The Business of Food with Steve Alexander

WGN Radio
WGN Radio

Steve Alexander reports on the agriculture industry with stories of how what we eat goes from farm to plate and profiles of the people and companies who make it all happen.

  1. 6d ago

    Women farmers: The cream of the crop

    Three families of women farmers are being honored by Illinois Agri-Women as Legacy Farm Family winners for 2026. At a ceremony in Bloomington-Normal on August 21st, the Schultz/Miller family, which farms in northwest Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and central Iowa will be honored as the first place winner. In the audio clip below, two generations of […]

  2. Jul 31

    August is the time to fix or replace your lawn

    Our gardening guru Jim Fizzell has plenty to say in this extended version of “Mr. Fizz Friday” about things to do during August to repair damage to your lawn, or start over. https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8550265/8550265_2026-07-30-204905.64kmono.mp3

  3. Jul 17

    Garden sex

    https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8521656/8521656_2026-07-17-184456.64kmono.mp3 Gardening guru Jim Fizzell, aka “Mr. Fizz,” has the birds and bees and the flower and the trees on his mind. It’s pollination time in our gardens. Specifically, as University of Illinois Extension describes it, the male reproductive part of a flower, stamens, consisting of a stalk-like filament topped with an anther that produces pollen. On the […]

  4. Jul 7

    Pretty Cool Ice Cream

    https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8496002/8496002_2026-07-07-201202.64kmono.mp3 When Dana Cree decided to open an ice cream shop, she went on Kickstarter and immediately had to make a decision: what to name it. In the audio clip above, she tells WGN’s Steve Alexander, “The first question was ‘Tell us a little about yourself,’ and I wrote, ‘My name is Dana Cree and […]

  5. Jun 30

    Cereal. It’s what’s for breakfast. And lunch. And dinner.

    https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8484188/8484188_2026-06-30-164128.64kmono.mp3 Whether you eat it for breakfast or another meal, cereal is arguably the most popular item in the grocery store. The cereal aisle is big for a reason: Industry and government figures show Americans purchase roughly 2.5 billion boxes of cereal every year, which translates to roughly 10 to 14 pounds of cereal per person. 94% of […]

  6. Jun 26

    Mr. Fizz wants you to write it down

    https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8478625/8478625_2026-06-26-170425.64kmono.mp3 In the audio clip above, Jim Fizzell, our WGN gardening guru of more than 60 years, tells Steve Alexander that an important piece of equipment needed for successful gardening is a spiral notebook. And a pen or pencil.

  7. Jun 19

    Going on vacation? Jim Fizzell has advice to make sure your garden, houseplants and pets are ready

    https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8464694/8464694_2026-06-19-134134.64kmono.mp3 It’s vacation season for a lot of us, and in the audio clip above, Mr. Fizz, gardening guru Jim Fizzell, has tips for making sure that when you get back, your houseplants, garden plants, lawn, trees, cats, and dogs are in good shape.

  8. Jun 11

    Want to drive a forklift? Here’s how

    https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8446811/8446811_2026-06-11-230911.64kmono.mp3 College isn’t for everyone, and some Chicago high school students are now getting the opportunity to get started in a well-paying job as a forklift driver. In the audio clip above, Olive-Harvey College President, Dr. Kimberly Hollingsworth, tells WGN’s Steve Alexander that for the first time, a credit course is being offered at its […]

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Steve Alexander reports on the agriculture industry with stories of how what we eat goes from farm to plate and profiles of the people and companies who make it all happen.

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