I just received this message, "Hi Peter. My mom’s is 90 year old Margie and she is in one of your recent videos. Outside Chicago - What’s it like. My name is Deborah, one of her daughters, and I am writing you to thank you for this wonderful gift… you see, she had a stroke 8 days after you interviewed her and now her right side is paralyzed and she doesn’t say many words. She is living in her house on the farm, but requires 24 hour care. Me and my three sisters and other family members are doing our best to keep her happy and comfortable. I just received the TH-cam link from a cousin and am loving all the comments people have written about her. She has always been the most amazing woman, mom, friend to all who know her. Thank you so much!!!"
That farmer/truck driver is the epitome of dont judge a book by its cover and someone on how they look. He was right about everything he said. Well educated, and understands the complex realities and situations.
Yes so true! Made me remember how annoying it was when Mike Bloomberg said anyone can be a farmer...just poke a hole and plant a seed...saying farmers weren't educated.
Yup, 100% agree. Seems like a pretty cool guy and considering how hard he works, it was nice he was more than happy to let you bend his ear for a bit. Good peeps, farmers!
@@beep7Doesn’t understand that land grant universities exist to teach agriculture and mining, not kidding about that either (hence the a&m name of several land grant universities, for instance texas a&m is the land grant university in texas), many expanded that to provide engineering as a whole, as it turns out mechanical engineering and such is important to mining and agriculture. The steam engine came about from needing a way to pump water out of the mines in great britain. Also my dad grew up in a rural area not far from springfield, il, they frequently drove into springfield for the grocery store
You obviously judge working men wearing work clothes as unintelligent... you really need to get out of your bubble. For farmers to be successful they need to be highly knowledgeable in many areas that would likely put your intellect to shame.
Dancing and keeping good spirits, but my grandma is 99 and is living solely out of spite lol. So it's seems like to keep going you need a drive or at least nothing to stop you
The farmer gentleman you got to speak with is just a wealth of knowledge. I learned more just listening to him talk than anything I heard on the news ever. Amazing. I LOVE the work you are doing.
I basically live next door to Europe's first gigafactory and there's been much talk about it's longevity, an engineer who works there basically gave me the same rundown " They need batteries to store water,wind or solar energy but batteries will fail on you, electricity is not the answer. I'll change my mind when NASA switches their AJ10 engines for batteries. "
He was a really cool guy, but just so you know a lot of what he said about solar farms was nonsense. I live in this region of Illinois I know this type of guy, great people but there's a lot of misinformation regarding solar and wind in rural areas. The truth is wind and solar has put a ton of money in the pockets of family farms in Illinois. Usually installed on the least productive farm fields they own.
@@Will-nb8qk Most people in farming in USA or even in Europe are concerned about it. I'm not a farmer but when I hear politicians in EU saying we need to reduce CO2 by 90% in 15 years I just can't believe it. Farmer in Europe will get massive hit by this regulations and big markets and factories will import food from countries where is no regulations like that.
As a Canadian, small town USA was and still is my favourite part of the U.S. Nothing beats a small town attitude, the food and all the around calmness and innocence. This is reminding me it’s time to get in the truck and hit some small towns here in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
I agree. I'm Canadian/Australian and traveled this planet extensively. Best places I've been in the world were the towns outside of big cities . I remember the food I ate in Italy - would catch trains out of Rome and just hop off wherever I desired, have lunch and it would be the best food I ever ate. Same with so many other countries including SE Asia.
@@TheDogGoesWoof69Yeah. People only see conservatives as political people who just care about politics. If you care enough to know us, we’ll take you in for dinner.
I am from Illinois, so I have a bias, but its important to realize what Nelson was saying. The quality of soil that exists in Northern Illinois is very rare. There are only a few places in the world with soil of that quality. The Nile valley in Egypt is one of them. The prairie land on the eastern side of the Mississippi is another. Why should we destroy this natural resource?
Thank you. They are doing the same thing in NW Ohio - prime farm land. Farmers are selling out. Getting crazy amounts of dollars per acre for solar panels and windmills.... and all of the generated electricity will be sent across the grid to other parts of the US. It's ridiculous. I am all for solar panels, but put them on roofs or in the desert. NOT FERTILE FARM GROUND THAT GROWS OUR FOOD.
My grandpa said the same thing whenever a new shopping center or subdivision went up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. 'They're taking away the good farmland'. He was born in 1899 and died in 1967. Saw a lot of changes.
for real, and it's not like there isn't plenty of land out in illinois that isn't zoned to be a farm and is otherwise just a vacant lot full of gravel or some overgrown sticks. They should look at installing solar power on abandoned lots and areas with poor soil. The desert really is the best option overall though. @@Ren3gade
As a Chicago Suburbanite it was so interesting hearing his perspective. I love his laid-back attitude. As an ex-fuel systems engineer for a large machinery manufacturer, I agree that Diesel will likely be slow to be replaced on large machinery. It's a bit more difficult to get the horsepower they need when compared to road vehicles.
you should go to ronald reagan’s birthplace in deer grove il, farther west. it is superrrr rural and there’s like 50 people that live there eith so much calm and nice people. arnie’s happy spot over there has good food
I felt every word the two guys in the restaurant were saying. A year ago, my husband and I left the big city to move out to a small town an hour away. We love the nature, slowness of life, no traffic, and we got so much more house for our money. We actually have a large backyard now. I love sitting by the fire pit at night, watching the fireflies, and seeing stars in the sky.
I have to say, as a resident of Chicagoland, and someone who has been personally involved in the installation of thousands of photovoltaic modules, and the engineered electrical construction of hundreds of acres of solar farms throughout northern IL, I had no idea modules could leach toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the groundwater. I honestly did not believe Nelson's assertion and did my own research. Turns out, he's correct.
Just as bad is that windmills, solar panels and electric cars are all there only because subsidies make them appear to be competitive but if there were no subsidies the true cost would be reflected in the sticker price. The subsidies distort markets, and we have to pay taxes to support the subsidies, not only the dollars that go to the companies but the dollars that go to the bureaucrats that administer the subsidies. Subsidies undermine a healthy, market driven economy.
He is correct, but its a red herring argument. Nelson is basically dumping Agent Orange on the same ground but no big deal there. If a panel happened to break, and it contaminated the small bit of ground directly underneath, you would have to remediate it by removing those handfuls of soil and sending to landfill. Your suppose to do that for all sorts of things, like the diesel leaking from Nelson's old rusty storage tank.
Your docus seem so natural and effortless. Very easy to watch and learn from. I start my Saturday mornings off with you. Thanks for allowing the People that cant travel or won't travel to see some of the world and for humanizing people some only hear about.
@@BABABOOY-P8Y You do know that TH-cam has the capability to edit your comments, right? It's easy: just tap the 3 dot menu beside your comment, and fix whatever's broken. And, yeh I know that the "f" and "d" keys are *WAY* too close together for fat fingers on smartphone keyboards...
I've lived in rural Illinois my whole life. I purchased my first home in the middle of a bunch of cornfields. Driving too and from work is like 20 minutes of complete peace. The sunrises and sunsets I get to see every day are incredible. Everytime I walk outside it's silent. We get to hear beautiful churchbells twice a week. And all the room you could ever need to stretch out. I wouldn't give it up for anything
Twice a week! I live in rural England and most villages have the church ringing every hour (a tradition from when people didn't have clocks). |Extra bells for holidays, weddings, and funerals.
I.lived in California Central.valley this part of Illinois looks like our valley towns lots of 🌽 and cattle, almond orchards, grape vines hot summers wet winters vegetables and fruits turlock Merced Sierra Nevada Yosemite turkey ranchers
I love the concept of this video. Illinois is too often generalized to be Chicago and nothing more, but there’s a huge state out there full of different perspectives. It would be interesting to see a similar video in the future about Upstate New York (both rural and the cities like Buffalo/Rochester) and how it’s vastly different from NYC.
That would be great, and it’s very similar to Illinois’s situation. Heck, go up into the north country/adk region/1000’s islands area as well. The differences between NYC and the rest of the state is drastic.
Yes redcomic I have been to Buffalo in Western NY and I was shocked because I was thinking NYC but Buffalo in ways reminds me of Cincinnati,OH being spread it out instead of compact like NYC is.
Now we need a series on small towns and farms! I could spend another episode or more with Margie, what a sweet kind woman and so young at heart which makes sense to why she's so healthy! She's so happy and positive, love her!
Peter you HAVE to go back and do a full episode with the 90 year old woman. Just like Titus, this woman is a damn gem and I envy that you got to spend so much time with them both!
Nelson the farmer is spot on with his explanation about precious farmland and how it is often ruined. His insight is great, and I could sense how he was really holding back. Again, a highly valuable video, I expected nothing less.
There has been zero farmland ruined by solar panels or wind farms in Illinois. Unless you're talking about aesthetically speaking, they can be quite ugly. But as far as ruining the soil for the future? Yea, that's absolutely false.
Yeah, that solar panel stuff was nonsense unless you blast them into millions of pieces. How people ruin the farmlands are that they pump out the water from underground aquifiers until it's not economically feasible, use too much chemicals so that the soil dies. Erosion is another big thing, but the way land erodes in flat plains is by making dust bowls, not necessarily a big issue in Illinois. Additionally, farming often leads on groundwater contamination and nutrient flows into ditches and rives causing algae blooms, fish deaths and even making the drinking water unpotable and swimming impossible. The mos common crime in countryside is environmental crime.
You mentioned Norway. I’m about 20 minutes from there. My family settled in Norway, IL in the 1800’s from the country of Norway. They immigrated here to farm and build a life and here I still reside 200 years later. There’s a reason we’re so proud of what we have out here, our roots run deep.
uh... so Margie... we need to talk about this. whatever she is doing, we all need to do it. She looks about 15 years younger than she is, and has the energy of someone 25-30 years younger. what an absolute gem
Yea when he "guessed" she was 62 I was like "aww that's nice of him but she's definitely 70ish".. Turns out she was around for World War 2. Amazing lady. I'm glad he got to meet her before the stroke(see the pinned comment).
