This isn’t your typical yard sale.

More On 34 stretches across 100 miles, five counties and 18 towns between Aurora and Galesburg. This year’s linear yard sales is on Father’s Day weekend ― June 14-15, 2013 ― and it’s a picker’s paradise. Garages, yards, parking lots and church basements are open and full of treasures at great prices.

The hours vary ― most sales are open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ― and the prices drop as the weekend progresses. Along the way, you’ll find food stands manned by local fire departments, 4-H chapters and women’s clubs.

Some communities along Highway 34 will host events like car cruises, music festivals and fun runs. Find all of the details at www.moreon34.com.

While you’re in Western Illinois, check out these other antique shops and flea markets:

• Apple Anne’s Semi-Annual Flea Market ― May 11, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Alpha ― Thirty-plus vendors under the trees on the lawn of the primary school. Alpha is in the southwest corner or Henry County on US Highway 150 west of Interstate 74. Early-bird admission is $5 per person at 7 a.m.; general admission is $2 per person after 8 a.m. For more information, call (309) 629-8708.
• Village Garage Sale Day ― June 8, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Orion ― Garage sales and yard sales throughout the town. Orion is on US Highway 150 south of the Quad Cities. Learn more at www.mainstreetorion.com.
• 21st annual Country Antique Market ― July 13, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Bishop Hill ― Quality antiques, primitives, folk art, textiles and pottery on the grounds of the historic Colony School. Bishop Hill is in south-central Henry County, a few months north of US Highway 34. For more information, visit www.bishophill.com or call (309) 927-3037
• City-Wide Garage Sales ― Third weekends of May, July and September in Geneseo. Learn more at www.geneseo.org.
• Country Corner Flea Market Festival ― Sept. 28-29 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Alpha ― Flea market at Country Corner Market on US Highway 150, two miles north of Alpha. Learn more at www.country-corner.com.Learn more about more things going on in Henry County at the Henry County Visitors Bureau website.

The post More On 34 Highway Yard Sale is a Picker’s Paradise appeared first on Illinois Partners.

Celebrate June Dairy Month (Related: Dairy Farm Fun Facts) at Illinois’ longest running festival – Harvard Milk Days.

The 72-year-old festival began in 1942 as a way to celebrate Harvard’s dairy farmers who were helping with the war effort. The town boasted seven dairy companies at the time and hundreds of dairy farms, and rightly proclaimed itself as the “Dairy Capitol of the World.”

Over the years, the Harvard Milk Days festival expanded to a three-day event and today, the town’s mascot, Harmilda the fiberglass Holstein, reigns over downtown during the festival and everyday, reminding the residents of the town’s rich dairy heritage.

The festival features a dairy cattle show, demos on cattle care, feeding and milking, and a milk-drinking contest. Guests can enjoy a two-hour parade on Saturday along with horse shows, bed races, a magic show, a petting zoo and much more.

Harvard Milk Days takes place May 31-June 2, 2013. For more information, visit milkdays.com.

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Ahh, how we enjoy the arrival of spring, the most anticipated season of the year for those of us now bored with hot cocoa and board games.

Spring is most commonly defined as the first stretch of warm temperatures in late winter. This season of rising temperatures sparks an unofficial celebration that marries a mix of traditions associated with other holidays. We buy brats and burgers for the grill, wear “costumes” of rubber boots and sweatpants, and find a new motivation to exercise and meet that weight-loss resolution set more than two months ago.

It’s sunny and 50 degrees, but based on our reactions, you’d think it’s 70. Here are 10 activities you may catch us Midwesterners attempting when the temperature reaches 12 degrees warmer than the refrigerator.

1. Act like it’s summer. Some of us seem willing to go coatless (or even risk muddy toes in sandals) in this weather, which would have Arizonians grabbing stocking caps from the back of the closet. Then we blame our final winter sniffles on the changing weather.

2. Take a walk or ride a bike. Then we feel better about eating ice cream at the local year-round parlor with indoor seating.

3. Create outdoor honey-do lists. Like Christmas, rising temperatures prompt us to write down what we want: A clutter-free garage, spotless windows, tuned lawnmower and clean gutters.

4. Drive through puddles and saturate our shoes in ones we didn’t see. Then we grumble and set our children loose with rubber boots so that we can give the garage some undivided attention.

5. Go to the carwash, drive past and hope the lines shorten later.

6. Visit the home improvement store. We browse the growing seasonal display of flowerpots and yard tools, and then take home a full grill tank and plenty of good intentions.

7. Surrender to the filth and wait in line at the carwash. We become satisfied to realize we are positioned behind the least dirty of vehicles. Then we learn the driver paid for liquid wax and a blow dry.

