FarmWeekNow

05/28/2026

Collegiate Farm Bureau and Illinois FFA chapters throughout the state are making a measurable impact in their communities.

Data from the 2025-26 Farm Bureau Harvest for All program shows youth and collegiate students helped meet a range of local needs across Illinois by:

🍽️ Collecting more than 68,000 pounds of food,
🫶 Volunteering more than 13,000 hours and
💲 Raising over $76,000.

And combined with the Illinois Farm Bureau Young Leaders program, their efforts contributed to IFB's statewide Harvest for All total, which surpassed the $233,000 raised in 2025.

“Whether organizing food drives, packing meals, raising funds for local causes or serving their communities in countless other ways, these students stepped up to make a difference while living out the FFA motto, ‘Living to Serve,’” IFB Youth and Collegiate Program Coordinator Taylor Hartke says.

You can learn more about the efforts — and the top FFA and collegiate Farm Bureau chapters recognized — at the link below 👇

05/26/2026

For the Kramer family in Fayette County, raising registered Angus cattle is a generational legacy, one that started back in 1960.

“A lot of our current cow families still trace directly to some of those original females,” Brady Kramer tells FarmWeek. “We have a lot of females that are 10 generations bred right here on our farm. It’s something that’s taken decades to happen.”

Alongside his parents, Keith and Denise Kramer, and his wife, Brittney, he manages around 70 cows. The operation is diversified, as the family also farms corn and soybeans, a strategy partly aimed at managing risk and preserving longevity.

“I hope that I’m still toward the beginning of a long line of Kramers raising Angus cattle in this part of the world,” he says.

Read the full feature on the Kramer family at the link in comments. (Photo courtesy of the Illinois Beef Association.)

05/23/2026

Leonard and Brenda Luxmore don't need to see a flag or a barn to remember their son, B.J. They think of him every day.

But now, a rural barn in Mercer County that's over 100 years old — and the large flag adorning it — serves as an additional memorial to Cpl. Bryant J. Luxmore, who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan in 2012.

"When we put the flag up there, it was something to honor him and show our respect to him and ... all veterans that have served," Leonard Luxmore tells Jim Taylor on the RFD Radio Network. "We're certainly proud to have it there and thankful that people it enjoy it, too. We want to always have people remember him and all of our veterans."

Listen to the special Memorial Day episode of this week's Vintage Country at the link in comments.

05/19/2026

Illinois farmers made major planting progress last week as dry conditions kept planters rolling across much of the state. While some areas are still dealing with wet spots and replant concerns, others are closing in on the finish line for spring planting.

In DeKalb County, Ryan Frieders says nearly every tractor in the southern part of the county was running last week as farmers took advantage of excellent field conditions. Now, the focus turns to warmer weather and getting the crop off to a strong start.

How far along are you this spring? Let us know in the comments 👇

✅And don’t forget to subscribe to FarmWeekNow’s Daily Update to receive the special CropWatcher e-newsletter in your inbox every Saturday!

05/17/2026

Illinois Farm Bureau members might recognize Derek Martin from an award he and his family earned late last year from PepsiCo, honoring their longstanding commitment to sustainable farming.

But when the Logan County farmer isn't in the fields, there's a good chance the outdoorsman is fishing with his family.

In this week's episode of Vintage Country, Martin reminisces with Rita Frazer of the RFD Radio Network about his father passing down a love for the outdoors to him — and how he's doing the same with his own sons.

Listen to the full episode — and hear the story of the lucky lure that brought in a 6 ½ pound, 23-inch Striper on Clinton Lake — at the link below. 🎙👇

05/14/2026

Passion for agriculture takes many forms — and for Haven Cash, the Illinois Farm Bureau Actively Engaged Student of the Month for May, that passion comes from content creation.

The North Clay High School senior and North Clay FFA President is the creator of an original podcast called "Diggin' Ag on Air." Cash says her goal was to spread more awareness about FFA and agriculture.

"My SAE has been in agricultural communications through FFA," she tells Jim Taylor on the RFD Radio Network. "I thought it would be a great addition to my projects and it was really where I found my passion."

Cash is also Section 23 FFA president, an Illinois State Scholar and a leader with the Clay County 4-H Federation Board.

Learn more about the aspiring ag leader and hear her interview on the RFD Radio Network at the link below 👇

05/13/2026

You’ve heard his voice on the airwaves. Now it’s time to hear his story.

RFD Radio Network Senior Anchor DeLoss Jahnke sits down with host Rita Frazer in the latest episode of our Taking Stalk podcast for a personal conversation tracing his journey from Kansas farm kid to National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB) president.

Together, Frazer and Jahnke also reflect on the importance of mentorship, the evolution of media — and why local farm radio is still so important in rural communities.

Listen at the link in comments 🎙👂👇

Home to Taking Stalk, a podcast that features issues important to farmers and rural Illinois.

05/12/2026

We are excited to officially launch a brand new radio segment on FarmWeekNow RFD Radio Network: Tomorrow’s Leaders Today! This series shines a spotlight on the outstanding leadership of County and Collegiate Farm Bureau members whose dedication has earned recognition for themselves or their chapters and counties.

Kicking off the series is Davis Espe from Kane County Farm Bureau. In this first interview, Davis shares his leadership journey, what the award recognition means to him, and how Farm Bureau leadership continues to make an impact at the local level.

Tune in the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month on RFD Radio Network as we celebrate the people behind the programs and highlight the leadership shaping the future of Illinois agriculture.

Listen here: https://www.farmweeknow.com/tomorrows-leaders-today-davis-espe/audio_264067ab-1089-4317-acd1-87ebcd8722ce.html

05/11/2026

You wouldn't know it just by looking at him, but Brent Pollard is one of many farmers nationwide who struggle with mental health.

The Illinois Farm Bureau District 2 director and his wife, Carrie, have learned how to navigate his mental health both individually and as spouses, but it hasn't been easy.

For May Mental Health Awareness Month, the Pollards write in FarmWeek about their separate struggles and their shared journey navigating these challenges that are common for those in agriculture.

It's an important subject to broach publicly, Brent writes, because "we owe it to ourselves, our fellow farmers and the next generation of agriculture to fully embrace talking about and acting on our mental health needs."

Read both of their stories below 👇

05/05/2026

Cole Young’s childhood dream was to be a farmer, but one requirement from his parents was he must attend a university before returning to the family farm in DeWitt County.

Now, in his first season farming out of college, the 23-year-old is applying what he learned on campus to create a foundation for long-term success.

A focus in precision agriculture at Parkland College and ag communications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign taught skills Young needed to step into a bigger role on his family’s corn and soybean farm.

And an internship with Integrated Seed Solutions created the framework to start his own business, Apex Agronomics, for extra income.

“I don’t want to just put the crop out there and watch it grow. I want to find different ways and different things to fine-tune and continue to push the envelope and make money,” the DeWitt County Farm Bureau Young Leader tells FarmWeek for this week's View from the Cab feature.

Read his full story at the link in comments 👇