I was a travel agent in Germany, and we got invited from the tourism industry in Illinois to explore it and eventually sell Illinois as a travel destination back in Germany and I loved my time there!!! First time ever for me in the US. I remember there was Lincoln everywhere, the Route 66 (nobody in Europe knows it also is in Illinois), Lincoln, weird and awesome private museums, The Juliet Prison, lots of good food, oh, did I mentioned Lincoln? The people were so nice and chatty, in my opinion it's a great state.
Ya, back in the day before the interstates route 66 was made to connect Chicago to LA. highways across the rocky mountains were a big challenge so for a long time it was the best way to get to the west coast
Nice place to visit, terrible place to live. 48th highest tax burden state in the country, huge state debt, hot as hell in the summer, cold as death in the winter, some of the worst condition roads in the country. The place is a mess.
@@Jm0417-sChicago is a great place to live with lots to do and great job opportunities. Winters aren’t for the frail. But us midwestern types are tough. Downstate is much tougher with many manufacturing jobs leaving sadly.
"The Juliet Prison" Joliet, but close enough :). I'm from Joliet. When I went to college I met two exchange students from Sweden. We were sitting in a dining hall, them me and a few of my friends. They asked me where I was from and I said Joliet. I got up to go to the restroom and came back and they were all laughing. Apparently when I left they asked my friends "what I did". They had seen the movie Blues Brothers and thought "Joliet" was an American slang term for prison. So they thought I implied I had just gotten out of prison.
This is so interesting, especially for someone from England. It really makes me realise that the media tends to focus on certain parts of your country only.
Chicago looks nothing like the reat of Illinois. Its the sore thumb…Reat of Illinois is natural. My town is boring but places around me have beautiful locations.
Theres an angle to everything in the media. Even the chicago cop that was in a recent video on this channel wasnting telling the whole story. For example, he said current mayor didnt give cops paid maternity leave but teachers got it. What he didnt mention is that the police union endorsed an opposing candidate while the teachers union endorsed the new mayor. Thats probably the reason teachers got it and police didnt.
He didn't portray the area in a very balanced way -- there are much nicer areas than the places he picked out to showcase in this video. Clickbait nonsense.
@@btnhstillfire His comment wasn't a compliment -- unless by "compliment" you mean what he'd have said to a tribesman in a country he considered more primitive than his own. "Noble savage" sort of talk.
I have 3 grandchildren who were adopted together and living somewhere out there. This gives me so much more peace of mind. I knew they were living a far better life than my daughter could give them. They have thrived. Now I know why. Those are some of the finest people I have ever seen. This was personal, close to my heart, and I could never thank you enough.
Viewing this video from Lithuania I can say that small places around the world has this similar thing - simple, yet wonderful people. No fakekiness, snobbism or arrogance. Simple people, open people. I like it! Thank you for the video.
@@Uncle.Ruckus.No.Relation.but think of the trade off of diversity! Lmao. All the liquor stores same corner store jobs that would be generated by taking EBT and Section 8; Blaqqque is beautiful. Or something like that.
You have to get to Galena. It’s a hidden picturesque mountain town-like gem of Illinois. It has an interesting history very relevant to the development of Illinois and Chicago.
shhhhh don’t ruin it. Been going there every year since I was a kid. The downtown right along the river is breathtaking. Then you can drive up and stay at the resort there on the hill (I forget the name) and ski in the winter
Used to drive through there all the time on the way to Dubuque on business. Everybody who doesn’t know Illinois say how flat and boring it is. I say have you ever been to Northwest Illinois?
@@charlestaylor6883 where ha e you been, the Cartel super labs put the red necks out of business a decade ago, it's cheaper to drive out to Arizona, pick up a couple keys from the border and drive back to the Midwest than make it anymore.
I was born in Sycamore, IL. My mom thought she had such a green thumb, her vegetable garden flourished. She found out later after she moved to Lake Bluff that her thumb was in fact not green. It was the soil there.
I’m in Huntley. Here for over 32 years. The town went from 2300 to over 27,000! No farms left in town. Was the largest milk producer in the state at one time. ❤
I live in the southern part of Illinois and I envy the soil in central and northern IL. When I till my garden in the spring it’s reddish-brown dirt. The soil up there looks exactly like bagged soil from Home Depot.
Nelson made some really valid points. With all the unused roof space in and around Chicago....why not place solar panels there? Instead of threatening precious farm land....use areas that are already primed for solar and don't take away spaces we need access to.
I grew up on a corn farm just on the outskirts of the Chicago Suburbs. It was one of the best childhoods a boy could have asked for. Although a little lonesome with a lack of neighborhood friends, you couldn't beat those summer days playing on the farm and hiking around the acres of cornfield and tree-lines. Helping my dad garden, chasing bees and snakes, mowing the huge lawn with the riding mower. I was very lucky now looking back at those days.
My late grandfathers farm was just south of Elburn, IL. (east of RT-47). Visits to the farm was great - played in the 1875 barn - which was a 'peg' barn. Meaning the main rafters etc where held together with wooden pegs. (not nails). Sadly it's all gone, now a filled with McManions and barn burnt down etc.
@@Disneyfamigliaof course you can or a similar childhood, providing your parents make you take a break from electronics and get out and enjoy the nature around you! I detest a multitude of things about living in Illinois (predominantly Chicago style criminal-politics, taxes and lately the extremely liberal laws) and yet I love it more than enough to stay!
As a Brit who loves the diversity of the USA, I really enjoy Peters videos and it's great to see the real America and it's laid back, genuine people.What a diamond the 90yr old lady was, could listen to her stories all day. Peace and love from the UK 🙏
My father has a 93 year old friend i love his stories. I've been all over America its beautiful and the people are very nice. You should visit if you haven't. I was on the blue ridge parkway earlier today and the leaves are changing colors falling off
@@elmastro-ye9lw I'm a Londoner, born and bred, but in my humble opinion, I find the country folk to be friendlier, more honest and genuine. I never said " City people" weren't real Americans, I was referring to the fact that over here, all we really see in the media is New York, LA, Vegas, Miami etc, which doesn't really give a true perspective of the USA. It's was just a figure of speech.
@@seanlambert8336I can imagine its beauty. I’ve driven all the way from Shenandoah to Smokies in October. It took three weeks to complete. The most memorable road. Love Blue Ridge Highway.
Illinois is such an underrated state. Big city Chicago, rural farm culture, river valley bluffs in Peoria, starved rock, shawnee forest down South. Amazing state
Not to mention the dells on the Fox River, just south of Aurora, Fermilab, Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River Coast, and many, *many* Forest Preserves throughout the state.
@@davidsuch8942 Absolutely you can get into Fermilab! They have a beautiful section of restored prarie, an American bison (buffalo) herd, a museum in the main building plus many programs for the public. It's a real treasure. And the lakeshore from the Oak Street Beach, northwards is beautiful. I'll grant you that the southern area near Gary has some issues, but *most* of the Illinois Shoreline is quite nice.
Hello everybody i'm French i'm from France i'm happy watching this vidéo because it's like a rural country in France so it's cool see that and God bless America 🙏
@@az894 Nous avons des terres comme ça partout dans l'etats-unis. J'habite a St. Louis qui est à environ 5 heures de Chicago, et le paysage ressemble à ça. je suis desole pour mon francais, seulement j'apprendre le langue pour 8 mois
Yeah, real cute 🙄 until they start pushing their liberal ideas on others and try to get their "friends" out there to change it blue. They should have stayed in the blue towns/cities.
I live in Japan but am a proud mid-west girl. Watching this makes me homesick. The media hardly portrays the kind, good, hardworking people. Thanks for the honest video!
I see it all the time in the UK also, people abroad will only see the news which shows London and nothing else. England has a plethora of hard working, well meaning and good natured working class people who just want peace and enjoyment. Culture wars from the media, both news and social media, are destroying the sense of common community.
He didn't portray the area in a very balanced way -- there are much nicer areas than the places he picked out to showcase in this video. Clickbait nonsense.
Nelson said a mouth full. Leave the farms be you all that is our climate change challenge. Protect the farmers at all cost. God is love, hugs and love sent from cali, praying for all the farmers in the USA. Hope Nelson goes viral!
I live about 3 hours south of Chicago in the small city of Galesburg, but surrounded by rural. Can't wait to dig into this! Thanks for everything you do, Peter!
This is what journalism is about. You're letting people speak on a platform theyve otherwise not had the outreach to do. Where you are currently in life must feel amazing for helping people speak and bringing so many people fromaround the world together to listen. you're my favorite content creator peter. please never stop this format
While I love Peter's videos, even he himself says he isn't a journalist. As another comment said, journalists don't just present information without comment. If someone in the video says something that is false, and many people featured here, though well-meaning, friendly, and probably believing they are telling the truth, don't always present correct information. It is impossible for any one person to accurately give a comprehensive view of society. I don't think that is what Peter is trying to do either, he just does his best to cover as many different communities that he thinks are important or interesting to him and his viewers. I hope my comment didn't come across as an attack or anything. Peter's videos are amazing and I just enjoy seeing different places, cultures, and gaining at least a better idea of how societal issues affect different communities.
I'm glad you spoke to a farmer. So many people have no concept about what our farmers do. They're business men, mechanics, biologists, laborers and stewards of the environment. Most politicians who make decisions on the future of farming couldn't possibly do what our farmers do.