8. Drive a motorcycle, if we have one.

9. The rest of us put our hands out the window in the wind. The relaxing nature of coasting a limp hand into forced air brings back stress-free childhood memories.

10. Take a final deep breath before sunset. We slowly inhale the fresh air through our noses as if our grandmother were roasting a Thanksgiving turkey.

Ahh, how we enjoy the arrival of spring in our own interesting ways.

The post When Spring Has Sprung in Illinois appeared first on Illinois Partners.

Head to Bishop Hill this May for the 2013 Prairie Queen Quilt Show. This year’s show has a theme of fans, feathers, and flowers, and features more than 100 quilted items on display.

Held at the Old Colony School House, quilt categories range from antique quilts, wall hangings, club members quilted items and more. There will be demonstrations for all three days of the events, as well as awards, door prizes and raffles. Don’t miss out on the Trash & Treasures corner, where all kinds of bargains can be had for pennies on the dollar.

The show will be held May 17-19 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m-4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $4 and proceeds go to charity quilt projects by members for local hospitals, Quilts of Valor and extended care locations. For more information, call (309) 521-8794.

The post 2013 Prairie Queen Quilt Show appeared first on Illinois Partners.

What better way to enjoy summer vacation with friends and family than exploring Illinois’ great agritourism attractions? The Illinois Ag Fun website can help locate your nearest farmers’ markets, orchards, wineries and pumpkin patches.

It’s as simple as selecting the region where you want to visit and the type of activity you want to explore.

Learn more about the fun you can have around the state and about the Agriculture and Tourism Partners of Illinois on the website.

The post Ag Fun Website Lives Up to Its Name appeared first on Illinois Partners.

Nothing says Americana like a worn and weathered barn, and nearly 30 historic barns stand as living testimonies to McDonough County’s rich agricultural history.

Most dating from the early 20th century, the historic barns represent various styles, including gambrels, half pitch, stick, cross-gable and even a rare true-round barn built in 1914.

The citizens of Macomb and McDonough County are so proud of the barns, they offer four self-guided Historic Barn Tours that send visitors into the scenic countryside to explore the barns for themselves.

For information, visit www.makeitmacomb.com.

The post Tour Barns Aplenty in Macomb appeared first on Illinois Partners.

Healthy eating becomes much easier with the seasonal availability of fresh spring vegetables. Whether you’re having company for dinner or just cooking for the family, this spring menu is sure to please.

Our Risotto with Peas is as tasty as it is healthy, with Arborio rice, green peas, and minced herbs cooked in white wine and tossed in savory butter and fresh-grated Percorino and Romano cheese.

For the main course, try our Orange and Horseradish-Crusted Pork Tenderloin. Horseradish is easy to find in Southern Illinois – the region is said to produce 85 percent of the world’s horseradish, and the city of Collinsville proudly calls itself the Horseradish Capital of the World. In this dish, pork tenderloin is rolled in breadcrumbs, spices, and horseradish before being roasted to perfection and topped with a tangy, sweet orange marmalade sauce.

Roasted Asparagus complements this meal wonderfully and couldn’t be easier to prepare. Asparagus spears are simply coated with olive oil, salted, roasted until tender and drizzled with lemon juice. Enjoy!

The post Spring Into Healthy Eating With Illinois-Grown Veggies appeared first on Illinois Partners.

So for your Easter dinner menu planning, consider these recipes – some of my favorite spring holiday dishes. From Coca-Cola Country Ham to potato salads, vegetables and pies, these recipes will please the whole family.

Coca-Cola Country Ham

Ways to cook a country ham are as varied as the families that serve them. You can fry it, slice it, bake it, boil it in a bottle of Coca-Cola. In December 2001, Tennessee Home & Farm magazine published a recipe for Coca-Cola Country Ham. Ten years later, folks at the magazine are still getting phone calls, letters and emails requesting one of their favorite recipes. So here it is, just in time for your Easter dinner table.

Honey-Apricot Glaze for Ham

Want to skip the Coca-Cola? Try this sweet, fruity glaze on your city ham. And if you have questions about the differences between city ham and country ham, bone in or bone out, how much fat is OK and other ham questions, we have answers.

Cucumber-Dill Deviled Eggs

There’s just something about deviled eggs that always remind us of our Easter dinner table. Cucumbers and herbs put a new spin on traditional deviled eggs in this delicious recipe.

Horseradish Potato Salad

Red potatoes and fresh parsley punch up the taste in this family favorite. And it’s simple to make.

Green Bean and Vidalia Onion Salad

Our green bean, tomato and Vidalia onion salad with Dijon vinaigrette dressing adds a delicious spin to the requisite veggie portion of your meal.

Fresh Corn Salad

Fresh corn is paired with tomatoes, red onion and fresh basil for a healthy side dish that will have you counting down the days until summer.

