state-led food access programs. But what the state can do is uncertain amid growing financial constraints.

“I do support those programs in principle; however, Illinois has serious financial strains and is currently looking at a budget deficit. This makes it difficult to create new spending programs, as we are already struggling to fund pre-existing programs,” Sen. Sally Turner, a Republican from Beason, said.

Current agricultural policy tends to favor large-scale producers, often overlooking the needs of smaller farms that contribute to food diversity and strengthen community-based food systems. 

Local Illinois House Representative, David Friess, a Republican from Red Bud had this to say, “You know, I just drove by an orchard. If you wanted to buy that, I can’t imagine what that would cost, and unless you’ve got the cash to do that, now you have to go to the bank, you have to borrow money to purchase it. Now how many flipping apples or peaches do you have to sell to pay that loan back?” Friess continued to comment,

“The farmers that I know are family farmers, they’ve been in the business for generations…It makes zero economic sense to purchase real estate to get into the farming business because they’re sort of many other things you could do with that money that you would need to purchase that real estate. I think that there needs to be a low interest loan program,” Friess said.

Some legislators have voiced support for expanding insurance protections, reforming trade policies that undercut local prices and prioritizing specialty growers in the next Farm Bill.

“I have spoken with our federal representatives to express how important this issue is to the farmers of Illinois,” Turner added. “I also encourage growers to engage directly with their federal representatives and industry associations.”

Looking ahead

Across the country, specialty growers are facing similar issues. But in southern Illinois, the impact feels especially sharp due to the region’s smaller scale and greater economic vulnerability. Many farmers are anxiously watching the transition from the Biden administration to the incoming Trump administration, uncertain if future policies will offer relief or more hardship.

Under the previous administration, support for local food systems and targeted grants helped keep some operations afloat. Now, producers are unsure whether that momentum will continue.

“Reducing interest rates and lowering operational costs would significantly ease the financial pressures many business owners face,” Veath said. “Simplifying state regulations would also go a long way.”

Trade agreements, insurance reform, and access to financial resources may determine the survival of these farms. For now, many are holding on, planting the next crop with hope but no guarantees.

“Honestly, the biggest thing going forward is you just have to find a way to evolve and adapt to changes and continue to make yourself economically feasible,” Flamm expressed. “I’d like to say I’m hopeful that the policy is going to come around, but at the same time, it’s hard to be optimistic.”

The story of agriculture in Southern Illinois is not just economic. It is cultural, historical, and deeply personal. Family farms have weathered market downturns, weather events, and policy shifts for generations. But with costs rising and support shrinking, the future has never felt so uncertain.

“There’s kind of a misconception that you just put fish in, grab a fishing pole, and harvest,” said Alex Veath, owner of Seven Springs Fish Farm and Lake Management. “But there’s actually a lot of detail, a lot of science behind it that nobody really gets to see.”

While Veath sheds light on the unseen time and dedication behind specialty farming, others emphasize the personal roots and generational pride that makes their work worth preserving.

“I’m the sixth generation of my family to be a part of this. I have a small son who I hope one day, if he so chooses, has the opportunity to take this over and do what I’m doing,” Austin said. “Here in Cobden, it’s unique because we’re such a small community. I could go into town right now, and I’ll go into any business, I’ll know somebody, and they’ll know me by my first name. Cobden also has the Peach Festival and the mascot, the Cobden Apple Knockers, and its history is deeply rooted in fruit production, and that’s something that I’m proud of, and it’s something I want to see continue. I hope that the community and the region as a whole can appreciate that and what we do.”

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