As someone who was born and raised here in Springfield IL I totally agree that illinois is run by Chicago. The politicians come here periodically when they’re in session. But the rest of the time they are not here. And I think most people who picture illinois think that like half the state is Chicago from a geographic standpoint. When really it just takes up a little space in the north part of the state. The rest of the state is a whole other world and it was neat to see you speaking with people who’s voices are never heard. This was awesome. Thank you!
I love rural Illinois. I moved away from the suburbs six years ago at almost 42 years old. It took me about 6 months or so to wonder and ask myself, "Did I make a mistake?." The answer is heII no. I made one of the wisest decisions of my life. The people are SO much nicer and accommodating out here than I ever felt in Downers Grove. I can't give this up. If I do, then I'm a complete fool.
I did the opposite. Moved from rural to Chicago burbs and couldn't be happier. I'm as introverted as can be, but something about being so far from civilization can be depressing at times. Maybe it's just the annoyance of having to drive an hour+ for any little thing that needs done.
Live in burr ridge with family cant stand this area. Not far from downers grove. Got family in TN. But i explore i fish alot… i would give everything all my possessions to live in the rural. if i could and was in certain circumstances financially and career wise id leave
I am English and I love watching your content that sees all parts of the USA, Big cities and the rural towns and villages and the people that live there. I see similarities between both countries and it is probably the same the world over. Here in England and the rest of the UK you will find villages and towns outside of the big cities that have a completely different of way of life and they are only a few miles apart. The villagers and townsfolk over here have the similar arguments with windfarms and solar farms as the first chap you spoke to. He is spot on with his opinion that the buildings in Chicago should have the solar panels built on the top of them.
Good conversation from the farmer in the blue shirt named Nelson. Learned a lot just from him. And agree with him. Very grateful for your videos, Peter. So interesting and learn so much.
Peter, those “Yank, the Army Weekly” magazines are very special. There were about 20 regional editions from all over the world during WW2 (London, Paris, Australia, Panama Canal Zone, India, etc.) and I am working on a comprehensive checklist for a certain “largest Library in the world”. Very cool find! (Hope you like the pin-ups 😊)
Thank you for representing rural Illinois. I moved here from Michigan 5 years ago and absolutely love Central Illinois. Come to the Peoria area..it's pretty awesome.
I stumbled across this channel by accident, What great viewing content which left me spellbound. I live in the U.K. where there is a negative view of American society, this rural lifestyle looks timeless & sustainable. Great show😊
He didn't portray the area in a very balanced way -- there are much nicer areas than the places he picked out to showcase in this video. Clickbait nonsense.
I have to comment that your videography combined with choices of music and interviewing is excellent! You've grown your natural talent and interest into tpp notch productions!
My dad used to drive truck through this area of northern Illinois outside of Chicago and he always relays to me the story of how he used to pass by cop cars emblazoned with the words "Sandwich Police" and how funny that always was to him
In Denmark we have a word called Brigdebuilder, it refers to someone who tries to build a bridge beteween a gap in culture, between people, I see you as a bridgebuilder Mr. Santanello, and a very good one at that!
As an Irish man I’m fascinated by rural America, it reminds me of the small rural communities we have here in Ireland. Good honest hardworking folk, what more could you want! 🇮🇪🇺🇸
I'm from rural Wisconsin and now I live in LA. It's alright here, but I'm always missing the laid back vibes of the midwest. The feeling of sitting around the campfire in the backyard on a cool summer night with no worries in the world is what I miss the most. It's a feeling that spreads through whole communities and I'm looking to get back to that 😊
Go to the San Joaquin Valley and you'll realise that all California ain't the same, Northen CA is the same bro. go check those places out, you'll like Fresno/Clovis all that region near Yosemite
As a Chicagoan I love going up to Wisconsin and enjoying the small town feeling. I have family up there. My family owned a farm up there for generations. Norwegian/Swedish descent
Growing up I worked on a farm in Kansas. A couple times a year we where sitting on tractors up to 20 hours a day either plowing and planting or fall harvesting. Many of the fields were miles from the farm and we hauled diesel to the site. A battery tractor will never cut it.
BRILLIANT line by the gentlemen at 13:20 "Im all for solar, just not on farmland. They dont make farmland everyday". Very, very true. We must protect our farmers.
My mother in law loved this video. She was born in Sandwich, lived in Earlville and her sister in law is from Paw Paw!! So thank you for the trip down memory lane.
i've been in Illinois for all my 49 years. Its stunning how different it is once you're outside of Chicagoland. The Fox River valley is gorgeous. The western border along the Mississippi will take your breath away. I complain about living here a lot but every time, i see stuff like this I remember what a really lovely place this is and how if i could just get away from Chicago metro i might never want to leave this state at all😅 thank you for doing this!
Agreed 100%. We're I am you can go from flat open prairie, to rolling timberland/creek bottoms, to Mississippi river and wetlands in a 20min drive. I love my home but hate the state.
@@jasonarcher7268I know what you guys are talking about. I live in the finger lakes(central) region of New York. I love the area, there’s mountains, Great Lakes and everything in between. Only downfall is it’s New York.
Peter, this video was posted only 5 hours ago and has over 90K views. Must be an amazing feeling. I watched it straight through because I like how you find interesting people to talk to and and let them tell their own story. Thank you for the work you do!
Ive been waiting for this! Last month I moved back to rural southern IL (pop 1200) after being in Lexington KY (pop 325,000 for 25 years. Ive bought my childhood home! There are no stop lights, people drive golf carts everywhere...i saw stars last night on a midnight walk. Complete silence most of the time. Im living the dream, for real!
Farmer Nelson is an absolute wealth of knowledge - don't let his appearance deceive you. He's sharp as a tack. I'm continually learning new things from your videos and shows, Peter. Your content is top-notch, and your dedication, passion to your craft is evident. Keep up the incredible work - your journey is truly inspiring.
Hey Peter Illinois has four sides… There’s Chicago, the suburbs, the farm towns, and then there is Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois definitely has its own feel a lot of crazy history I really hope you can get down there.
If you ever come down towards St. Louis, on the Illinois side there are some really interesting communities on the Illinois side. The largest population of Spanish speakers outside of Chicago lives in a rural area surrounding a horse track, and there’s a county that has one stoplight, no fast food, and some of the best fruit orchards in the country! I’d love to see even more videos like these. Great work!
My mom lives down in that area, once you get south of Harrisburg it’s pretty lonesome but, a lot of it is National Forest so that helps take up a lot of the space. It’s also why it is a National Forest and a state park. It’s beautiful land, the other garden of the gods. I’ve a lot of time roaming around the area, I went to HS out there as well but we lived in a “bigger” city of 5,000 or so.
@mem5864. Just curious. What towns/communities are you talking about? My mother’s family came from Beckemeyer and Germantown. About 40 miles east of St Louis.
I’m from Mexico, my dad had a job in Peoria, Illinois for some time he’s an engineer, I can assure you the people in those rural areas of Illinois and small towns are some of the most amicable and friendly people you’ll find anywhere, loved to visit my parents while they were up there north.
As a Norwegian it's so interesting to see families from Norwegian origin and hearing their history and background. We don't get to hear much from actual Norwegian-American families that moved back when the gold rush was a big thing and from WW2. We only hear the history and what it was like when they went on the journey across the sea. I'm proud of all our brothers that made it over to the States and was able to be successful and continue their generations in a country on the opposite side of the planet. Would love to watch an interview with one of them if you're able to! 😊😃
@@letsdoitforjohnny5066 As someone who would love to some day live in USA or Canada I'd love to talk with someone with Norwegian ancestry there. Definitely would be inspiring and give me motivation to possibly some day fulfil my dream
Most people are naturally decent and smart no matter where they are, but cities do dramatically increase opportunities for crooked leaders, some elected and some not, to take advantage of the people and put them in tough spots by pursuing their own personal agendas to get rich.
Corn is like the most nutrient deficient filler garbage food and you think you're smart that you grow it and get the little government subsidy. Then say you're "feeding the city". Yea garbage. Sure the nature is nice. Many people would love to live there but there arent any jobs. Bet the average age is like 60 there because it's just retired people.
Born in Chicago, raised in the Northwest Suburbs and spent a few years in Southern Illinois. Three completely different cultures in one state, for sure!
As a guy born and raised in Chicago, I now live in the North Suburbs. Every Summer and fall I drive out West and come back through Paw Paw and Sandwich. I absolutely adore the serene atmosphere driving through these towns. I am very grateful for our small rural towns. I feel like it keeps the checks and balances of Illinois. Illinois has some great towns that are over looked BUT to be honest I am sure the locals in these towns like it that way because it keeps their lives simple and sweet. We don’t need people bringing that city crap out to our beautiful small towns. As a Black man I love and appreciate all of our Illinois people, cities and towns. The people in these towns are hard working blue collar folks just like the city, they just don’t want to put up with the high stress and BS that we deal with being closer to the City. They deserve to be recognized for what they do and how they live. Don’t show too much of their slice of heaven. Have to keep it quiet there. Great video.
@@dsmith6404 I went to Schaumburg High School the year it first opened it's doors. That was a VERY long time ago. Good place to send your kids to school. Excellent reviews and test scores.
Rural Illinois is awesome, but I'd also like to give a shoutout to Illinois's small cities: places like Carbondale, Peoria, the Illinois side of St.Louis, and Champaign-Urbana. Lots of really great places out there.
As a Ghetto-boy I was moved to a foster family on the country-side when I was 12. It saved my life and made me appreciate the small things in life... Keep it real bro! Thx for showing us the real USA! Bless!
im not from the US, but Europe, but maaan, these videos you are making are fantastic! it's so fascinating to gget a really deep and authentic look at the internals of US society. Thank you
That older lady selling vintage WW2 magazines for 50 cents a piece. Incredible. A genuine person, just living her life. You find these kind of people often in this state. I love Illinois, its the place I call home.
