Partners

Practical ways exist to save some money at the fuel pump and in your home right now. Explore each with Emily Skor, CEO of Growth Energy, and Stephanie Robinson, Energy Consultant with Ameren Illinois.

In the 2nd part of a 4-part continuing series, come with us to an urban farm in Chicago where entrepreneurs hope to build a food system easily accessible and affordable to the residents and those that shop at farmers markets in the city. Hear from Stephanie Dunn, Executive Dir., Star Farm Chicago, and Mandy Moody, Executive Dir. of Green City Market, held in two Chicago neighborhoods.

In part II of our series, come with us as we go behind the numbers of what a cookout and other meals now cost and some strategies to manage them and maybe even increase your personal income. Guests include Roger Cryan, Chief Economist, American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), Veronica Nigh, AFBF Senior Economist, and Scott Jensen, Lead Financial Planner, Advanced Markets Team at COUNTRY Financial.

In the first of a two-part series on overcoming inflation, the episode zeroes in on strategies for food, with Kathy Sweedler, Consumer Economist, University of Illinois Extension, and Beth Peralta, Sr. Mgr. Digital Nutrition Education, University of Illinois Extension, both in Urbana-Champaign.

We talk efforts taking place throughout Illinois to protect pollinators and explore ways to track and help them proliferate across the state. Hear from Andre Copeland, Interpretive Programs Manager, Chicago Zoological Society, Brookfield Zoo, and Raelynn Parmely, Environmental Program Manager, Illinois Farm Bureau.

It's street festival time in Chicago. In addition to great food and entertainment, you'll find some Illinois farmers too at the annual Taste of Randolph Street in the West Loop neighborhood of Chicago. Find out why they'll be there and details on what this "taste" has to offer, with business owner Katalin Rodriguez-Ogren, board member, West Loop Community Organization, and Gracie Pierson, Illinois Farm Families Coalition and Illinois Farm Bureau.

These young Illinois farmers share why they remain passionate about producing this superfood. Hear from farmer Leanne Casner, author of "Daily Dose of Dairy" on social media, along with farmers Sarah and Andy Lenkaitis, who let robots do some of the work on their farm.

It's the first of its kind in some 40 years, chock full of photos from these colorful creatures from all over Illinois. Brian Metzke, State Aquatic Ecologist, Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and Chris Taylor, Aquatic Biologist, Curator of Fishes and Crustaceans, Illinois Natural History Survey/Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, provide all of the fishy details.

Plan now to read about, take a trip and pick Illinois-grown strawberries. This episode features strawberry farmer Melvin Repscher, who grows acres of them near Taylorville, and Shannon Anderson, author of the new book, "I Love Strawberries," for youngsters and the young at heart.

In the second part of our two-part series on an Illinois-based food company, find out about how two Fortune 500 companies want to partner with some Illinois and other farmers to increase climate-smart farming. You’ll hear from Andrew Utterback, Sr. Mgr. of Sustainability for Chicago-area based Ingredion, and Margaret Henry, Sr. Dir. of Sustainable Agriculture with a company that sells sodas, juices, breakfast cereals, couscous, quinoa and more.