Corn – Corn is the number one ag commodity grown in the county. Farmers grow corn on over half of the farmland amounting to 182,500 acres. The 2022 corn yield was 224 bushels per acre.
Soybeans – Soybeans are produced on one-third of the farmland comprising 131,100 acres. The 2022 soybean yield was 65 bushels per acre.
Hogs – DeKalb County is the second largest hog producing county in Illinois marketing 954,045 pigs annually.
Beef Cattle – About 16,500 beef cattle are marketed annually in the county.
Small Grains – Hay, wheat and oats are the small grains raised locally. These crops are raised on about 10,460 acres.
Other Livestock – Dairy cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens are raised in county.
Specialty Crops – Other crops grown in DeKalb County include: sweet corn, apples, pumpkins, raspberries, strawberries, and other fruits and vegetables often sold at orchards, farm stands, farmers’ markets and at local supermarkets. Christmas trees also are grown locally and sold at farms.
The total value of crop production is $401.6 million and the total value of livestock production is $149.8 million. The total annual value of agricultural production in DeKalb County is $551.4 million.
Source: IL Dept. of Agriculture
