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217 Today: To stay on the farm, more and more farmers are working second and even third jobs

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Phil Hallstedt picks cherries on his orchard in Michigan. He and his wife both have worked part-time jobs, but recently Hallstedt transitioned his cherry orchard to a U-Pick model where people can pay to harvest their own cherries. He said the new business model was necessary to stay afloat.
  • Photo: Beryl Striewski / Courtesy Phil Hallstedt

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Today’s headlines:

  • Democratic state senator Paul Faraci has defeated Republican Jeff Brownfield in the race for the 52nd district. 
  • In honor of Veterans Day, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs has returned a Purple Heart medal to the daughter of a late World War Two veteran from Decatur.
  • Artificial Intelligence is making an impact on every aspect of life. In education, there’s growing interest in how the tool can be used to increase accessibility.
  • Gun control advocates are disappointed in a federal judge’s decision to overturn an Illinois law banning assault-style firearms. 
  • Some Illinois lawmakers are considering how to further protect reproductive and LGBTQ+ rights they feel are threatened by a second Donald Trump presidency.

In today’s deep dive, we’ll learn what’s led to the increase in off-farm jobs and efforts among some farmers to add value to their agriculture products.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Mosqueda. Reporting today contributed by Mae Antar, Kulsoom Khan, Diana Zhang, Mawa Iqbal, Alex Degman and Teresa Homsi.

 

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Stephanie Mosqueda

Stephanie Mosqueda is a senior majoring in journalism at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with minors in Spanish and public relations. She is the 217 Today producer and a reporter for the Illinois Student Newsroom.