I’m from Chicagoland, out in the far west suburbs, a town called Saint Charles. I now live outside of the Chicago area in a town called Rochelle, and it’s absolutely crazy when you realize how many vastly different lifestyles this one state has to offer, especially in just Northern Illinois alone.
We're all the same not that different, I'm a trk driver, born in Chicago, i moved to orlandpark, only difference is Chicago people have to be watching their back,all the time 😂
I'm from Chicago and recently went to St. Charles for the first time this past fall. My brother and I took the train out to Aurora and rode our bikes to Elgin along the Fox River with stops in Geneva and St. Charles along the way. It's a beautiful city and their fall festival was popping.
As a Chicagoan I appreciate this video so much. I’m a trucker and love cruising through rural Illinois. It’s definitely beautiful and I’d love to live out there one day.
THANK YOU!!!!!! I was born on a farm outside of Shabbona. My mother was born in Sandwich. This is one of my favorite videos you’ve created, yet what you do to help us be aware of the many lifestyles in our beautiful country is amazing. God Bless and keep up the good work. Sharon D.
Love Margie! What a hoot! Salt of the Earth and typical of the outdoorsy people living in rural Illinois. Glad to meet her and listening to her stories during her lifetime.
I live in a small rural farm town about halfway between Columbia and Kansas City, MO, right off of I-70. I absolutely love the peace and quiet. The people are exceptionally friendly. I'm surrounded by corn, soy, and cattle. Have friends who are more like family to me who live in the country. I absolutely love the slow pace of life. I've gotten spoiled to where I absolutely hate driving in the city. So, I appreciate you covering rural Illinois. It's definitely a great way of life.
Same, im south of Chicago in ford county. But im from NC north of Charlotte. I went from town, city, then hella rural. Farmers daughter said yes years ago. 😂
I was born and raised in a city. And every year since 3 years ago, I’ve been going to the country side for a month straight. It’s so refreshing. In the city you only know the smell of grass from a park. But out in the country it’s so nice. It’s beautiful.
If anyone lives in the area, please check out The Dekalb County Barn Tour! It’s so cool, they give you a map and checkpoints for the day of locations of barns and farms throughout all of Dekalb County and you just drive around to barns and meet people from the area and it’s beautiful!
Thank you so much for this! I grew up partially in rural Northern IL (Dixon) and it was like a small trip down memory lane. I would drive into Chicago to spend time with friends and come home with a lot of gratitude that I could have the best of both worlds.
Great story, Peter! I’m originally from central Illinois (Peoria area) and have lived in northern IL (DeKalb) for 20 years. Illinois has beautiful prairie land and it is home, to me. I like visiting other parts of the world but I’m always glad to get home to the cornfields. You captured the essence of rural Illinois with friendly people that are quite happy to live in the midwest in farming country. Thank you for making this!
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 this is absolutely correct and I think the big guys like it because it divides us. So they support and push the lgbtq narrative
@@bevrosity I’ve been to the fair almost every year of my 26 year life haha not much changes with it so I only go one of the days it’s in town now. Also it’s very expensive nowadays too
One thing I always enjoy about your videos is that, with all the "division" in this country, we see a lot of it is sensationalized by the mainstream media. Most people just want to live their lives, in the end we---Red and Blue folks, urban people and rural people---have the same desires, fears, concerns, just trying to get by, and these videos elucidate that whether it's in Vegas or Appalachia or Compton (the California one).
That's why I don't like mainstream medias and some politians(there are some politians still try to do the right thing), they are trying to divide the country even the people is actually united. lets make medias like fox or msnbc lose their market and give journalist like peter a rise.
I just received this message,
"Hi Peter. My mom’s is 90 year old Margie and she is in one of your recent videos. Outside Chicago - What’s it like. My name is Deborah, one of her daughters, and I am writing you to thank you for this wonderful gift… you see, she had a stroke 8 days after you interviewed her and now her right side is paralyzed and she doesn’t say many words. She is living in her house on the farm, but requires 24 hour care. Me and my three sisters and other family members are doing our best to keep her happy and comfortable. I just received the TH-cam link from a cousin and am loving all the comments people have written about her. She has always been the most amazing woman, mom, friend to all who know her. Thank you so much!!!"
Wow..
Such a great lady, I hope she will recover and take a last skydive or many more!
So sorry for her family...
Bless her and all of you ❤
God bless your mother
That farmer/truck driver is the epitome of dont judge a book by its cover and someone on how they look. He was right about everything he said. Well educated, and understands the complex realities and situations.
Yes so true! Made me remember how annoying it was when Mike Bloomberg said anyone can be a farmer...just poke a hole and plant a seed...saying farmers weren't educated.
Yup, 100% agree. Seems like a pretty cool guy and considering how hard he works, it was nice he was more than happy to let you bend his ear for a bit. Good peeps, farmers!
@@beep7Doesn’t understand that land grant universities exist to teach agriculture and mining, not kidding about that either (hence the a&m name of several land grant universities, for instance texas a&m is the land grant university in texas), many expanded that to provide engineering as a whole, as it turns out mechanical engineering and such is important to mining and agriculture. The steam engine came about from needing a way to pump water out of the mines in great britain.
Also my dad grew up in a rural area not far from springfield, il, they frequently drove into springfield for the grocery store
You obviously judge working men wearing work clothes as unintelligent... you really need to get out of your bubble. For farmers to be successful they need to be highly knowledgeable in many areas that would likely put your intellect to shame.
@@adr8264true.. But still, everyone could be a farmer. Main question after such statement should be, only for how long?
That 90 year old lady is one of the most wholesome human beings I’ve ever seen. So sharp for being that old
And skydiving too! Amazing! She has a youthful spirit
Dancing and keeping good spirits, but my grandma is 99 and is living solely out of spite lol. So it's seems like to keep going you need a drive or at least nothing to stop you
I think she has lived to 90 and no issues because she doesn't worry!❤
I legitimately thought this was a joke. She looks like retiree that just hit her late 60s.
The farmer gentleman you got to speak with is just a wealth of knowledge. I learned more just listening to him talk than anything I heard on the news ever. Amazing. I LOVE the work you are doing.
And he wasn’t bigoted about change just concerned how it would legitimately affect their livelihoods.
I basically live next door to Europe's first gigafactory and there's been much talk about it's longevity, an engineer who works there basically gave me the same rundown " They need batteries to store water,wind or solar energy but batteries will fail on you, electricity is not the answer. I'll change my mind when NASA switches their AJ10 engines for batteries. "
He was a really cool guy, but just so you know a lot of what he said about solar farms was nonsense. I live in this region of Illinois I know this type of guy, great people but there's a lot of misinformation regarding solar and wind in rural areas. The truth is wind and solar has put a ton of money in the pockets of family farms in Illinois. Usually installed on the least productive farm fields they own.
So true I’m from Schaumburg and didn’t know we had such precious soil, and that our farmers feed Chicago!
@@Will-nb8qk Most people in farming in USA or even in Europe are concerned about it. I'm not a farmer but when I hear politicians in EU saying we need to reduce CO2 by 90% in 15 years I just can't believe it. Farmer in Europe will get massive hit by this regulations and big markets and factories will import food from countries where is no regulations like that.
As a Canadian, small town USA was and still is my favourite part of the U.S. Nothing beats a small town attitude, the food and all the around calmness and innocence. This is reminding me it’s time to get in the truck and hit some small towns here in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
have fun and be safe of the road 🍺
Small town attitude can't be beat. I absolutely agree. I live in the most populous county of Florida and I miss being close to the small town folks.
I agree. I'm Canadian/Australian and traveled this planet extensively. Best places I've been in the world were the towns outside of big cities . I remember the food I ate in Italy - would catch trains out of Rome and just hop off wherever I desired, have lunch and it would be the best food I ever ate. Same with so many other countries including SE Asia.
Because it's 98% white
@@TheDogGoesWoof69Yeah. People only see conservatives as political people who just care about politics. If you care enough to know us, we’ll take you in for dinner.
I am from Illinois, so I have a bias, but its important to realize what Nelson was saying. The quality of soil that exists in Northern Illinois is very rare. There are only a few places in the world with soil of that quality. The Nile valley in Egypt is one of them. The prairie land on the eastern side of the Mississippi is another. Why should we destroy this natural resource?
Thank you. They are doing the same thing in NW Ohio - prime farm land. Farmers are selling out. Getting crazy amounts of dollars per acre for solar panels and windmills.... and all of the generated electricity will be sent across the grid to other parts of the US. It's ridiculous. I am all for solar panels, but put them on roofs or in the desert. NOT FERTILE FARM GROUND THAT GROWS OUR FOOD.
My grandpa said the same thing whenever a new shopping center or subdivision went up in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. 'They're taking away the good farmland'. He was born in 1899 and died in 1967. Saw a lot of changes.
for real, and it's not like there isn't plenty of land out in illinois that isn't zoned to be a farm and is otherwise just a vacant lot full of gravel or some overgrown sticks. They should look at installing solar power on abandoned lots and areas with poor soil. The desert really is the best option overall though. @@Ren3gade
@@muscleman125 How we use/misuse land is the foundation of the entire economy.
Same with Indiana@@Ren3gade
The trucker/farmer guy at the beginning seems like a nice hardworking dude. Glad Peter gets to meet these people and show them to us on TH-cam.
He gave very good answers. I LOVE that he said that rural people are NOT against renewable energy, but dont put them on the best soil in the world.
As a Chicago Suburbanite it was so interesting hearing his perspective. I love his laid-back attitude. As an ex-fuel systems engineer for a large machinery manufacturer, I agree that Diesel will likely be slow to be replaced on large machinery. It's a bit more difficult to get the horsepower they need when compared to road vehicles.
