Welcome to the Illinois Farm Families Blog, where farmers and consumers will be talking about farms, farming and how your food is grown. We know today’s consumers have questions about your food and where it comes from. We also know you have a lot of resources at your fingertips to find out about food. But are any of those resources the actual farmers who grow it?

I am one of those farmers who grow your food. But I did not grow up on a farm. In fact, I grew up in the Chicago suburbs. I was born and raised in Cook County, went to college at Western Illinois University and married a farmer. Now I live, work and have raised my family on a farm in western Illinois.

I hope this blog will address your questions as we explore topics ranging from what happens on our farm everyday and how we care for our animals and the environment, to when and why we use antibiotics or apply chemicals to our crops.