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Seed & Soil

From Pumpkin Patch to Grocery Store Shelf

Phil Luciano October 24, 2023

Seeking a healthier diet, Jeremy Zobrist discovered a financial opportunity.Where? Inside a pumpkin.Zobrist runs Top Fox, a 3-year-old snack-food factory...

Grain Bins Are a Critical Link Between Farm and Consumer

Thomas Bruch October 24, 2023

As the air turns crisp and the temperatures cool, Peoria area residents begin to frequent the typical customs and attractions...

That old-time rural religion

Steve Tarter September 28, 2023

The small country church may be the last of the rural outposts resisting the fate that’s befallen such reminders of...

Roots

Emily Sharkey September 28, 2023

As my husband Rob and I travel the country speaking and taping TV segments and doing interviews, we have had...

A tale of two weekends

Patrick Kirchhofer August 25, 2023

The 2023 growing season will be marked by two significant crop-saving weekends — the first weekend in July and the...

‘Our food speaks for itself’

Lisa Coon August 1, 2023

The options Peoria-area residents have to stock up on locally grown produce are as bountiful as the variety of vegetables...

Handing the tractor keys to the next generation

Rob Sharkey August 1, 2023

“It’s not easy to hand things over to the next generation.” Usually this is followed up by conversations about succession...

A Q&A with Ron Kindred of the Illinois Soybean Association

Rob Sharkey June 24, 2023

Agricultural commodity groups have the power to impact the economy, influence critical legislation and inspire market trends, all in the...

The Epitome of Agritourism

Laurie Pillman June 24, 2023

Driving by on I-74, it’s hard to miss the 35-foot-tall Civil War-era barn that graces Walnut Grove Farm. The structure...

Planting Roots

Steve Stein June 1, 2023

Precision Planting was founded in 1993 by Greg and Cindy Sauder with a single product.It was a meter tester for...

Mr. and Mrs. SharkFarmer give themselves a grilling

Rob and Emily Sharkey May 21, 2023

Farmers have had a busy spring. Farmers are front and center working the ground, planting, spraying and caring for their...

Ron Underwood and his extensive collection of Farmall tractors outside Eureka

A fondness for Farmalls

Linda Smith Brown May 21, 2023

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Fourth of July and Labor Day, the restored Farmalls will be on...

A treasure of spring (and it’s not a morel)

Rob Sharkey April 27, 2023

It’s that time of year when folks want to get out of the house and enjoy the first flashes of...

This Isn’t Your Grandpa’s Tractor

Rob Sharkey March 31, 2023

One hundred years ago, the majority of farms in this country were using horses instead of tractors. It’s hard to...

Bridging the rural/urban divide

Steve Tarter February 28, 2023

When Doug Oberhelman pledged in 2015 that Caterpillar would build a new headquarters in Downtown Peoria, the first thing the...

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Rob Sharkey February 22, 2023

It’s that time of year when we we’re all tired of winter. The longing for warmer weather and longer days...

‘Farming While Black’

Steve Tarter January 31, 2023

Minorities have made real strides in the American workplace over the past 100 years. It’s no longer uncommon to find...

Farmers Need To Relax and Reset – to Respirate – Too

Rob Sharkey January 1, 2023

Every good corn farmer knows that a plant needs to respirate — a chance for the corn to rest at...

The times they are a changin’

Anita Sharkey December 9, 2022

Growing up on the farm is an experience I’ll never take for granted.I’ve learned about responsibility and work ethic and...

Cheryl Walsh of Bradford, discs a harvested corn field

Women make their mark in central Illinois farm country

Steve Tarter November 30, 2022

Anya Irons developed her interest in agriculture while growing up in a Russian orphanage. “I spent a lot of time...

From Crop-Growing Soil to Energy-Producing Solar

Phil Luciano October 24, 2022

In a remarkable economic boon to central Illinois, the nation’s second-largest solar project is planned for Fulton County. The $800...

Corn Belt Report: Is it Time to Rethink Corn?

Steve Tarter October 1, 2022

In Illinois, corn historically has been king, flanking one’s every move if you drive about the state in summer or...

Maybe I’m Amazed

Steve Tarter October 1, 2022

Welcome to autumn, a time of falling leaves, pumpkins and corn mazes. Those mazes have become an integral part of...

A woman and man at a farmers market table.

Goodbye Disney, hello Marshall County

Steve Tarter September 1, 2022

Watching Tony Malek chat easily with customers as he dispenses produce and occasional preparation instructions on a Saturday morning at...

Rob and Emily Sharky standing in front of their farm

On the farm, finding positives in the pandemic

Emily Sharkey September 1, 2022

I try to be a “glass half full” kind of girl. When I look back over the past couple of...

So Far, So Good for Central Illinois Farmers

Patrick Kirchhofer August 1, 2022

As of the first week in July, the corn and soybean crops look good in Peoria County. There were numerous...