He made a lot of good points. We have tons of space here in Chicago for those solar panels, it's probably just a lot cheaper out there
you should go to ronald reagan’s birthplace in deer grove il, farther west. it is superrrr rural and there’s like 50 people that live there eith so much calm and nice people. arnie’s happy spot over there has good food
@@chito19ytFantastic fried chicken
I felt every word the two guys in the restaurant were saying. A year ago, my husband and I left the big city to move out to a small town an hour away. We love the nature, slowness of life, no traffic, and we got so much more house for our money. We actually have a large backyard now. I love sitting by the fire pit at night, watching the fireflies, and seeing stars in the sky.
Back in the day, IL had a tourism campaign with the tag line "just outside Chicago, there's a place called Illinois".
That's a great one!
I have to say, as a resident of Chicagoland, and someone who has been personally involved in the installation of thousands of photovoltaic modules, and the engineered electrical construction of hundreds of acres of solar farms throughout northern IL, I had no idea modules could leach toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the groundwater. I honestly did not believe Nelson's assertion and did my own research. Turns out, he's correct.
Yep, they are literally layering the land with toxins.
Just as bad is that windmills, solar panels and electric cars are all there only because subsidies make them appear to be competitive but if there were no subsidies the true cost would be reflected in the sticker price. The subsidies distort markets, and we have to pay taxes to support the subsidies, not only the dollars that go to the companies but the dollars that go to the bureaucrats that administer the subsidies.
Subsidies undermine a healthy, market driven economy.
Silicon Tetrachloride is a toxic concern of solar panels.
@@Anon54387 because no other power plant gets a subsidy either...
He is correct, but its a red herring argument. Nelson is basically dumping Agent Orange on the same ground but no big deal there. If a panel happened to break, and it contaminated the small bit of ground directly underneath, you would have to remediate it by removing those handfuls of soil and sending to landfill.
Your suppose to do that for all sorts of things, like the diesel leaking from Nelson's old rusty storage tank.
Your docus seem so natural and effortless. Very easy to watch and learn from. I start my Saturday mornings off with you. Thanks for allowing the People that cant travel or won't travel to see some of the world and for humanizing people some only hear about.
Thanks for coming along!
"docus"
lmao
@@janelleg597 right gotta laugh at myself sometimes. Just being lazy, I don't comment alot online!🤣🤣🤣
@@PeterSantenello you said I was a lucky winning, what do I win, you said get in touch
@@BABABOOY-P8Y
You do know that TH-cam has the capability to edit your comments, right?
It's easy: just tap the 3 dot menu beside your comment, and fix whatever's broken.
And, yeh I know that the "f" and "d" keys are *WAY* too close together for fat fingers on smartphone keyboards...
I've lived in rural Illinois my whole life. I purchased my first home in the middle of a bunch of cornfields. Driving too and from work is like 20 minutes of complete peace. The sunrises and sunsets I get to see every day are incredible. Everytime I walk outside it's silent. We get to hear beautiful churchbells twice a week. And all the room you could ever need to stretch out. I wouldn't give it up for anything
Twice a week! I live in rural England and most villages have the church ringing every hour (a tradition from when people didn't have clocks). |Extra bells for holidays, weddings, and funerals.
@@Tb61035isn’t is wild that people thousands of miles away do things differently?
@@Tb61035same here in Germany
I.lived in California Central.valley this part of Illinois looks like our valley towns lots of 🌽 and cattle, almond orchards, grape vines hot summers wet winters vegetables and fruits turlock Merced Sierra Nevada Yosemite turkey ranchers
sounds like heaven
I love the concept of this video. Illinois is too often generalized to be Chicago and nothing more, but there’s a huge state out there full of different perspectives. It would be interesting to see a similar video in the future about Upstate New York (both rural and the cities like Buffalo/Rochester) and how it’s vastly different from NYC.
That would be great, and it’s very similar to Illinois’s situation. Heck, go up into the north country/adk region/1000’s islands area as well. The differences between NYC and the rest of the state is drastic.
This or even parts of NJ. North NJ is an extension of NYC practically where if you start heading north west or far enough south it completely changes
This is how it is just outside every major city. Even if you go north out of Chicago and into large suburbs there is still surrounding farmland.
Yes redcomic I have been to Buffalo in Western NY and I was shocked because I was thinking NYC but Buffalo in ways reminds me of Cincinnati,OH being spread it out instead of compact like NYC is.
Got to go to a bills game then
Now we need a series on small towns and farms! I could spend another episode or more with Margie, what a sweet kind woman and so young at heart which makes sense to why she's so healthy! She's so happy and positive, love her!
I agree!
Peter you HAVE to go back and do a full episode with the 90 year old woman. Just like Titus, this woman is a damn gem and I envy that you got to spend so much time with them both!
agree!!!👏
Agree! She's fabulous.
Puts a smile on your face, doesn't she. She's got the spirit and lifts everyone up with her.
Agree!!! Marg is a gem!!!
Absolutely agree. Marg is a great example of clean living & thinking.
Nelson the farmer is spot on with his explanation about precious farmland and how it is often ruined. His insight is great, and I could sense how he was really holding back. Again, a highly valuable video, I expected nothing less.
There has been zero farmland ruined by solar panels or wind farms in Illinois. Unless you're talking about aesthetically speaking, they can be quite ugly. But as far as ruining the soil for the future? Yea, that's absolutely false.
Yeah, that solar panel stuff was nonsense unless you blast them into millions of pieces. How people ruin the farmlands are that they pump out the water from underground aquifiers until it's not economically feasible, use too much chemicals so that the soil dies. Erosion is another big thing, but the way land erodes in flat plains is by making dust bowls, not necessarily a big issue in Illinois. Additionally, farming often leads on groundwater contamination and nutrient flows into ditches and rives causing algae blooms, fish deaths and even making the drinking water unpotable and swimming impossible. The mos common crime in countryside is environmental crime.
You mentioned Norway. I’m about 20 minutes from there. My family settled in Norway, IL in the 1800’s from the country of Norway. They immigrated here to farm and build a life and here I still reside 200 years later. There’s a reason we’re so proud of what we have out here, our roots run deep.
Big love to you from Norway. 🌹🇧🇻
@@jorunnpedersen817 and to you as well!
When people quit watching the news and start watching videos like yours, they will see what real America is all about! 👍🏼👍🏼
uh... so Margie... we need to talk about this. whatever she is doing, we all need to do it. She looks about 15 years younger than she is, and has the energy of someone 25-30 years younger.
what an absolute gem
And she has all her mental faculties. She's a delight.
Yea when he "guessed" she was 62 I was like "aww that's nice of him but she's definitely 70ish"..
Turns out she was around for World War 2. Amazing lady. I'm glad he got to meet her before the stroke(see the pinned comment).
I couldn't believe when she said 90.
Did you hear her say she doesn't take any meds? As someone with experience in the medical field, that comment is key.
I'm in Peru. Endless corn. Very simple and quiet. 100 miles west of Chicago.
I was a travel agent in Germany, and we got invited from the tourism industry in Illinois to explore it and eventually sell Illinois as a travel destination back in Germany and I loved my time there!!! First time ever for me in the US. I remember there was Lincoln everywhere, the Route 66 (nobody in Europe knows it also is in Illinois), Lincoln, weird and awesome private museums, The Juliet Prison, lots of good food, oh, did I mentioned Lincoln?
The people were so nice and chatty, in my opinion it's a great state.
Thank you. Joliet Correctional closed in 2002. It is now used as a tourist venue.
Ya, back in the day before the interstates route 66 was made to connect Chicago to LA. highways across the rocky mountains were a big challenge so for a long time it was the best way to get to the west coast
Nice place to visit, terrible place to live. 48th highest tax burden state in the country, huge state debt, hot as hell in the summer, cold as death in the winter, some of the worst condition roads in the country. The place is a mess.
@@Jm0417-sChicago is a great place to live with lots to do and great job opportunities. Winters aren’t for the frail. But us midwestern types are tough. Downstate is much tougher with many manufacturing jobs leaving sadly.
"The Juliet Prison" Joliet, but close enough :). I'm from Joliet. When I went to college I met two exchange students from Sweden. We were sitting in a dining hall, them me and a few of my friends. They asked me where I was from and I said Joliet.
I got up to go to the restroom and came back and they were all laughing. Apparently when I left they asked my friends "what I did". They had seen the movie Blues Brothers and thought "Joliet" was an American slang term for prison. So they thought I implied I had just gotten out of prison.
This is so interesting, especially for someone from England. It really makes me realise that the media tends to focus on certain parts of your country only.
Absolutely, friend! The media is our enemy!
Chicago looks nothing like the reat of Illinois. Its the sore thumb…Reat of Illinois is natural. My town is boring but places around me have beautiful locations.
Theres an angle to everything in the media. Even the chicago cop that was in a recent video on this channel wasnting telling the whole story. For example, he said current mayor didnt give cops paid maternity leave but teachers got it. What he didnt mention is that the police union endorsed an opposing candidate while the teachers union endorsed the new mayor. Thats probably the reason teachers got it and police didnt.
He didn't portray the area in a very balanced way -- there are much nicer areas than the places he picked out to showcase in this video. Clickbait nonsense.
@@btnhstillfire His comment wasn't a compliment -- unless by "compliment" you mean what he'd have said to a tribesman in a country he considered more primitive than his own. "Noble savage" sort of talk.
I have 3 grandchildren who were adopted together and living somewhere out there. This gives me so much more peace of mind. I knew they were living a far better life than my daughter could give them. They have thrived. Now I know why. Those are some of the finest people I have ever seen. This was personal, close to my heart, and I could never thank you enough.
My heart goes to you as I’ve experienced your side of an adoption.💕
I can't believe that lady is 90 years old, she looks great!
Viewing this video from Lithuania I can say that small places around the world has this similar thing - simple, yet wonderful people. No fakekiness, snobbism or arrogance. Simple people, open people. I like it! Thank you for the video.
