RFD Today

We chat with Lance Moritz with the Streator FFA. He is an American Star finalist in Ag Placement. We talk specialty growers issues with Randy Graham of Curtis Orchard in Champaign and chairman of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association. We finish the show celebrating National Ice Cream Month with Darin Copeland from Prairie Farms Dairy.

Randolph County farmer Josh Reinhardt recaps the Young Leader Industry Tour to California. We have coverage from last week's Hanock County Fair with Queen Tessa Sargeant and Duke Oursler from Duke and The American Dream. We talk weather with Illinois State Climatoligist Trent Ford.

We chat Next Generation Fuels Act with former Western Illinois Congresswoman Cheri Bustos, who served on the House Ag Committee for ten years. We get a Crop Watcher report from Tom Ritter in Macon County. Joe Camp with Commstock Investments previews a new market week.

We celebrate IAA Foundation scholarship recipients on today's show. We also chat with Tanner Mickey from the Taylorville FFA Chapter. He is a National FFA finalist for American Star Farmer. SIU Med School Registered Dietician Charlyn Fargo talks sweet corn.

Thursday's show features regular updates from Illinois Farm Bureau President Rich Guebert and IFB Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Mark Gebhards. We talk all things local foods with Raghela Scavuzzo, who serves as Associate Director of Food Systems Development for Illinois Farm Bureau.

We preview the 2023 Illinois State Fair with State Fair Manager Rebecca Clark. Helen VanBeck from American Farmland Trust discusses the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnershp. We meet new District 3 FCAE Program Advisor Allie Bode. Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Local Government Ryan Whitehouse highlights the importance of farm visits and county fair visits for local elected officials.

Tuesday's show includes coverage from 75th annual meeting of the Association of Illinois Soil & Water Conservation Districts in Springfield. State Ag Pest Survey Coordinator Kelly Estes provides a summer pest update. We learn about the Rock Island Regional Port District from staff with Corn Belt Ports. DTN ag meteorologist John Baranick details the last two weeks of July.

Monday's show features converage of last week's Mercer County Youth Livestock Auction, which raised over $62,000 for exhibitors. We get an update on trucking issues from Mid-West Truckers Association's Don Schaefer. Dave Mool provides a Crop Watcher report from McLean County. Commstock Investments Joe Camp previews a new market week.

Friday's show includes a conversation with Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello. We talk resolution submittal and the Ilinois Farm Bureau policy resolution process with former Edwards County Farm Bureau President Jason Balding. They brought forward an issue that led to legislation recently signed into law by the Governor. We finish the show highlighting next week's Warrensbur...

We celebrate 100 years of the Hamlet Handy Helpers 4-H Club in Mercer County. We highlight the Shelby County 4-H Fair with Yolanda Nation. We learn about the International Farm Youth Exchange program from state coordinator Carolyn Hansen.

Rodney Knittel , Illinois Farm Bureau Assistant Director of Transportation and Infrastructure discusses the recent multi-year infrastructure plan announced by Governor Pritzker. Xochitl Torrres Small has been confirmed as USDA Deputy Ag Secretary. We highlight two trips she made to Illinois earlier this year, while she was serving as USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development. We learn about an ove...

Illinois FSA Director Scott Halpin discusses Friday's application deadline for the Emergency Relief Program Phase 2 and the Pandemic Assistance Revenue Program/. We get an update from Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. Mellisa McMillan from the Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation highlights the 2025 class. Paul Otto from Freese-Notis Weather talks an active weather pattern for the remainder...

Illinois Farm Bureau Director of Business and Regulatory Affairs Bill Bodine provides an update on two significant high speed internet funding announcements. Paul Munie gives a Crop Watcher report from St. Clair County. Joe Camp at CommStock Investments previews a new market week.

Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Mark Gebhards touches on a number of issues, including an emergency haying and grazing request for CRP land. We visit with U.S. Rep. Jonathan Jackson and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin regarding Farm Bill timeline. We learn about the Carl Sandburg State Historic Site in Galesburg. We meet LaSalle County Farm Bureau Manager K...

Dan Enos highlights the DeWitt County 4-H Fair in Clinton. Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Commodites and Livestock Programs Tasha Bunting discusses the Illinois Milk Producers Association's Illinois Dairy Tech Tour later this month. Kevin Daugherty provides an Illinois Ag in the Classroom update and we learn about a grant program from the Tractor Supply Foundation, which benefits under...

We visit with the University of Illinois Extension's Bobbie Lewis-Sibley as the extension embarks on strategic planning. We chat with the state's new FCAE coordinator--Jennifer Waters. Devin Bollman provides an Illinois Beef Association update.

We visit with the Goreville FFA Chapter. They were named Premier Chapter in Illinois at last month's Illinois FFA Convention. We highlight RFD Radio Network Affiliate WNOI. We finish the show talking ag weather with DTN ag meteoroligist John Baranick.

We learn about Annie's Project from Co-CEO's Dr. Karisha Devlin and Doris Mold. The effort is about empowering women in agriculture. We get a CropWatcher report from Marshall Newhouse in Boone County. And we preview a new market week with Joe Camp from Comstock Investments.

National Telecommunications & Information Administration’s BEAD Program Director Evan Feinman discusses $1-billion in High Speed Internet funding coming to Illinois. Livestock exhibitor Justin Hardin highlights the importance of county fairs. He was interviewed at the Henry County Fair. Karen Boyd, nurse navigator at OSF Moeller Cancer Center in Alton talks skin cancer screening, detection, an...

Illinois Farm Bureau Vice President Brian Duncan talks issues associated with California's Prop 12. We hear from Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Member Services Mike Hodge, who is retiring. And we highlight the new Syngenta Seeds R & D Innovation Center in DeKalb County in a conversation with Warren Krueger, who leads North American seed development.

U.S. Senator Dick Durbin details his "Roadmap to Grow Illinois' Rural Health Workforce." We learn about the Embarass River Watershed from Lauren Spaniol with the Coles County SWCD and Nicole Haverback from the U of I Extension. We get an IL Corn update from Rodney Weinzierl. Randy Graham at Curtis Orchard in Champaign talks drought impact.

Adam Nielsen, Director of National Legislation & Policy Development, Illinois Farm Bureau recaps spring congressional visits and updates listeners on national issues and concerns. FarmWeek Crop Watcher Ron Haase reports from Iroquois County. A farm accident occurred last month in Northern Illinois and Brent Pollard walked away with his life but wanted to share his story. Weather with State Cli...

Lauren Lurkins, Illinois Farm Bureau, provides details on an Action Request for Farm Bureau Members. Then Illinois FSA State Director Scott Halpin and Chief Compliance Officer Wendy Mueller talk rules and regulations for emergency haying and grazing on CRP acres. Prairie Farms Dairy Darin Copeland talks June Dairy month and we kick off a new trading week with CommStock Investments Joe Camp.

Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Mark Gebhards details IFB's latest action request. Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Local Government and Political Engagement highlights "Allies in Agriculture" and the latest with the Pro Ag Resolution effort. USDA Rural Development State Diector Betsy Dirksen Londrigan discusses several programs, including...

Illinois Farm Bureau President Guebert joins the show today. Among the topics he highlights is an IFB action request. We learn about the Cisne Zip Code Day taking place 6-28-23. We meet Mercer County goat farmer John Dailey, who's hosting an event on Saturday called "Goatchella". FCAE District 5 Program Advisrr Casey Bolin tells us about an ag teacher conference taking place this week in Lisle.