Marsala Carrots

Carrots aren’t just for the Easter bunny. This easy-to-make side dish features garlic, shallots and Marsala to flavor fresh carrots.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Because what is Easter dinner without a few delicious desserts? Welcome the warm spring weather with our simple strawberry pie, a recipe that is as pretty as it is delicious.

What’s on your Easter menu? Let us know in the comments.

The post Easter Dinner Recipes appeared first on Illinois Partners.

This Friday morning, March 15, tune in to the new “Town & Country Partners” segment on the “RFD Today” radio show. The debut segment will feature Mike Orso, publisher of Illinois Farm Bureau Partners magazine, discussing the quarterly publication’s content, such as the authentic Dutch Windmill in Fulton and the rise of hotels for horses. Host Alan Jarand also plans to interview Mary Kobbeman, the new RFD Radio Network producer, who will provide an on-air recipe review of the Lightened Up Cream of Asparagus Soup from the Spring 2013 issue of Partners.

Residents in 16 communities can listen to the show on their local RFD Radio Network affiliates, listed below. Ten of the 16 stations will air the segment at 9:07 a.m. Central Daylight Time.

• WKRO-AM 1490 Cairo – Alexander County
• WBYS-AM 1560 Canton – Fulton County
• WCAZ-AM 990 Carthage – Hancock County
• RJM-AM 1270 Charleston – Coles County
• WITY-AM 980 Danville – Vermillion County
• WNOI-FM 103.9 Flora – Clay County
• WEBQ-AM 1240 Harrisburg – Saline County
• WQQW-AM 1510 Highland – Madison County
• WHPO-FM 100.9 Hoopeston – Vermillion County
• WJBM-AM 1480 Jerseyville – Jersey County
• WKEI-AM 1450/104.3 Kewanee – Henry County
• WRAM-AM 1330 Monmouth – Warren County
• WVLN-AM 740 Olney – Richland County
• WBBA-FM 97.5 Pittsfield – Pike County
• WRHL-AM 1060 Rochelle – Ogle County
• WHCO-AM 1230 Sparta – Randolph County

You can also hear “RFD Today” on the Internet:

1. Go to www.FarmWeekNow.com
2. Click on “Radio”
3. See the streaming and podcast menu on the lower lefthand side of your screen. Scroll down to the “RFD Today” episode on March 15. (The “Town & Country Partners” segment begins at 34 minutes.)

The post “Town & Country Partners” Debuts on “RFD Today” Radio Show appeared first on Illinois Partners.

Cottage gardens started in Medieval England when poor cottagers grew their own food, medicine, fabric dyes and scents right out the back door. During the Victorian period, artists and poets romanticized cottage gardens to escape the harshness of the Industrial Revolution.

In America, they were originally grown as farmyard gardens and were jumbles of flowers, herbs and vines grown close together to maximize the area close to the house. The plants were those that could be grown from seed or starter shoots and easily shared with neighbors. Today we call them “pass-along plants.”

What is a modern cottage garden, and what are the plants grown there? Compact, colorful, fragrant, informal and utilitarian are all adjectives used to describe cottage gardens. Think rose-covered arbors, cascading window boxes, riots of color and texture, a slightly unkempt, blowzy look of variety, and you will have the mental picture of a cottage garden.

Cottage gardens are not individual specimen plants surrounded by a sea of mulch. Instead of fussy hybrid tea roses, you will find climbing roses. Instead of symmetrical, carefully delineated sidewalks, you will find foliage spilling over the edges onto pathways.

Cottage gardens are individualistic because the first rule is to grow plants you love. The second is to choose plants that are easy to grow in your conditions. Here are a few suggestions of plants that do well in Illinois.
You will need some climbers, which means they will need something to grow up. Traditional cottage gardens were fenced in to keep the family’s food animals out. Today an arbor, trellis or partial fence is all that is needed for vines. Clematis, morning glory, bittersweet and climbing roses are a few suggestions.
Next you will need some tall structural plants. How about hollyhocks, Joe-Pye weed, Buddleia (butterfly bush), the taller rudbeckias and even sunflowers?

The middle layer needs some mid-sized plants such as cosmos, zinnia, cleome, columbine, rudbeckia, echinacea, liatris, sweet rocket and goldenrod. There are many more annuals and perennials from which to choose.

Finally, you will need some low growers. Consider tulips and daffodils, lilies, Iberis (candy tuft), dianthus, marigolds, petunias, pansies, mums and asters. You can even mix in some herbs, such as chives, parsley, thyme, sage, marjoram and oregano.

If you choose the plants you love for your cottage garden, you will enjoy it immensely. Once the garden is mature, you can start sharing your seeds and volunteer plants with fellow gardeners.

The post How to Grow a Modern-Day Cottage Garden appeared first on Illinois Partners.