Holly Spangler

Illinois

Executive Editor at Prairie Farmer

Editor, Prairie Farmer + Executive Editor, Farm Progress. Farmer.

Articles

U of I program tackles large-animal vet shortage in Illinois

3 weeks ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

Anyone with livestock in Illinois knows it’s hard to find a large-animal veterinarian these days — and if you have one, he or she is likely stretched thin and looking for all the help they can get. The University of Illinois has announced a new program that it believes will produce more large-animal veterinarians throughout the state.
Handling harassment in agriculture

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

His leg pressed against mine. We were crammed into two seats on a commuter jet between Dallas and Peoria, Ill. It was tight. I didn’t think much of it. I moved my leg, resituated myself. He moved his foot back into his space. Weird. But the guy had to be in his 70s. Maybe he was tired. Sure enough, it looked like he fell asleep. Then his leg leaned into mine again. I moved again, gave his leg a little shove, the kind that could’ve been me accidentally bumping into him. He moved back into his space.
5 things you may not know about carbon farming

1 month ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

How does a farm boy from Canada wind up in a room with Pepsi employees explaining how corn grows? ADM’s Graig Whitehead made that exact journey, thanks to carbon. Whitehead is director of biologicals and new technology for ADM Fertilizer, and he’s spent the past several years working with carbon markets. ADM’s carbon program pays farmers who deliver grain premiums for adopting practices that improve their carbon intensity scores.
We crack the code on white vs brown eggs, pasture-raised eggs and more

1 month ago | foodism.to | Katie Bridges |Holly Spangler

Few ingredients are as versatile as the egg. Whether it’s eaten on its own, boiled, poached or scrambled; added as a binding agent in baked goods or burgers; or shaken into a whisky sour, eggs take us from breakfast to dessert to cocktail hour. They also pack a serious nutritional punch. Just one egg contains six grams of protein; it’s rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants; and it’s one of the best sources of choline, an essential nutrient that helps keep cells and brains healthy.
Behind the farm show scenes

2 months ago | beefmagazine.com | Holly Spangler

As preparation for the 2023 Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days ramps up, here’s a backstage look and a sneak peek at what you can look forward to. Holly Spangler, Senior Editor, Prairie FarmerJune 8, 2023BIG SHOW: Host farmers are hard at work managing the crops that will be harvested live at the 2023 Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days.
Honorary Master Farmer

2 months ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

For someone who’s led a major state commodity organization for 32 years, Rodney Weinzierl may be one of the least best-known people in Illinois agriculture. He does his job well: working behind the scenes and pushing farmers forward. “They’re our leaders, and it’s important for them to lead,” explains Weinzierl, executive director of IL Corn. “I’m not a get-out-and-speak and rah-rah person.”Still, he recently found himself in the uncomfortable glare of the spotlight, right on Capitol Hill.
Curious by nature

2 months ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

Quick to smile. Ready to engage. The first to make everyone else in the room comfortable but also the first to ask the hard questions. Early to innovate. Eager to lead. Deeply committed to agriculture. That’s Maple Park, Ill., farmer and 2025 Prairie Farmer Master Farmer Steve Pitstick, according to his friends. Steve would defer and say he’s just done what needed to be done as opportunities came along — and they did.
Corn, soybeans and grandkids

2 months ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

When Chet Esther was a kid, he and his dad used to drive into town to the diner, the kind of place that fried up eggs and hamburgers for breakfast, and maybe whipped up a chocolate shake, too. That diner happened to have a wall lined with pinball machines, and as kids do, he’d beg quarters from his dad to play pinball. But Chet always got the same answer. “My dad never — without exception never — gave me a quarter to play pinball.
Prairie Farmer celebrates 100 years of Master Farmers

2 months ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

Prairie Farmer is excited to celebrate a big anniversary this year: The Master Farmer award began 100 years ago when the editors of Prairie Farmer decided farmers should be recognized for excellence just like in any other profession. Then and today, the Master Farmer award honors farmers with outstanding agricultural production skills who also demonstrate extraordinary dedication to their communities.
Prairie Farmer names 2025 Master Farmers

2 months ago | farmprogress.com | Holly Spangler

Prairie Farmer is excited to announce four new winners of the Master Farmer award, recognizing exceptional agricultural production skills, commitment to family and service to community. The magazine is also excited to celebrate a big anniversary this year: The Master Farmer award began 100 years ago when the editors of Prairie Farmer decided farmers should be recognized for excellence just like in any other profession.