Come visit, check out Galena!!
nah these people are arrogant. only care about one thing and if you dont agree youre the devil to them.
@@thebacongames2182says the city snobbist
Blacks would destroy that area. ( Fact. )
@@Uncle.Ruckus.No.Relation.but think of the trade off of diversity! Lmao. All the liquor stores same corner store jobs that would be generated by taking EBT and Section 8; Blaqqque is beautiful. Or something like that.
91?! Holy smokes, she has the mobility of a 60 year old, very impressive. This was such a great episode of the Chicago series, Thank you Peter.
ikr? crazy. seems nowhere near 90
She looks amazing for 91
She moves better than me and I'm 33 😂😂
You have to get to Galena. It’s a hidden picturesque mountain town-like gem of Illinois. It has an interesting history very relevant to the development of Illinois and Chicago.
shhhhh don’t ruin it. Been going there every year since I was a kid. The downtown right along the river is breathtaking. Then you can drive up and stay at the resort there on the hill (I forget the name) and ski in the winter
@@cornhoolio6456 whispering….Eagle ridge resort. 😉
Maybe Chestnut mountain resort?
Used to drive through there all the time on the way to Dubuque on business. Everybody who doesn’t know Illinois say how flat and boring it is. I say have you ever been to Northwest Illinois?
@@kenhoneycutt2046WENT TO GALENA FROM CHICAGO COULD NOT BELIEVE WE WERE STILL IN ILLINOIS IT WAS BEAUTIFUL AND WE LOVED IT .GREAT MEMORY FROM THERE .
I love rural America. The people, the food , the landscape and most of all the feelings of township and community.
the severe lack of mentally ill democrats. agree
Nothing like Illinois sweet corn
What about the meth
@@charlestaylor6883 best part😎
@@charlestaylor6883 where ha e you been, the Cartel super labs put the red necks out of business a decade ago, it's cheaper to drive out to Arizona, pick up a couple keys from the border and drive back to the Midwest than make it anymore.
I was born in Sycamore, IL. My mom thought she had such a green thumb, her vegetable garden flourished. She found out later after she moved to Lake Bluff that her thumb was in fact not green. It was the soil there.
I’m in Huntley. Here for over 32 years. The town went from 2300 to over 27,000! No farms left in town. Was the largest milk producer in the state at one time. ❤
Shout out sycamore that’s where I’m from as well!
It was your mom's green thumb!!!!!
I live in the southern part of Illinois and I envy the soil in central and northern IL. When I till my garden in the spring it’s reddish-brown dirt. The soil up there looks exactly like bagged soil from Home Depot.
Ewww lake bluff( I live on the north shore )
Nelson made some really valid points. With all the unused roof space in and around Chicago....why not place solar panels there? Instead of threatening precious farm land....use areas that are already primed for solar and don't take away spaces we need access to.
Its simple Because the government wants to use ur land not there land so they can gain control of it
Solar panels are a complete waste of time and money to do very little.
One of the cool, and practical, things I have seen as well are car covers for parking lots. Double benefit when you toss a few solar panels up.
She said, "Life's not worth living with negative thoughts". ...❤❤❤
I grew up in this area and when the trucker/farmer said, "Chicago runs Illinois," I felt that to my core!
YEEEEP
I grew up on a corn farm just on the outskirts of the Chicago Suburbs. It was one of the best childhoods a boy could have asked for. Although a little lonesome with a lack of neighborhood friends, you couldn't beat those summer days playing on the farm and hiking around the acres of cornfield and tree-lines. Helping my dad garden, chasing bees and snakes, mowing the huge lawn with the riding mower. I was very lucky now looking back at those days.
Do you think someone can have that childhood there now? Sounds amazing.
My late grandfathers farm was just south of Elburn, IL. (east of RT-47). Visits to the farm was great - played in the 1875 barn - which was a 'peg' barn. Meaning the main rafters etc where held together with wooden pegs. (not nails). Sadly it's all gone, now a filled with McManions and barn burnt down etc.
@@Disneyfamigliaof course you can or a similar childhood, providing your parents make you take a break from electronics and get out and enjoy the nature around you! I detest a multitude of things about living in Illinois (predominantly Chicago style criminal-politics, taxes and lately the extremely liberal laws) and yet I love it more than enough to stay!
im only 30 and I grew up much like this in indiana, definitely more rare @@Disneyfamiglia
Me too. But hard to live a good adult life there now.....
As a Brit who loves the diversity of the USA, I really enjoy Peters videos and it's great to see the real America and it's laid back, genuine people.What a diamond the 90yr old lady was, could listen to her stories all day. Peace and love from the UK 🙏
My father has a 93 year old friend i love his stories. I've been all over America its beautiful and the people are very nice. You should visit if you haven't. I was on the blue ridge parkway earlier today and the leaves are changing colors falling off
I used to watch “anywhere but westminster” on TH-cam for the same reason. Mostly during brexit.
I havent checked if they still update.
Their is no diversity there!! That’s why it is wonderful!
@@elmastro-ye9lw I'm a Londoner, born and bred, but in my humble opinion, I find the country folk to be friendlier, more honest and genuine. I never said " City people" weren't real Americans, I was referring to the fact that over here, all we really see in the media is New York, LA, Vegas, Miami etc, which doesn't really give a true perspective of the USA. It's was just a figure of speech.
@@seanlambert8336I can imagine its beauty. I’ve driven all the way from Shenandoah to Smokies in October. It took three weeks to complete. The most memorable road. Love Blue Ridge Highway.
Illinois is such an underrated state. Big city Chicago, rural farm culture, river valley bluffs in Peoria, starved rock, shawnee forest down South. Amazing state
Not to mention the dells on the Fox River, just south of Aurora, Fermilab, Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River Coast, and many, *many* Forest Preserves throughout the state.
😂 most of chicago is trash, most farm areas are trash, Peoria is trash...
@@supergeek1418you can't get into fermilab, and lake michigan in IL is ugly relative to everywhere else. Yall are delusional.
@@davidsuch8942
Absolutely you can get into Fermilab! They have a beautiful section of restored prarie, an American bison (buffalo) herd, a museum in the main building plus many programs for the public. It's a real treasure.
And the lakeshore from the Oak Street Beach, northwards is beautiful.
I'll grant you that the southern area near Gary has some issues, but *most* of the Illinois Shoreline is quite nice.
Underrated is a stretch😂. There are some nice areas....but let's be honest😂😂
Hello everybody i'm French i'm from France i'm happy watching this vidéo because it's like a rural country in France so it's cool see that and God bless America 🙏
❤
Ça m'a rappelé la campagne en région coeur de France
@@az894 Nous avons des terres comme ça partout dans l'etats-unis. J'habite a St. Louis qui est à environ 5 heures de Chicago, et le paysage ressemble à ça. je suis desole pour mon francais, seulement j'apprendre le langue pour 8 mois
@@braxtona4250 votre français est impeccable! J'adore vos paysages...
That couple in Paw Paw is so cute. You could see the adoration in their eyes.
Yeah, real cute 🙄 until they start pushing their liberal ideas on others and try to get their "friends" out there to change it blue. They should have stayed in the blue towns/cities.
I live in Japan but am a proud mid-west girl. Watching this makes me homesick. The media hardly portrays the kind, good, hardworking people. Thanks for the honest video!
I see it all the time in the UK also, people abroad will only see the news which shows London and nothing else. England has a plethora of hard working, well meaning and good natured working class people who just want peace and enjoyment.
Culture wars from the media, both news and social media, are destroying the sense of common community.
Evin seni bekliyor orta bati kızı
@John.JAnderson everything is on little Britain and only fools and horses.. all you need to know right there...
Raised in Illinois, living in Saitama
These are the kind of places, which I want to see whenever I visit America and do a month long roadtrip. So nice, so nice! Greetings from Finland!
He didn't portray the area in a very balanced way -- there are much nicer areas than the places he picked out to showcase in this video. Clickbait nonsense.
@@squirrelvert Even better then😇
Same here from Ireland brother!
Nelson said a mouth full. Leave the farms be you all that is our climate change challenge. Protect the farmers at all cost.
God is love, hugs and love sent from cali, praying for all the farmers in the USA.
Hope Nelson goes viral!
I live about 3 hours south of Chicago in the small city of Galesburg, but surrounded by rural. Can't wait to dig into this! Thanks for everything you do, Peter!
Champaign area?
Same here, Peoria area!
I’m in a very, very small town south of Chicago outside of the Bloomington normal area
Same with myself….was hoping he would have headed my way. Lol.
Bloomington/Normal but grew up in Towanda. Now live in the Philippines
This is what journalism is about. You're letting people speak on a platform theyve otherwise not had the outreach to do. Where you are currently in life must feel amazing for helping people speak and bringing so many people fromaround the world together to listen. you're my favorite content creator peter. please never stop this format
journalists don't just let people speak, they verify and research comments and claims made.
While I love Peter's videos, even he himself says he isn't a journalist. As another comment said, journalists don't just present information without comment. If someone in the video says something that is false, and many people featured here, though well-meaning, friendly, and probably believing they are telling the truth, don't always present correct information. It is impossible for any one person to accurately give a comprehensive view of society. I don't think that is what Peter is trying to do either, he just does his best to cover as many different communities that he thinks are important or interesting to him and his viewers. I hope my comment didn't come across as an attack or anything. Peter's videos are amazing and I just enjoy seeing different places, cultures, and gaining at least a better idea of how societal issues affect different communities.
I'm glad you spoke to a farmer. So many people have no concept about what our farmers do. They're business men, mechanics, biologists, laborers and stewards of the environment. Most politicians who make decisions on the future of farming couldn't possibly do what our farmers do.
