Just days after the state shutdown in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Illinois farmer and brewer Matt Riggs faced a sober reckoning.
“We were a draft-only brewery, so I had $100,000 worth of beer packaged in kegs and ready to go, and with the bars and restaurants, closed, I had zero market,” said Riggs, owner of Riggs Beer Co. in Urbana.

Riggs
But as a fifth generation grain farmer whose family has witnessed the devastation wrought by droughts and floods dating back to the 19th century, the disaster that arrived in March 2020 prompted Riggs to pivot, not panic.
After locating a mobile canner, Riggs began transferring his kegged beer supply, that was originally headed to wholesalers, into aluminum cans, and before long, the company’s new retail product was on the shelves at central Illinois grocers, including Wal-Mart and Schnucks.
And since Riggs grows and harvests the grain for the brewery on 60 of the 316 acres at his family farm, the business managed to avoid supply chain disruptions that have hampered many food and beverage operations two years into the pandemic.
“The pandemic forced our hand, because I had always liked being draft only,” said Riggs, adding that the brewery is now seeing a resurgence in orders for its draft beer in kegs, due to stepped up demand from bars and restaurants.
“It’s been a weird couple of years, and I wish it would never have happened, but you have to deal with reality,” Riggs said.
Despite enduring two years of pandemic-era hardships, many Illinois farmers like Riggs say their decisions to take risks and embrace new business models two years ago have led to some silver linings.
From local growers who avoided supply chain and transportation troubles that continue to impede large companies importing products from overseas, to the surging popularity of home delivered fruits and vegetables, many Illinois food purveyors say they are surviving, and in some instances, thriving.

Vegetables grow in the Gotham Greens greenhouse in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood.
“For farmers who could change their business operations quickly, including the cashless delivery of local foods, it worked out well, and it might not have happened without the pandemic,” said Douglas Gucker, a local food systems and small farms educator at the University of Illinois extension.
“They had to quickly morph and change, and for some farmers, the transition went really well, and today, they’re bigger and better,” Gucker said.
Given the dependence on weather and trade conditions, farmers face high levels of risk and a modest return in profits even during the best of times, Gucker said.
But for Illinois farmers who took the initiative, and quickly created “e-stores” to take advantage of new demand for their products, the now ubiquitous grocery delivery model allowed them to continue operating, even during the early days of the pandemic.
“As a farmer, in addition to having plan A, you need to always be ready to move to plan B and plan C as the situation warrants,” Gucker said.
“Farming is a rewarding life, and also full of risk, and they do this because they love growing and supplying food, but to live, they need to make a living too,” Gucker said.
For farmer John Peterson, the founder of Angelic Organics, the early days of the pandemic brought a 50% surge in demand for his organic vegetables, including a crew of new customers who were alarmed by empty shelves and supply chain shortages at their neighborhood grocery stores.
“It was a very hard thing to do, and we were under a lot of pressure, but people seemed desperate,” said Peterson, 72, who operates his community supported agriculture farm, known as a CSA, in Caledonia, Ill., about 80 miles northwest of Chicago.
Some Illinois growers, including Gotham Greens, which operates two urban farms in Chicago’s Pullman Park neighborhood, continue to see high demand.
“With indoor farming, you take the climate variant out of the equation, and can deliver locally grown produce 365 days of the year,” said Viraj Puri, founder and CEO of the New York City-based company, which operates a network of greenhouses across the U.S.
By embracing a sustainable agriculture ethos — the greenhouses use 95% less water and 97% less land than conventional farms — Gotham Greens has a dramatically shorter production and distribution supply chain, allowing them to deliver lettuce and basil within hours, Puri said.

Young basil plants in a Gotham Greens greenhouse in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood.
“We saw a huge bump in demand since the pandemic started, and it has been steadily increasing, so we’re doing our best to keep up,” Puri said.
Gotham Greens products grown at the Chicago greenhouses and sold at area supermarkets, including Mariano’s and Jewel-Osco, are not only fresher, but they have a longer shelf life, Puri said.
“We have a lot of consistency and reliability in our supply chain, and at a lower cost, because we’re not having to ship our greens thousands of miles away from where they’re grown,” Puri said.
Chicago Region Food System Fund has awarded more than $8.4 million in grants to 105 nonprofit organizations during the pandemic to address hunger and business disruption by supporting local food systems.
While the funding was originally planned as a series of grants awarded from June 2020 through early 2021, officials have extended the grantmaking through 2022.
“What we really found interesting, was how quickly people pivoted after the initial shock,” said Karen Lehman, director of Fresh Taste, which manages the fund.
One problem exacerbated by the pandemic was the negative impact of the consolidation of food processing and storage facilities across the U.S., Lehman said.
“Some of the meat processing plants didn’t keep their workers safe, and they ended up with COVID,” Lehman said.
“There were bottlenecks and pileups, which really showed the need for decentralization, and not just for meat processing, but for grain millers too,” Lehman said.

