Locals from nearby and loyalists from afar hang out at Front Porch Soap & Gift in west-central Illinois. Owner Carolyn Hitchcock took a hobby and turned it into a thriving business. Hitchcock describes what it’s all about and why you and your family might want to visit.

2019 has shaped up to be one tough year to farm in the Prairie State. Hear from farmers John Bartman, Brian Duncan, Dennis Green and Jack Schleich from all regions of the state on how this year’s harvest has shaped up thus far in a year that included weather swings from one extreme to the other.

Some young farmers have turned to crops such as hops and certified organic grains to offer distinctive products to their customers and spur economic development in rural areas. Hear hop grower Ross Sorensen and spirits farmers Dallas and Will Glazik describe some of the unique things they have growing on their Illinois farms.

Illinois shares some common town and metro-area names with those in Canada and Mexico. We have a lot more in common too, and each stand to be impacted by the proposed U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) to improve trade among our states and countries. Mark Denzler, the president and CEO of the Illinois Manufacturer’s Association, provides some specifics on why USMCA matters to all of Illinois.

Dozens of artists have made downtown Bloomington a thriving art community with studios and galleries abound. This year’s 19th annual Around the Corner Art Walk takes place Fri., November 1, and, among others, features Eaton Gallery, where artists Herb and Pam Eaton celebrate the art of Illinois agriculture.

As the Kennay farm family will tell you, renovating a historic theater to house a brewery and distillery is no small feat. Hear from Rick Kennay, farmer and owner of the business, and Adam Kennay, head distiller, about how they diversified their Illinois family farm to create craft beers and spirits from home-grown grain.

Meet Paul Ackerman, whose family grows pumpkins near Morton, and Paul Siegel, whose family maintains a pumpkin patch near Lockport. The two growers will reveal the condition of this year’s crop of Illinois pumpkins and discuss opportunities for you and your family to visit the state’s many pumpkin farms and patches this fall.

Fall serves as a great time to visit Illinois state parks. On this episode of the Partners podcast, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director, Colleen Callahan, reveals hidden gems within Illinois state parks and explains why you don’t need to travel across state lines to have great family fun this season.

Expect to hear more climate change chaos talk later this month when the United Nations convenes for a “Climate Action Summit” on Monday, September 23. Hear from Erin Fitzgerald, CEO of the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, and greenhouse gas expert Frank Mitloehner, Ph.D., University of California-Davis, about how U.S. agriculture can be a solution when it comes to climate change.

Many Illinois orchards have opened for the season! Find out how the apple crop has fared this year and hear from orchardists of two family-run orchards in Illinois, Liberty Apple Orchard in Edwardsville, and Donnie Appleseed Orchard in LaSalle. We’ll cover orchard etiquette and hear about what you can expect when visiting these or other orchards this fall.