As someone who was born and raised here in Springfield IL I totally agree that illinois is run by Chicago. The politicians come here periodically when they’re in session. But the rest of the time they are not here. And I think most people who picture illinois think that like half the state is Chicago from a geographic standpoint. When really it just takes up a little space in the north part of the state. The rest of the state is a whole other world and it was neat to see you speaking with people who’s voices are never heard. This was awesome. Thank you!
I love rural Illinois. I moved away from the suburbs six years ago at almost 42 years old. It took me about 6 months or so to wonder and ask myself, "Did I make a mistake?."
The answer is heII no. I made one of the wisest decisions of my life.
The people are SO much nicer and accommodating out here than I ever felt in Downers Grove. I can't give this up. If I do, then I'm a complete fool.
Me too. Grew up in a rough part of Columbus before moving 20 miles out. It really took 5 years to adjust.
amen to that buddy the country is the best living on earth
Chicago sucks, needs to be its own state. Or country for that matter.
I did the opposite. Moved from rural to Chicago burbs and couldn't be happier. I'm as introverted as can be, but something about being so far from civilization can be depressing at times. Maybe it's just the annoyance of having to drive an hour+ for any little thing that needs done.
Live in burr ridge with family cant stand this area. Not far from downers grove. Got family in TN. But i explore i fish alot… i would give everything all my possessions to live in the rural. if i could and was in certain circumstances financially and career wise id leave
I am English and I love watching your content that sees all parts of the USA, Big cities and the rural towns and villages and the people that live there. I see similarities between both countries and it is probably the same the world over. Here in England and the rest of the UK you will find villages and towns outside of the big cities that have a completely different of way of life and they are only a few miles apart. The villagers and townsfolk over here have the similar arguments with windfarms and solar farms as the first chap you spoke to. He is spot on with his opinion that the buildings in Chicago should have the solar panels built on the top of them.
Good conversation from the farmer in the blue shirt named Nelson. Learned a lot just from him. And agree with him. Very grateful for your videos, Peter. So interesting and learn so much.
Yea big congratulations to his first conversation
Peter, those “Yank, the Army Weekly” magazines are very special. There were about 20 regional editions from all over the world during WW2 (London, Paris, Australia, Panama Canal Zone, India, etc.) and I am working on a comprehensive checklist for a certain “largest Library in the world”. Very cool find! (Hope you like the pin-ups 😊)
Thank you for representing rural Illinois. I moved here from Michigan 5 years ago and absolutely love Central Illinois. Come to the Peoria area..it's pretty awesome.
I agree. Born and raised. We love to visit elsewhere and get right back home.
My friend is from Varna. I've visited a few times. It's so nice there
The big rock is to denote where the driveway is in the winter when it snows.
How observant of you.
My grandfather had 3 round orange reflectors on the mailbox post by the driveway.
I stumbled across this channel by accident, What great viewing content which left me spellbound. I live in the U.K. where there is a negative view of American society, this rural lifestyle looks timeless & sustainable. Great show😊
He didn't portray the area in a very balanced way -- there are much nicer areas than the places he picked out to showcase in this video. Clickbait nonsense.
Peter has one of the best channels on TH-cam disregard the negative comment by squirrelvert…
I have to comment that your videography combined with choices of music and interviewing is excellent! You've grown your natural talent and interest into tpp notch productions!
Thank you so much! The editing and music is all of my wife and her skills are better than mine in this department.
@@PeterSantenello then please pass on my comments to your wife! You two make a great team!
My dad used to drive truck through this area of northern Illinois outside of Chicago and he always relays to me the story of how he used to pass by cop cars emblazoned with the words "Sandwich Police" and how funny that always was to him
My stupid girlfriend got us put in Sandwich PD jail lmao. Then she went to county HAHA.
@geekfreak618lolololol
In Denmark we have a word called Brigdebuilder, it refers to someone who tries to build a bridge beteween a gap in culture, between people, I see you as a bridgebuilder Mr. Santanello, and a very good one at that!
As an Irish man I’m fascinated by rural America, it reminds me of the small rural communities we have here in Ireland. Good honest hardworking folk, what more could you want! 🇮🇪🇺🇸
More cool pubs
A lot of midwest rural americas ancestors are irish, german, polish and norwegian working class people so makes sense.
I'm from rural Wisconsin and now I live in LA. It's alright here, but I'm always missing the laid back vibes of the midwest. The feeling of sitting around the campfire in the backyard on a cool summer night with no worries in the world is what I miss the most. It's a feeling that spreads through whole communities and I'm looking to get back to that 😊
Go to the San Joaquin Valley and you'll realise that all California ain't the same, Northen CA is the same bro. go check those places out, you'll like Fresno/Clovis all that region near Yosemite
@@AirborneKoala Don't get me wrong, I've definitely felt the vibes in CA too. I just need to get out of the city on a more permanent basis lol
As a Chicagoan I love going up to Wisconsin and enjoying the small town feeling. I have family up there. My family owned a farm up there for generations. Norwegian/Swedish descent
Thats a mistake moving to L.A.
L A . Man , didnt u see the sign .
Growing up I worked on a farm in Kansas. A couple times a year we where sitting on tractors up to 20 hours a day either plowing and planting or fall harvesting. Many of the fields were miles from the farm and we hauled diesel to the site. A battery tractor will never cut it.
Love how the farmer was able to shed light on the insanity of trying to go all electric.
The Amish are loving it on their farms! Solar panels are on all of their barns!
BRILLIANT line by the gentlemen at 13:20 "Im all for solar, just not on farmland. They dont make farmland everyday".
Very, very true. We must protect our farmers.
My mother in law loved this video. She was born in Sandwich, lived in Earlville and her sister in law is from Paw Paw!! So thank you for the trip down memory lane.
My favorite part about Sandwich is the SANDWICH POLICE...lol
I’ve known Nelson since he was a little kid, great guy , surprisingly good interview ! Who’d have guessed !
I’m from the DeKalb area and I never would’ve thought to see a TH-cam video of these towns so close to where I live
Same here. I think it's wonderful out here.
I went to NIU in DeKalb, and my mother lived in Sycamore for 30 years. The smallest town I ever found out there is Clare - population about 30.
That farmer said about electricity it's true 100%
i've been in Illinois for all my 49 years. Its stunning how different it is once you're outside of Chicagoland. The Fox River valley is gorgeous. The western border along the Mississippi will take your breath away. I complain about living here a lot but every time, i see stuff like this I remember what a really lovely place this is and how if i could just get away from Chicago metro i might never want to leave this state at all😅 thank you for doing this!
The galena area is absolutely gorgeous this time of year.
Agreed 100%. We're I am you can go from flat open prairie, to rolling timberland/creek bottoms, to Mississippi river and wetlands in a 20min drive. I love my home but hate the state.
@touger9759 same here. Ogle County is amazing. The only downside is that it's in Illinois.
@@jasonarcher7268I know what you guys are talking about. I live in the finger lakes(central) region of New York. I love the area, there’s mountains, Great Lakes and everything in between. Only downfall is it’s New York.
Salt fork river in vermilion is beautiful.
Peter, this video was posted only 5 hours ago and has over 90K views. Must be an amazing feeling. I watched it straight through because I like how you find interesting people to talk to and and let them tell their own story. Thank you for the work you do!
Ive been waiting for this! Last month I moved back to rural southern IL (pop 1200) after being in Lexington KY (pop 325,000 for 25 years. Ive bought my childhood home! There are no stop lights, people drive golf carts everywhere...i saw stars last night on a midnight walk. Complete silence most of the time. Im living the dream, for real!
Ha I'm thinking about doing the same. Grew up in Herrin and moved to big city Florida
@@paulc1746 My Aunt recently did the same thing. They moved to the pan handle and then just moved back to Herrin. lol
@@ifloatupwards small world!!
Farmer Nelson is an absolute wealth of knowledge - don't let his appearance deceive you. He's sharp as a tack. I'm continually learning new things from your videos and shows, Peter. Your content is top-notch, and your dedication, passion to your craft is evident. Keep up the incredible work - your journey is truly inspiring.
Hey Peter Illinois has four sides… There’s Chicago, the suburbs, the farm towns, and then there is Southern Illinois. Southern Illinois definitely has its own feel a lot of crazy history I really hope you can get down there.
You forgot the micro-urban towns. Springfield, Peoria, Champaign-Urbana, Bloomington...
If you ever come down towards St. Louis, on the Illinois side there are some really interesting communities on the Illinois side. The largest population of Spanish speakers outside of Chicago lives in a rural area surrounding a horse track, and there’s a county that has one stoplight, no fast food, and some of the best fruit orchards in the country! I’d love to see even more videos like these. Great work!
My mom lives down in that area, once you get south of Harrisburg it’s pretty lonesome but, a lot of it is National Forest so that helps take up a lot of the space. It’s also why it is a National Forest and a state park.
It’s beautiful land, the other garden of the gods.
I’ve a lot of time roaming around the area, I went to HS out there as well but we lived in a “bigger” city of 5,000 or so.
@@civic9404Marion here 😊
@@colnathanrjessup687 being a bald white male he’s probably gonna die. Per capita it’s the murder capital over Chicago
@@colnathanrjessup687 thought he drove through north st.louis ? just guessing.
@mem5864. Just curious. What towns/communities are you talking about? My mother’s family came from Beckemeyer and Germantown. About 40 miles east of St Louis.
I’m from Mexico, my dad had a job in Peoria, Illinois for some time he’s an engineer, I can assure you the people in those rural areas of Illinois and small towns are some of the most amicable and friendly people you’ll find anywhere, loved to visit my parents while they were up there north.
❤
Peoria is more of a city rather than a small town by Illinois standards. My town has 17,000 and is one of the bigger towns in Southern Il.
@@BartholomewSmutz it is much more of a city i'm pretty sure there's 105k-115k people living there
If it doesn’t play in Peoria…
@@BartholomewSmutzMarion?
