Illinois family farmers are again welcoming Chicago-area moms to their farms to answer their questions about how food is grown. The “City Moms” will tour Illinois pig, corn and soybean, dairy and beef farms and a northern Illinois grocery store between February and October to see how farmers care for their animals and the environment.

On each tour, the City Moms will meet farmers and their families, who have been farming in Illinois for several generations. The moms also will see how every farm is different - from size and what is raised and grown, to how the farm functions and how many people work there.

 The 2015 City Moms are:                                                  

• Carol Cohen, Algonquin
• Kyle Cooper Rogel, Gurnee
• Sarah Deitch, Park Ridge
• Sydney Hunter, Carpentersville
• Katelyn Doepel, Yorkville
• Anna Duckmann, Des Plaines
• Bridget Evanson, Crystal Lake
• Nicole Foster, Chicago
• Swapna Gigani, Downers Grove
• Alicia Gonzalez, Chicago
• Andrea Holloway, Aurora
• Jyotsna Jagai, Downers Grove
• Ellen Krasin, Bolingbrook
• Kathy Kubeczko, Westchester
• Stephanie Kush, Frankfort
• Anita Mann, Naperville
• Jennifer Meiring, Batavia
• Kristina Nickels, Skokie
• Jill Niewoehner, Oak Park
• Maggie Nodland, Deerfield
• Autumn Perrault, Mount Prospect
• Narcissus Rankin, Calumet City
• Jen Roberts, Glenview
• Angie Runyan, Brookfield
• Lydia St. John, Deerfield
• Carrie Steinweg, Lansing
• Laurie Viets, Chicago
• Amy Wagliardo, Lake Bluff
• Victoria Webb, Des Plaines

In addition to the tours, the City Moms will be paired with pen pals who are farmers.

Now in its fourth year, the Illinois Farm Families City Mom tours continue to grow, drawing moms from Chicago and suburban Chicago who are excited to learn what farming is all about.

“I'm very curious to learn the difference between what I think happens on modern farms and what actually happens,” said 2015 City Mom Bridget Evanson of Crystal Lake. “It’s hard to make educated choices without first-hand knowledge.”

“I want to learn more about how our farms are run by visiting them, not by speculating and not by reading different news sources,” added 2015 City Mom Jen Roberts, Glenview.

The City Moms each will record their days on the farms by taking photos and videos and journaling their observations. City Moms will share what they learned with other moms and consumers on www.WatchUsGrow.org, www.facebook.com/IllinoisFarmFamilies andhttp://twitter.com/ILFarmFamilies.

Illinois Farm Families are Illinois farmers who support Illinois Farm Bureau, Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Illinois Soybean Association, Illinois Beef Association and Midwest Dairy Association through farmer membership and checkoff programs. We are committed to having conversations with consumers, answering their questions about food, farmers and farming, and sharing what really happens on today’s Illinois family farms. More than 97 percent of Illinois farms are family owned and operated. We are passionate about showing consumers how we grow safe, healthy food for their families and ours.