Partners

The world's largest museum has a traveling exhibit on tour in Illinois, and you can see it now and into the new year. Explaining Voices and Votes: Democracy in America includes Matt Meacham, program manager, statewide engagement, Illinois Humanities; Bobbi Perryman, executive dir., Vespasian Warner Public Library in Clinton; Dave Blanchette, bd. chairman, Jacksonville Area Museum.

The most populous county in Illinois also includes a thriving food and farming sector. Cook County Farm Bureau president Janet McCabe, a farmer from Orland Park, and Ruth Zeldenrust, the organization's secretary-treasurer and farmer from Chicago Heights, share some of their farming adventures in county with more than five million people.

There's a green, winter blanket appearing in some farm fields across Illinois this time of year. Illinois farmers Clint Robinson and Lucas Roney share what's green before farm fields might soon turn white and what - what's out there - do for them, and us.

These two sisters help run one of the last remaining family-owned turkey farms in the nation that raise, process and sell turkeys right from their farm. Kayla and Nicole Kauffman share everything you might want to know about raising this holiday favorite.

Go behind the headlines and take a deeper dive into Thanksgiving meal costs and other items like ingredient availability, how to defrost, menu options, leftovers, and ways to avoid a big binge. Veronica Nigh, senior economist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, Nick Fitch, supermarket director, Steve Promenschenkel, chef and Brook Rush, registered dietitian, all with Hyvee.

Like a modern-day barn-raising, community harvests bring the farming community together to lend a hand for those in need. Come inside this community harvest and hear why some Illinois farmers organized it, what took place, and from the farm family that welcomed friends and others from two states to help them wrap up harvest.

An area representing one-third of the value of food produced in the United States remains mired in drought, including a stubborn area of Illinois that has pulled through with some surprising results this growing season. Hear from farmers Julie and Marshall Newhouse, along with Brad Pugh, meteorologist with the Climate Prediction Center in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Many farmers and other vendors have capacity to store or can still grow and offer locally-grown fruits, vegetables and other products at indoor farmers markets. Hear how and what you might expect from Raghela Scavuzzo, the Assoc. Dir. of Food Systems Development for Illinois Farm Bureau. Two farmers market-vendors, Carolyn Waldee, and Valeriy Bianco, share how they'll juggle cheeses and mushrooms along with others, indoors.

Involved in one of the most dangerous and risky of all businesses, those that produce food use some innovative ways to manage both successfully. Jeff Kirwan, a farmer from western Illinois, shares what he's dealt with in recent years and how he manages. Doug Yoder, crop agency manager with COUNTRY Financial, provides details on how one tool to manage risk has evolved and how it works.

Built by a Chicago grain merchant, this historic site and non-profit arts park now hosts a farmers market, fast proving the place to be each Sunday in the Chicago suburbs. Volunteer Sharon LeCoque, and farmers and market vendors Mike Biver with Terra Vitae Farms, and Colin Raclawski with Von Bergen's Country Market, share what it's all about.