RFD Today

Wall to wall coverage from the Illinois Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs Leadership Conference. IFB prez Rich Guebert discusses the importance of the event for the membership. NCGA’s Neil Caskey provides reaction to the Mexico GMO corn decree Illinois Farm Bureau Director of Environmental Policy Lauren Lurkins provides numerous updates. U.S. EPA’s Rod Snyder served as GALC keynote speaker. He disc...

Valentine’s Day highlight on Keith & Heather Poppy. They share the story of relationship that got their start in Farm Bureau. Rodney Knittel, IFB Assistant Director of Transportation and Infrastructure talks about Rules of the Road programs and Driving Agriculture Forward scholarship now with additional sponsorships by Illinois Soybean Association. Weather with Dan Hix, Freese Notis weather.

Mid-West Truckers Association’s Don Schaefer recaps the Mid-West Truck and Trailer Show. He also discusses a couple of federal and state issues and provides an update on the labor shortage involving the industry. Findlay, Illinois farmer Troy Uphoff details his participation in the National Corn Growers Association’s yield contest. Comstock Investments’ Joe Camp previews a new market week.

Thursday's show includes regular updates from Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Mark Gebhards and IDOA Director Jerry Costello. We discuss the impacts of a mild winter on the insect population with State Ag Pest Survey Coordinator Kelly Estes. We also talk truck driving labor issues with Jesse Merrell of NHH in Tipton, Indiana. Interview recorded at la...

RJ Podeschi, Dean of the Tabor School of Business at Millikin University discusses the new Agribusiness Major at the school. USDA food safety specialist Archie Magoulas talks Super Bowl Sunday food. New President of Illinois Pork Producers Association is Chad Leman. He spoke with RFD Radio’s Rita Frazer at this week’s Illinois Pork Expo.

Congressional Quarterly’s Ellyn Ferguson joins the show to talk ag policy in Washington. She discusses proposed legislation to prohibit foreign adversaries from owning U.S. farmland. Illinois Farm Bureau Environmental Program Manager Raelynn Parmely previews Mississippi North Central watershed planning meetings. DTN AG meteorologist John Baranick provides latest weather update.

Luke Lish from McNay Truck Line in Quincy discusses labor market in trucking industry from Mid-West Truck and Trailer Show in Peoria. Illinois Congressman Darin LaHood also from the truck and trailer show talks trucking issues. Retiring Illinois Farm Bureau Senior Economist Mike Doherty provides reaction to the latest jobs report. Comstock Investments Joe Camp previews a new market week.

Bill Bodine, Illinois Farm Bureau Director of Business and Regulatory Affairs provides an update on the latest development with the Heartland Greenway project. Viola farmer Chad Bell will be featured in an Illinois Farm Families Super Bowl TV ad promoting the “We are the 96” campaign. He talks about the experience. Burke Minsley and Katie Hulsey with the US Geological Survey discuss the 2023 U.S....

Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities Mark Gebhards provides a number of updates including IFB’s “Allies in Agriculture” effort. Rita Frazer checks in with Illinois Beef Association VP Dave Duzan from the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Convention in New Orleans. Illinois Ag In the Classroom Education Director Kevin Director previews next week's virt...

Scott Wilson, Manager Customer Risk Management for GROWMARK discusses current energy market conditions. We get an update on the Illinois Ag Leadership Foundation Class of 2023 with program director Melissa McMillan and fellow Bo Gentry from Downs. Pat Hill, Weed Management and Chemistry Stewardship Manager for Bayer talks crop protection.

We meet the founders of the Rural Indexing Project, Zach Huelsing & Jon Lehman. They have been providing original photographic documentation of buildings, signs, and symbols since 2010. Monica Nyman with the St. Louis Dairy Council discusses healthy food choices. Meteorologist Dan Hicks with Freese-Notis Weather recaps January conditions.

State Director for USDA Rural Development Betsy Dirksen Londrigan provides program updates including February application deadline for Rural Business Development Grant Program. Randy Graham with Illinois Specialty Growers recaps the energy from the Everything Local conference. Helen Van Beck of American Farmland Trust details the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership. And Comstock Investments' Joe C...

