Northwestern Illinois’ Stephenson County is one area where changes in the status of cannabis are being embraced. The people doing it are not necessarily the ones you’d expect.

Amid talk of possibly legalizing marijuana in Illinois in the near future, farmers will soon be able to grow another type of cannabis plant --- industrial hemp --- thanks to a new state law.

Hardly a week went by in 2018 where there wasn’t some kind of breaking agriculture, food or rural news. It was the year of the farm bill, a trade war and several food recalls. But Harvest Public Media reporters found places to revel in some fun, too. Here are some of our favorite stories from the last 12 months.

The Farm Bill, which awaits action from President Trump, would legalize the production and sale of industrial hemp. A research program is underway at Southern Illinois University to get answers to questions farmers have about growing industrial hemp, which was legalized in Illinois under state law in August.

The long-awaited final version of the farm bill was unveiled Monday night, and it hews closer to the previous piece of massive legislation — aside from legalizing hemp on a national level.