The 217 Today Podcast

217 Today: Cow cuddles and farm-churned ice cream are helping Midwest dairies thrive despite low milk prices

Kimberly Schofield and Stephanie Orellana
 

Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval / Harvest Public Media

Listen (Duration: 9:08)
Download

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Today’s headlines: 

  • The Cold Weather Advisory remains in place until noon today.

  • Federal immigration officers shot and killed a 37-year-old man in Minneapolis Saturday, drawing hundreds of protesters in a city already shaken by another fatal shooting weeks earlier.

  • Firefighters are looking for the cause of a fire at a 3-story apartment building in West Champaign.

  • Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton came out swinging at last night’s debate in the Democratic race for the U.S. Senate.

In today’s deep dive, dairy farms are opening new side businesses, such as cow cuddling and ice cream churning. But those opportunities of joy come amid a volatile milk market.

217 Today is produced by Stephanie Orellana. Reporting today contributed by Reginald Hardwick, Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval, Katie O’Connell and Mariah Woelfe.