Taking Stalk with Illinois Farm Bureau

Long days, unpredictable weather and the demands of farm life -- especially during harvest -- can make farm life harder. But food can help. That's a lesson that farm wife and food writer Deanne Frieders learned quickly after she married a farmer following a corporate career in Chicago.

The woman behind "This Farm Girl Cooks" joins host Rita Frazer in this episode of Taking Stalk to talk about food, family and the role a good meal can play in bringing people together on the farm.

Every Wednesday, Beck's Hybrids Agronomist Matt Montgomery posts a photo of a rural church on his Facebook page. It's a practice he's kept up since 2018 after feeling like something was missing in the agriculture industry.

In this episode of Taking Stalk, Montogomery outlines his long journey of faith and tells host Rita Frazer he believes the soul of agriculture is found in the churches — and the people — that dot the countryside.

John White Jr. didn't join Farm Bureau with leadership aspirations. But fate had other plans.

In this episode of Taking Stalk, the former Illinois Farm Bureau president joins host Rita Frazer to reflect on his 96 years of life — and 78 years with Farm Bureau.

Regan Joehl wanted to be a farmer. Christie Joehl wanted to be an ag teacher. Together, the Joehls have made both their dreams come true — but not in a way either of them ever imagined.

In this episode of Taking Stalk, the couple outlines the past 10 years of their unique family and farm journey that led to a thriving agritourism business in Greene County.

Tara Barrett-Duzan didn't plan on being a farmer.
But when tragedy struck the former television reporter's family twice, everything changed.
In this episode of Taking Stalk, Barrett-Duzan shares her emotional journey back to the family farm with host Rita Frazer.
Together, they explore farming's steep learning curve, the loneliness that accompanies it, and how a leap of faith revealed confidence Barrett-Duzan says she didn't know she had.

Lauren Reedy and Corrie Scott want to see their small town thrive. But until last year, Benson, Illinois, didn't even have a grocery store — until they started one themselves. In this episode of Taking Stalk, the fifth-generation farmers tell host Rita Frazer how they transitioned from a focus on production agriculture to feeding their community, a model they hope has the potential to change how rural America looks — and eats.

Working in agriculture often means spending long hours in the sun — and a heightened risk for skin cancer.

Stephanie Porter, an outreach agronomist with the Illinois Soybean Association, experienced this firsthand nearly seven years ago. A sore spot that wouldn't heal led to a melanoma diagnosis teetering on the edge of Stage 4 cancer.

In this conversation with host Rita Frazer, Porter shares her story of recovery and Dr. Gaurav Singh, a dermatologist and surgeon with City of Hope, shares simple, practical ways to reduce skin cancer risk and recognize warning signs early.

There's no shortage of people who will say farming is difficult. But Charlton and Michaela Greathouse want to tell a different story, one that's inspired by their passion for regenerative agriculture and farm-to-table food.

Based in Albion, Illinois, the fifth-generation farmers are living what they love — growing a farm, a market and a family legacy.

In this episode of Taking Stalk, the Greathouses tell host Rita Frazer how they made their shared vision into reality, creating a southern Illinois destination for locally raised and processed meats, homegrown farm products and community connection.

Freelance movie producer Sam Goldberg grew up in New York City, but it's rural America that captured his interest as a filmmaker.

Beginning in 2019 with his feature film Silo, Goldberg seeks to bridge the urban-rural divide through the power of narrative storytelling. 

In this episode of Taking Stalk, Goldberg tells host Rita Frazer about a forthcoming release of a six-part limited series titled Perfect Sundays. Set in the heart of rural America, the story chronicles the journey of a multigenerational farm family that seeks to dig their way out of economic challenge and emotional paralysis.

To learn more, visit perfectsundaystv.com.

You’ve heard his voice on the airwaves. Now it’s time to hear his story.  
In this episode of Taking Stalk, RFD Radio Network Senior Anchor DeLoss Jahnke sits down with host Rita Frazer for a conversation tracing his journey from Kansas farm kid to president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting.
Together, Frazer and Jahnke also reflect on the importance of mentorship, the evolution of media, and why local farm radio still matters in rural communities.