On a growing number of dairy farms, cows, not people, decide when they need to be milked. Robots can do the job day or night. For some farm families, the robots free them from rigid milking schedules.

How has farming developed over time in east central Illinois? A look at how the occupation has developed over the years.

There are more women involved with the business of farming than ever before. This hour on Focus, we’ll talk about “Annie’s Project,” a program designed by an Illinois woman in memory of her mother that works to empower female farmers.

Todd Gleason interviews Ken Meter, journalist, agricultural economist and President of the Crossroads Resource Center, Minneapolis, about the continuing need for supporting family farms.