Grew up in an Illinois farm town. Moved to Chicago as a young adult. I have appreciation for both.
As a Chicagoan, I love this.. and Margie is freaking amazing. Very sad about her having a stroke after your visit.
Little Compton, Rhode Island
As a Norwegian it's so interesting to see families from Norwegian origin and hearing their history and background. We don't get to hear much from actual Norwegian-American families that moved back when the gold rush was a big thing and from WW2. We only hear the history and what it was like when they went on the journey across the sea. I'm proud of all our brothers that made it over to the States and was able to be successful and continue their generations in a country on the opposite side of the planet. Would love to watch an interview with one of them if you're able to! 😊😃
Det är det ni vet inte någonting.
UFF DA!
Minnesota is full of ppl of Norwegian ancestry it’s pretty cool.
@@letsdoitforjohnny5066 As someone who would love to some day live in USA or Canada I'd love to talk with someone with Norwegian ancestry there. Definitely would be inspiring and give me motivation to possibly some day fulfil my dream
I’ve noticed that country side people have been living like how their ancestors were in Europe. And I love that.
The more I watch these videos the more I realize how smart country people are, and how smart city people think they are
My sentiments exactly 👍
Meaningful choice of words!
Most people are naturally decent and smart no matter where they are, but cities do dramatically increase opportunities for crooked leaders, some elected and some not, to take advantage of the people and put them in tough spots by pursuing their own personal agendas to get rich.
Corn is like the most nutrient deficient filler garbage food and you think you're smart that you grow it and get the little government subsidy. Then say you're "feeding the city". Yea garbage. Sure the nature is nice. Many people would love to live there but there arent any jobs. Bet the average age is like 60 there because it's just retired people.
10:15 the man has a good point, about Electric Tractors.
Born in Chicago, raised in the Northwest Suburbs and spent a few years in Southern Illinois. Three completely different cultures in one state, for sure!
American culture all the same
As a guy born and raised in Chicago, I now live in the North Suburbs. Every Summer and fall I drive out West and come back through Paw Paw and Sandwich. I absolutely adore the serene atmosphere driving through these towns. I am very grateful for our small rural towns. I feel like it keeps the checks and balances of Illinois. Illinois has some great towns that are over looked BUT to be honest I am sure the locals in these towns like it that way because it keeps their lives simple and sweet. We don’t need people bringing that city crap out to our beautiful small towns. As a Black man I love and appreciate all of our Illinois people, cities and towns. The people in these towns are hard working blue collar folks just like the city, they just don’t want to put up with the high stress and BS that we deal with being closer to the City. They deserve to be recognized for what they do and how they live. Don’t show too much of their slice of heaven. Have to keep it quiet there. Great video.
You just said what I was thinking watching this. Thank you.
Born in Chicago and raised in Hoffman Est. but summers were spent in the city
And now live in North West Wisconsin
@@dsmith6404
I went to Schaumburg High School the year it first opened it's doors. That was a VERY long time ago. Good place to send your kids to school. Excellent reviews and test scores.
@@dsmith6404 That’s the next move for my Wife and I.
Rural Illinois is awesome, but I'd also like to give a shoutout to Illinois's small cities: places like Carbondale, Peoria, the Illinois side of St.Louis, and Champaign-Urbana. Lots of really great places out there.
Shot out to sauget and Alton and east Saint boogie
I’ve lived in Springfield and Champaign,IL and this makes me miss rural Illinois. The peace and farm to table meals are unmatched 🌷
As a Ghetto-boy I was moved to a foster family on the country-side when I was 12. It saved my life and made me appreciate the small things in life... Keep it real bro! Thx for showing us the real USA! Bless!
im not from the US, but Europe, but maaan, these videos you are making are fantastic! it's so fascinating to gget a really deep and authentic look at the internals of US society. Thank you
Nelson is an extremely intelligent and well-spoken guy - I really enjoyed his interview!
That older lady selling vintage WW2 magazines for 50 cents a piece. Incredible. A genuine person, just living her life. You find these kind of people often in this state. I love Illinois, its the place I call home.
Loved her and all the cool stuff she was selling
Nelson had a really good argument on those solar panels. Seemed like a solid dude.
I’m from Chicagoland, out in the far west suburbs, a town called Saint Charles. I now live outside of the Chicago area in a town called Rochelle, and it’s absolutely crazy when you realize how many vastly different lifestyles this one state has to offer, especially in just Northern Illinois alone.
I'm in st Charles also 😊
We're all the same not that different, I'm a trk driver, born in Chicago, i moved to orlandpark, only difference is Chicago people have to be watching their back,all the time 😂
St Charles one my favorite places in Illinois, played a lot golf at Burr hills course.
I'm from Chicago and recently went to St. Charles for the first time this past fall. My brother and I took the train out to Aurora and rode our bikes to Elgin along the Fox River with stops in Geneva and St. Charles along the way. It's a beautiful city and their fall festival was popping.
Born and raised in Northern Illinois in a tiny town called Monroe Center. Just a stone's throw away from Rochelle.
As a Chicagoan I appreciate this video so much. I’m a trucker and love cruising through rural Illinois. It’s definitely beautiful and I’d love to live out there one day.
THANK YOU!!!!!! I was born on a farm outside of Shabbona. My mother was born in Sandwich. This is one of my favorite videos you’ve created, yet what you do to help us be aware of the many lifestyles in our beautiful country is amazing. God Bless and keep up the good work. Sharon D.
Yorkville here
Sycamore Illinois gal here! ❤
I'm from small town Illinois I love it.. The freedom as a kid has shaped me
Farmers are the backbone of America hard working ppl
Love Margie! What a hoot! Salt of the Earth and typical of the outdoorsy people living in rural Illinois. Glad to meet her
and listening to her stories during her lifetime.
Where is here place I want to buy some of that stuff she has
I wonder how often the mailman comes out there, o r if you could build a house nearby
I love the Illinois River Valley, so quiet and so many nice down to earth people.
Living in it. Between the Miss and IL.
I live in a small rural farm town about halfway between Columbia and Kansas City, MO, right off of I-70. I absolutely love the peace and quiet. The people are exceptionally friendly. I'm surrounded by corn, soy, and cattle. Have friends who are more like family to me who live in the country. I absolutely love the slow pace of life. I've gotten spoiled to where I absolutely hate driving in the city. So, I appreciate you covering rural Illinois. It's definitely a great way of life.
Same, im south of Chicago in ford county. But im from NC north of Charlotte. I went from town, city, then hella rural. Farmers daughter said yes years ago. 😂
Plus i have chickens and turkeys and seitching our life style.
@@JIGWIGPIG , My brother lives in Clemmons, a little north of you.
I was born and raised in a city. And every year since 3 years ago, I’ve been going to the country side for a month straight. It’s so refreshing. In the city you only know the smell of grass from a park. But out in the country it’s so nice. It’s beautiful.
I was a truck driver for 7 years. I love i70 and rural Illinois and I live in mt airy nc. Been to 48 states. Love this country
I'm from Paw Paw the town so nice they named it twice! Love it!
We traveled through rural Illinois on our way to Wisconsin this summer and it's unbelievable how clean it is. We stopped and ate in Love
If anyone lives in the area, please check out The Dekalb County Barn Tour! It’s so cool, they give you a map and checkpoints for the day of locations of barns and farms throughout all of Dekalb County and you just drive around to barns and meet people from the area and it’s beautiful!
Thank you so much for this! I grew up partially in rural Northern IL (Dixon) and it was like a small trip down memory lane. I would drive into Chicago to spend time with friends and come home with a lot of gratitude that I could have the best of both worlds.
Yea the comptroller lady from Dixon was embezzling millions for her horse farms in FL or something. Haha, fk'n Dixon IL!
@@kittywampusdrums Yeah, corruption knows no bounds- small town or otherwise.
@@mc1r4life38And they auctioned off her horse farm ***heard her relatives own it now
My family is from rural Illinois halfway between Chicago and St Louis. I left 40 years ago and haven't been back. Nice to see how it's doing.
Great story, Peter! I’m originally from central Illinois (Peoria area) and have lived in northern IL (DeKalb) for 20 years. Illinois has beautiful prairie land and it is home, to me. I like visiting other parts of the world but I’m always glad to get home to the cornfields. You captured the essence of rural Illinois with friendly people that are quite happy to live in the midwest in farming country. Thank you for making this!
I lived in Dekalb county myself for about 16 years. I lived outside of Kirkland. In Tennessee now.
Lived in central IL for 12 years. It'll always hold a special place in my heart - such a nice place to live!
I'm from DeKalb, I lived in Chicago for 15 years. I love the city streets and the cornfields-and all the people. Thanks for the video.
@@sparklesparklesparkle6318 this is absolutely correct and I think the big guys like it because it divides us. So they support and push the lgbtq narrative
I graduated from Spaulding high school in 1983, some of my classmates still living there
I live in sandwich! Awesome to see my hometown in one of your videos!
Grew up in Plano. Moved to a small town in Minnesota called Sauk Centre. I missed rural living
they have a great fair. or used to anyways.
@@bevrosity I’ve been to the fair almost every year of my 26 year life haha not much changes with it so I only go one of the days it’s in town now. Also it’s very expensive nowadays too
One thing I always enjoy about your videos is that, with all the "division" in this country, we see a lot of it is sensationalized by the mainstream media. Most people just want to live their lives, in the end we---Red and Blue folks, urban people and rural people---have the same desires, fears, concerns, just trying to get by, and these videos elucidate that whether it's in Vegas or Appalachia or Compton (the California one).
That's why I don't like mainstream medias and some politians(there are some politians still try to do the right thing), they are trying to divide the country even the people is actually united. lets make medias like fox or msnbc lose their market and give journalist like peter a rise.
This is by far the best content IMO on TH-cam