Seth and Kimber King come from a long line of farmers who have raised livestock and row crops. Kimber has a background in social work and Seth in law enforcement and they relocated to be on the farm raising Highland Cattle. This breed is one of the oldest in the world originating in Scotland in t...

Greta Wilson Wetzel and her daughter Gracie Webster chat with Rob about running an Airbnb and raising lavender after the death of the family patriarch. Their rural Nauvoo family farm has raised corn and beans for over 100 years but after they moved a historic Town Hall onto the property and resto...

Greta Wilson Wetzel’s Great Grandparents began the family farm in Rural Nauvoo in the early 1900’s. Greta’s dad, brothers and now her nephew have always raised corn and soybeans. Greta has diversified their farm to include the 1980 Sonora Town Hall which is a historic building they turned into an...

Amy LaBruyere of JD Belcher Electric has been installing generators around the Peoria area since 2005. Their company is in a historic tax school that was constructed in 1924 outside of Lacon. They have even preserved the original school desks. Amy says most people are surprised to find having a b...

Vanessa Alvarez-Biver and her husband really mean it when they advertise “Family Grown Popcorn.” Seven Forks Farm, sells popcorn at local farmers markets and on Etsy. Anyone can pop popcorn and they make it easier and healthier than the microwave kind. They’ve made it a priority to educate the pu...

Born and raised in Warren County on a small grain and livestock farm, Tyler Schleich gained a passion for farming at a young age. After college, he and his wife Cassie started their own cattle herd and built their AI business from the ground up. In 2022, Tyler was named a 20 Under 40 Farmer by th...

Ginger and Tony Malek are from Sparland, Illinois. They own Grandma & Grandpa’s Farm and believe in teaching people where their food comes from. They sustainably raise chickens and vegetables and offer CSA subscriptions for their customers. They connect with the public by traveling to farmer’s ma...

Luke Holly is a grain farmer from Granville, Illinois. In the summer he does a U-Pick sweetcorn patch and grow seed corn, and in the fall, a U-Pick pumpkin patch. Luke is also involved with the local ag Museum in Hennepin, which features WWI trench art, a split bamboo fishing pole collection and ...

When Courtney Lintker left for college, she wanted to be a pediatrician, but soon discovered she couldn’t get back to the farm fast enough. She runs her own 40-cow dairy and milks twice daily. She believes in leadership and enjoys talking about her farm and the benefits of milk to athletes and co...

Nate Herman loves fishing and teaching families how to enjoy the outdoors. Herman Brothers Fisheries has a passion for creating world class recreational opportunities. During fish stocking season they are busy growing fish and stocking private and public ponds all over the state so anglers have t...

Abby Reel shares her deep roots in ag and working at her father’s business, the Reel Livestock Center, as a kid. Now she works with actors at her business, the Barn III, where they serve up beef and put the “ham” on the stage. In many ways Abby built the theater to honor her dad. She says he woul...

Abby Reel grew up in Congerville, Ill., showing angus cattle, being involved in 4-H and watching her father, Les Reel, a long-time angus breeder and cattleman, open the Reel Livestock Center. Abby is now the owner and producer of Barn III Dinner Theatre in Goodfield where her feet are firmly root...

Rob Sharkey has a conversation with Stephanie Porter, Golden Harvest's Soybean Product Manager.

Rob Sharkey has a conversation with Dallas Glazik of Cow Creek Organics.

Rob Sharkey has a conversation with Andrew Larson, a Professor of Agronomy.

Rob Sharkey has a conversation with Mike Newland from Propane Education & Research.

It is often said that it takes a lot of faith to be a farmer since you can’t control variables like the weather or the markets. And yet it is a calling. Pastor Ritch Boerckel talks about being called to pastor Bethany Baptist Church in 1993 and how God has worked faithfully with him for 29 years....

Diane and her late husband, Paul Hahn, who was a farmer and carpenter, started Mackinaw Valley Vineyard together 25 years ago. It has been open to the public for 19 years. The tasting room affords a gorgeous view of the vineyards, lake and the Mackinaw Valley. The family-run business offers a lit...

Blake Noland is an eighth-generation farm boy from Central Illinois who started an ag consulting company, Birddog Workforce Scouting. His goal is to help non-college-bound girls and boys find jobs in agriculture. The Illinois Soybean Association has sponsored his video series, which breaks down e...

Part 2 of a conversation with Anant Deshwal, assistant professor of biology at Bradley University. He shares his journey from humble beginnings in India as a civil engineer to the academic halls at Bradley. He loves inspiring students and has taken groups on adventures around the world.

Anant Deshwal shares his journey from humble beginnings in India as a civil engineer to becoming an assistant professor of biology at Bradley University. He has taken students on adventures to Belize and trekked across the Himalayas. He loves inspiring students.

Travis Weaver grew up on a farm in Peoria, where he found he had a heart for animals. As a former FFA president, ag issues are important to him, as is spending time listening to farmers and their concerns. Travis has a love for education and is a big advocate for ag in the classroom. He carries a...