Checkoff Reaches Consumers in Chicagoland

April 15, 2021
Since 1980 the number of days it has rained more than 2 inches has doubled in illinois

Consumer outreach messaging continues to amplify Illinois farmers’ voices to the most densely populated area of the state. 
 
Illinois Farm Families, a coalition of the five main commodity groups in Illinois and the Illinois Farm Bureau, has great success engaging Chicago consumers on their website, www.watchusgrow.org, and the content created for that platform. 

A recent video showcasing how farmers are adapting to changing weather and heavier rainfall events reached an outstanding 560,912 views on YouTube at the time of this publication. This video is a part of a larger set titled “Innovation Grows Here.” Over half a million views is remarkable considering only one other video in the series went above that milestone. 
 
This data proves consumers care about what farmers do to address sustainability and how they fit into the overall picture to be a part of the solution to climate change. 
 
Partly because of the success of the videos, website traffic to www.watchusgrow.org is up 38 percent this month which can be attributed to the docuseries display ads. However, our audience continues to seek information organically and utilizes the website as a source of information as those metrics reached a high for the year. 
 
Farmers interested in volunteering to tell their story and to be showcased for the Illinois Farm Families project should reach out to our office.

By Sand County Foundation August 28, 2025
Illinois Farmer Awarded Leopold Conservation Award
streambank erosion
By Tara Desmond August 28, 2025
Streambank Erosion: An Overlooked Threat to Illinois Farmland
By Tara Desmond August 28, 2025
What Experienced Farmers Wish They Knew Starting Out
Kacie and Captain us
By Jennie Abbott August 21, 2025
Farm Bureau Manager Kacie Claire shares about her past internship at IL Corn
whiskey
By American Craft Spirits Association August 21, 2025
The Farmer-Distiller: Best Bourbon resulted in a numerical tie, with two distilleries sharing the honor. Queens Reserve, a product of Wood Hat Spirits in Florence, Missouri scored identically to Bloody Butcher Bourbon, which is produced by Pathfinder Farm Distillery in Boonsboro, Maryland.
Green corn stalks in a field, blue sky with white clouds.
By Lyndi Allen August 21, 2025
The time for change is now, action is needed from Congress and the administration after the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest World Agriculture and Supply and Demand Estimates report
Show More