Partners

With harvest in full-swing, Marty and Andy Dole take you to one of their farm fields and inside their combine as they harvest this year's crops. Marty shares what's taking place, and Andy how he has built an audience for his farming adventures online.

More Illinois farmers have started selling products they raise and grow directly to you, many right from their Illinois farms. Hear from three that do so, Wanda Farm, Hephzibah Farms, Inc., and Cody’s Farm & Orchard, and about an event that allowed visitors to learn about what they, and several other Illinois farmers have to offer directly to you.

To clean or not to clean, should you soil test, how to put tree leaves to work for you and more. Hear from Jan Phipps, Partners gardening writer, and Duane Friend, a University of Illinois Environment & Energy Stewardship Extension Educator, on what you might consider to keep your gardens and lawns growing and flourishing in the future.

Take a deeper dive into the cost and availability of what's in our current and future salad bowls. Bob Young, president of Agricultural Prospects and former chief economist with the American Farm Bureau sorts it out, and Jamie Johansson, California farmer and president of the California Farm Bureau who has details on the drought and wildfires impacting what some call our nation's salad bowl.

In addition to harvesting crops, these Illinois farmers have a wedding and new child arrival plans this fall. Iroquois County farmer Krista Lottinville and Gallatin County farmer Blake Luckett share details on this year's crops and how they'll juggle family and other changes on their farms.

In Part II of a two-part series on autumn adventures in Illinois, find out what’s new with fall-favorite chrysanthemums, how to care for them, keep them coming back, Mumfest and more with farmers Greg and Mariah Anderson.

In Part I of a two-part series on autumn adventures in Illinois, learn what's new on this Illinois apple orchard and some others this fall. Raoul, Jodie and Brandon Bergersen, a family-run orchard growing apples and several different fruits.

Small, medium, large, whatever the size of animals, significant demand exists for doctors of veterinary medicine or DVMs. Dr. James Lowe, an educator, adviser, researcher, farmer and associate professor at the University of Illinois (U of I), Sydney Leib, a second-year student in the U of I College of Veterinary Medicine, and Dr. Chelsea Ballinger, a vet-med school graduate who has established a mobile veterinary practice all share what it takes, costs, and more.

What’s your favorite fair food? Three of the largest fairs in Illinois have returned this year, and offer the conventional, unusual and healthy options. Hear from Partners Prairie State Perspective author Joanie Stiers on her family’s take, and from Raghela Scavuzzo, executive director of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association, on how this group offers fresh, locally-grown food and more at the Illinois State Fair.

What EF means when it comes to tornadoes, longer seasons, what’s a snow drought; in part II of our two-part series on weather and climate, National Weather Service-Chicago Meteorologist Rafal Ogorek, and State Climatologist Trent Ford discuss our roller-coaster weather year thus far, the numbers they collect and look at and weather and climate research taking place.