RFD Today

We celebrate FFA Week hearing from Caleb Seboldt with the Valmeyer FFA Chapter and Isabella Bunting with the Dwight FFA chapter. Wrap up the show with weather from DTN's John Baranick.

Coverage from last weekend's WIU Ag Mech Farm Expo as we chat with Ag Mech Club President James Bierman about the show and Curt Myers of Base Camp Country Real Estate about the recreational and hunting ground market. We celebrate National FFA Week with Mindy Bunselmeyer of the Illinois FFA Center. Joe Camp of Commstock Investments previews a shortened market week.

We get an early start on celebrating National FFA Week with Mark Jones from the Peotone FFA Chapter. We have coverage of the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council Investment Insight Live Conference. We get an update from the Illinois High School Association on adding girls flag football as a state tournament series. We meet Clinton-Marion County Farm Bureau Manager Brad Conant.

Thursday’s show features our regular monthly visit with Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello. We also hear from Illinois Farm Bureau staffers--Vanessa Wright, Young Leader Program Coordinator; Taylor Hartke, Youth & Collegiate Program Coordinator; and Lori Jackson, Youth & Collegiate Program Coordinator.

Monica McConkey, LPC, is a Rural Behavioral Health Counselor & Consultant. She discusses the 5 Love Languages. Henry County farmer Dennis Verbeck promotes Heart Health Month as he recovers from a late November heart attack.

"Seven with Kevin" leads off Tuesday's show as we chat with Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Kevin Semlow. We also hear from Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. Illinois Farm Bureau Director of of Envornmental Policy Sanjay Sofat provides reaction to last week's federal judge's ruling on dicamba registrations. Freese-Notis Weather meteorologist...

University of Illinois Extension Specialist Josie Rudolphi promotes an Illinois Agrability Webinar series. We hear from Dr. Jeffrey Hoscheck, Life Insurance Medical Director for COUNTRY Financial We highlight the WIU Ag Mech Farm Expo. Commstock Investments Joe Camp previews a new market week.

Illinois Farm Bureau Consumer Engagement Manager Gracie Pierson highlights the Super Bowl Sunday "We are the 96" TV spot. Jonathan Coppess, Director, Gardner Agriculture Policy Program at the University of Illinois provides a Farm Bill update that’s not too promising. We highlight the upcoming Illinois Beef Expo.

Thursday's show features an update from State Ag Pest Survey Coordinator Kelly Estes. Coverage from this week's Illinois Dairy Summit includes a chat with Dr. Phil Cardoso from the University of Illinois.

We talk with the Lynn Gibson from the Amateur Trapshooting Association about the Grand American being extended through 2036 at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta. Mellisa McMillan provides an update on the 2025 class of the Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation. Jesse Faber, an ag teacher and FFA advisor at Pontiac High School, talks new initiatives to get more people interested in...

Tuesday's show features our "Seven with Kevin" segment with Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs & Commodities Kevin Semlow. We also have bonus content from last week's Cattle Con and the Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show. DTN ag meteorologist John Baranick talks February weather,

Coverage of last weekend's Mid-West Truck & Trailer Show in Peoria as we chat with Don Schaefer from the Mid-West Truckers Association and Illinois State Police Safety Education Public Information Officer Haylie Polistina. An example of bridging the rural/urban-suburban divide with a basketball game featuring Scales Mound High School--enrollment 80 and Glenbard West High School--enrollment 2,3...

We get an update from Illinois Farm Bureau's Bill Bodine on the Broadband Map Challenge. Jim Taylor then visits with State FFA Treasurer Ben Bremmer as his year of service winds down. Rita Frazer wraps it up reporting from the Cattle Convention with a conversation w/Dan Halstrom, USMEF CEO.

State Senator David Koehler and State Rep. Sharon Chung join the show to discuss the Family Farm Preservation Act legislation. We learn about a $12-million farmland gift at Monmouth College. U-of-I Extension Educator Ken Johnson talks tree pruning.

RFD Radio's Rita Frazer provides coverage from the 2024 Illinois Pork Expo in Springfield. We highlight this weekends Illinois Reads Book Festival with Illinois Ag in the Classroom's Kevin Daugherty and Sherry Sejnost from the Illinois Reads program. 16 Illinois authors will be featured.

Tuesday's show features a regular visit from Illinois Department of Agriculture Director Jerry Costello. We meet the new CEO of the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts Dr. Michael Woods. We talk county fair season with the new president of Illinois Association Agricultural Fairs Dave Hake. Meteorologist Paul Otto of Freese-Notis Weather talks February outlook.

Monday's show features our "Seven with Kevin" segment as Rita Frazer chats with Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Kevin Semlow. Illinois Department of Agriculture Dakarai Howard highlights the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. We learn about the IHSA's provisional officiating license for 15 and 16 year olds. Joe Camp at Commstock Investmen...

We hear from outgoing USDA Rural Development State Director Betsy Dirksen Londgrigan. We learn about a Rockridge FFA hydroponics project. Rita Frazer chats with Licensed Professional Counselor Rachel Brown for a mental health segment. We get an Illinois Agri-Women update from Lynn Curry.

Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Food Systems Development Raghela Scavuzzo recaps last week's Everything Local Conference. Jennifer Smith provides an IAA Foundation update. We finish the show with Illinois Corn Marketing Board segment.

Illinois Farm Bureau President Brian Duncan recaps the delegate session at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Salt Lake City. We talk quality cottage cheese and yogurt snacks with Darin Copeland at Prairie Farms Dairy. Jeff Adkisson with the Grain & Feed Association of Illinois previews GFAI’s annual convention next month.

Amy Rademaker with Carle Health promotes "A Mother's Game Plan for Safety & Health" webinar series. Rita Frazer highlights the Livingston County Soil & Water Conservation District Annual Meeting. We talk January weather with Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford.

RFD Radio's DeLoss Jahnke provides coverage from the Commstock Investment Brazil Farmland Tour. We visit with chairman of the Illinois Specialty Growers Association Randy Graham, who's also owner/operator of Curtis Orchard in Champaign. We preview a new market week with Commstock Investments Joe Camp.

Friday's show features the latest "Seven with Kevin" segment with Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Kevin Semlow. Coverage from the Everything Local Conference in Springfield includes chats with USDA NRCS State Conservationist Eric Gerth and Illinois Farmers Market Association Executive Director Janie Maxwell. We meet Tazewell County Farm Bureau manage...

Rita Frazer provides an update from Mark Gebhards as he talks about the Future of Farm Bureau. Jim Taylor shares a report from the Everything Local confernece and then talks with Lee County Farm Bureau's Adam Henkel about a USDA listening session regarding siting practices for renewable energy.

We chat Illinois Farm Bureau local government priorities for 2024 with IFB Associate Director of Local Government and Political Engagement Ryan Whitehouse. We get an FFA update from the Assistant Executive Director of the Illinois FFA Center John Edgar. Woodford County pork producer Chad Leman talks livestock care during bitter cold weather. American Farmland Trust's Helen VanBeck details the Illi...