Friday's show featuresIllinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities. He breaks down several Springfield items. Southern Illinois Congressman Mike Bost talks several ag issues. Dr. Dan Miller of the Millikin University math department details a robotics competition on the Decatur campus this weekend. Darin Copeland of Prairie Farm Dairy highlights yogurt and dips.

State Conservationist Ivan Dozier reflects on his career in Thursday's show. We hear from Jack Ratcliffe, who serves as Boone County Fair Board Vice President. He talks county fair business during the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs Annual Meeting. And Grant Hammer provides the latest information from the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts.

Wednesday's show features a conversation with newly crowned Miss Illinois County Fair Queen Paige VanDyke. Illinois Congresswoman Mary Miller discusses new Farm Bill and her role on House Ag Committee. University of Illinois Extension’s Jay Solomon promotes Certified Livestock Training Workshops this winter. And Jon Rosensteel details his role on Illinois Corn Marketing Board.

Tuesday's show features a visit with Craig Vivian and Tammy LaPrad at Monmouth College. They detail the school’s Rural Education Initiatives program, which has received $750,000 in federal funding. Mike and Deb Hufendick from Hufendick Farm Market in Plainfield discuss USDA funding they’ve received to expand meat processing capacity. Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford talks a developing winte...

Monday's show features coverage from the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs 112th annual meeting in Spring. We hear from IAAF board president Jill Hardesty and director Tom Moore. We also chat with Kelly Honegger, new Fairbury Fair Board president. We finish the show previewing a new market week with Joe Camp from Comstock Investments.

Julie Hewitt, NREC previews the Insight Live event on February 9. Betsy Dirksen Londrigan from Everything Local conference last week on interaction with growers and matching them up with programs offered by the USDA. Lauren Lurkins talks about her involvement in an EPA Farm Ranch Rural Communities advisory Committee (FRRCC) and updates us on the WOTUS Lawsuit. Charlyn Fargo talks price of eggs, al...

IFB President Richard Guebert talks AFBF annual meeting including Illinois policy adoption. Illinois Farm Bureau Consumer Engagement manager Gracie Pierson highlights the “We are the 96” ad campaign involving the Illinois Farm Families Coalition. Montgomery Farm Bureau Manager Katie Wilson introduces us to Carroll County Farm Bureau Manager Chas Heeren in her Manager to Manager segment. Alan Bjerg...

Kelly Estes, State Ag Pest Survey Coordinator. Getting set for 2023 survey season and talks 2023 threats. Luke Allen, Program Advisor District 2 FCAE, Highlights three new ag programs being created next school year in his district. Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of Local Government and Political Engagement Ryan Whitehouse previews Illinois Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs Leadership Confe...

Tuesday’s show features a recap of the lame duck legislative in Springfield with Illinois Farm Bureau Director of State Legislation Kevin Semlow. We also get an update from the Illinois Soybean Association and talk weather with DTN agriculture meteorologist John Baranick.

Monday’s show features a conversation with Don Schaefer from the Mid-West Truckers Association. We also highlight the New Philadelphia historic site. We learn about an Attracting Rural Residents webinar and finish the show previewing a new market week with Comstock Investments Joe Camp.

Friday's show features an update from Mark Gebhards, who serves as Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director of Governmental Affairs and Commodities. We visit with Jackie Sambursky from the Illinois Department of Agriclutre at the Everything Local Conference. And we finish the show highlighlighting the undefeated Black Hawk College soil judging team.

Illinois Director of Ag Jerry Costello opened the Everything Local-Specialty Growers Conference in Springfield celebrating local foods partnerships and the Illinois programs that celebrate the diversity in the state. Celebrating 50 year 4-H leader Joyce Smith in Mercer County. OSF’s Dr. Kurt Bloomstrand on the importance of calling 911 for an ambulance rather than driving yourself and knowing CPR....