The Business of Food with Steve Alexander

Hosted by WGN Radio

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Latest episode

Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

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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60 recent

August 25, 2026

Those avocado oil chips you’re paying more for may not have a drop of avocado oil in them

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8618013/8618013_2026-08-25-195413.64kmono.mp3 The “Made with Avocado Oil” label has been showing up more and more in supermarket aisles. You find it on products like chips, mayonnaise, and salad dressings. They are sold at premium prices because of the perception that, for example, avocado oil chips are healthier than chips made the old-fashioned way with other types […]

August 15, 2026

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 […]

July 31, 2026

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

July 17, 2026

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 […]

July 7, 2026

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 […]

June 30, 2026

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 […]

June 26, 2026

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.

June 19, 2026

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.

June 11, 2026

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 […]

June 11, 2026

How farmers are involved in the FIFA World Cup

https://serve.castfire.com/audio/8446732/8446732_2026-06-11-224332.64kmono.mp3 Without agriculture, there’d be no FIFA World Cup games at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The natural grass turf, installed just for the World Cup, is one example. Another example is in the stands. Thanks to farmers, a company called PlantSwitch has replaced cups and lids and utensils made with petroleum with a plastic […]