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List of Interviewees

Agesort icon Interview County
Don (Anonymous) Male 1980s DeKalb Recalls childhood on farm and resurrection of defunct farm
Joanne (Anonymous) Female 1980s La Salle Farm wife raised on farm but worked outside the home
Dianna Hatfield < 20 Female 2000s Wayne Active 4-H and FFA member; seeks career in Ag marketing
Sam Meteer < 20 Male 2000s Menard State Vice President of FFA in Illinois, 2007-2008
Kaitlin Weitekamp < 20 Female 2000s Montgomery State President of FFA in Illinois, 2007-2008
FFA State Officers < 20 2000s
Makenna Barker < 20 Female 2000s Fulton 4-H member who displayed vegetables at Illinois State Fair
Cavan Sullivan 20s Male 2000s Menard Raises pheasant, quail, deer, and bison on small farm
Manda Geerts-Davis 20s Female 2000s Whiteside National Junior Advisor for Columbia Sheep Association
Nate Janssen 30s Male 2000s Lake Manages large dairy operation at Golden Oaks Farm
Jody Heavner 30s Female 2000s Pike Manager of elk production at Pea Ridge Elk Ranch
Timothy Reed 30s Male 2000s Jersey Agriculture teacher at Southwestern High School
Neil Dahlstrom 30s Male 2000s Rock Island Author of The John Deere Story (2005)
Chris Eckert 30s Male 2000s St. Clair President of Eckert's Orchards, Inc.
Bev Kuhn 30s Female 1980s DeKalb Born on farm in Australia, farms with husband near DeKalb
Martin Mauricio 30s Male 2000s St. Clair Manager of migrant workers at Eckert's Orchards
Rick Collins 30s Male 2000s Mercer Restores historic barns using sustainable practices
John Ackerman 40s Male 2000s Tazewell Pumpkin farmer; diversified to preserve family farm
Yvette Ackerman 40s Female 2000s Tazewell Operates Ackerman Farms Store and a shop in town
Wayne D. Sirles 40s Male 2000s Union Manages packing shed at Rendleman Orchards
Dr. Debra Reid 40s Male 2000s Coles Associate Professor of History at Eastern Illinois University
Mark Johnson 40s Male 2000s DuPage Agricultural Specialist for Kline Creek Farm
Keith McClow 40s 2000s DuPage Director of Kline Creek Farm, an 1890s living-history farm
Harry Rhodes 40s Male 2000s Cook Executive Director of Growing Home, Chicago
Parris Brewer 40s Male 2000s Cook Marketing Coordinator for Growing Home, Chicago
Brian Holst 40s Male 2000s Rock Island Manager of the John Deere Collectors Center
Dr. Peter Goldsmith 40s Male 2000s Champaign NSRC Soybean marketing
Jack Kuhn 40s Male 1980s DuPage Born on a dairy farm, farms with wife, sons, and brother
Judy Stark 40s Female 1980s DeKalb Farm wife discusses farming tradition in the Stark family
John Thurman 40s Male 2000s Kankakee African-American farmer in economically challenged area
Jay Johnson 40s Male 2000s Morgan Organized large-scale train shipments of corn to Texas
Ida Thurman 40s Female 2000s Kankakee African-American farmer in economically challenged area
Jose Martinez 40s Male 2000s St. Clair Mexican migrant worker at Eckert's Orchards
Robert Wieneke 40s Male 2000s Calhoun Produces peaches, wine and small grains
Matthew Hughes 40s Male 2000s Jefferson Corn and soybean farmer in a productive county
Barb Male 40s Female 1980s DeKalb Farm wife discusses changes in farming
Larry Smith 40s Male 1980s Sangamon Farmer discusses German heritage and impact of World War II
Scott Jeckel 40s Male 2000s Tazewell Pork Manager for Jeckel hog confinement operation of 18,000 hogs on 1,500 acres
Oba Herschberger 50s Male 2000s Moultrie Amish farmer, Holstein dairy and Belgian horse breeding
Jim Burrus 50s Male 2000s Morgan Raises grass-fed beef and organic chickens
Lorene Herschberger 50s Female 2000s Moultrie Amish farm wife, Mother of 13 children
Ruth Hambleton 50s Female 2000s Jefferson U. of Illinois Extension educator; founded Annie's Project
Pam Gray 50s Female 2000s Sangamon Director of Illinois State Fair Museum
Dr. Deanna Glosser 50s Female 2000s Sangamon Director of Slow Food Springfield
Michael Johnson 50s Male 2000s Carroll Tree farmer and professional landscape photographer
Paul Gebhart 50s Male 2000s Christian Organic chickens, turkeys, and cattle
Mike Latting 50s Male 2000s Kankakee African-American farmer and rodeo operator
Doug Parrett 50s Male 2000s Champaign Professor of Animal Sciences at UIUC
Dr. Linda Kull 50s Female 2000s Champaign Coordinator of soybean production resesarch for NSRC
Myles Harston 50s Male 2000s Livingston AquaRanch Industries: Tilapia fish and hydroponic crops