Nick Forrest, past chair of American Lamb Board, provides tips for preparing lamb and simple recipes in this RFD interview. LISTEN HERE

Among the major proteins, consumers are most likely to consume pork at Easter. Smoked ham sales during Easter have been on the climb each of the last three years with sales totaling $197.1 million in 2022. Here’s some tips on how to cook and safely store ham. Read more     Read more

The active weather pattern brought mixed weather across the state, according to the latest CropWatchers reports. The most common word in this week’s report was rain, mentioned 28 times, and storms, mentioned 18. Find out how last week’s weather left soil conditions and farms. Leroy Getz, Carroll County: The March lion ROARED with tornadoes and thunderstorms with hail. The path of destruction hit many farmsteads, buildings and grain facilities. We had a little tree damage. Through the several storms I only received 0.8 inches of rain. Mary Streitmatter, Peoria County: After several rounds of rain last week, we received close

Bipartisan legislation that aims to attract health professionals to rural communities is making its way through Congress. The American Hospital Association applauded the legislation, noting mounting pressures on the health care workforce has created a “historic workforce crisis.” The legislation would authorize loan repayments up to $200,000 for participants who agree to serve full time for five years in a rural health provider shortage area. Read more    

A familiar face has been named dean of the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). After serving on an interim basis since September 2021, German Bollero was named the permanent ACES dean. Bollero served more than a decade in ACES administrative roles. READ MORE

The cuts are reportedly an effort to prop up oil prices, which recently plummeted to 15-month lows due to fuel demand concerns created in part by the banking crisis, AAA – The Auto Club Group reported. Learn more about the trickle-down effects of the cuts.     Read more