A person holds Butterhead lettuce in the Gotham Greens greenhouse.
For Liz Stelk, executive director of the nonprofit Illinois Stewardship Alliance, a $227,000 grant from Lehman’s organization will provide funding to 27 farms, all of which are within a 300-mile radius of Chicago.
“We’ve gotten a bunch of different proposals, everything from those in need of a really large, walk-in freezer for storage, those who need to extend their water lines for irrigation, and farms that need trucks to transport their products to markets,” Stelk said.
The local food evolution is not only about buying and eating local produce, meat, dairy and other products, but improving equity, food access and economic development, said Raghela Scavuzzo, associate director of food systems development at the Illinois Farm Bureau.
“Illinois had seen steady growth in the development of the local food infrastructure leading up to the pandemic, which I think is the reason why our farmers were really prepared and ready to pivot,” Scavuzzo said.
Most popular girl names in the 60s in Illinois
What’s in a name?

Every new parent faces the difficult decision of choosing the perfect name for a newborn. First names rarely get changed after being assigned and carry with them a wide range of meanings and associations. This creates a lot of pressure on expectant parents to pick the perfect moniker for their little ones.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many parents end up choosing the same names over and over. Research suggests that we pick specific names implying desired characteristics about our children, selecting names for boys and girls intended to shape them. Male monikers are commonly inspired by political, cultural, and personal influences that suggest good, masculine, and well-rounded people.
The 1960s are commonly associated with tie-dye-clad hippies, psychedelic experimentation, and rock ‘n’ roll icons like the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. But underneath the flower power, free love exterior, the ‘60s were a period of radical social and political change—not only in the United States but around the world. The decade was one characterized by a host of juxtapositions; anger and fear over injustice and uneasy political conditions lived alongside notions of musical awakening and pacifist harmony.
Stacker compiled a list of the most popular baby names for boys in the ‘60s in Illinois using data from the Social Security Administration. Names are ranked by number of babies born. The names in this list represent the distinct intersection of Baby Boomer and Gen X and a reflection of some of the most well-known celebrities, musicians, and trends of the time. Keep reading to see if your name was among the most popular in the ‘60s in your home state.
#50. Rhonda

Rhonda is a name of Welsh origin meaning “good lance”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,670
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 5 (#813 most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #44
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 93,607
#49. Rebecca

Rebecca is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “servant of God”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,721
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 589 (#219 most common name, -87.5% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #41
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 99,468
#48. Cindy

Cindy is a name of Greek origin meaning “woman from Mount Kynthos”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,742
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 85 (#1109 (tie) most common name, -98.2% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #46
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 91,589
#47. Melissa

Melissa is a name of Greek origin meaning “honey bee”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,767
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 655 (#192 most common name, -86.3% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #33
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 119,212
#46. Jacqueline

Jacqueline is a name of French origin meaning “may God protect”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,812
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 600 (#213 most common name, -87.5% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #51
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 84,366
#45. Jill

Jill is a name of English origin meaning “child of the gods”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,853
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 600 (#213 most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #61
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 69,144
#44. Maria

Maria is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “sea of bitterness”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,870
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,102 (#112 most common name, -77.4% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #49
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 88,642
#43. Robin

Robin is a name of German origin meaning “fame-bright”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,979
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 65 (#1301 most common name, -98.7% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #34
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 118,322
#42. Catherine

Catherine is a name of Greek origin meaning “pure”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 4,988
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 618 (#208 most common name, -87.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #56
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 76,791
#41. Margaret

Margaret is a name of Greek origin meaning “pearl”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,466
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,170 (#104 most common name, -78.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #53
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 81,869
#40. Tracy

Tracy is a name of Irish origin meaning “fighter”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,545
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 5 (#3152 (tie) most common name, -99.9% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #39
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 103,778
#39. Janet

Janet is a name of Scottish origin meaning “God is gracious”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,686
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 73 (#1219 (tie) most common name, -98.7% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #47
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 89,307
#38. Theresa

Theresa is a name of Greek origin meaning “late summer”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,774
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 92 (#1047 (tie) most common name, -98.4% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #42
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 97,120
#37. Kathy

Kathy is a name of Greek origin meaning “pure”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 5,819
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 26 (#1910 most common name, -99.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #40
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 101,119
#36. Teresa

Teresa is a name of Greek origin meaning “huntress”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,201
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 195 (#577 most common name, -96.9% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #25
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 151,770
#35. Carol

Carol is a name of German origin meaning “free man”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,597
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 55 (#1416 most common name, -99.2% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #38
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 112,341
#34. Amy

Amy is a name of French origin meaning “beloved”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,751
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 605 (#210 most common name, -91.0% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #35
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 116,789
#33. Kelly

Kelly is a name of Irish origin meaning “bright-headed”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 6,983
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 305 (#389 most common name, -95.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #30
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 128,078
#32. Tina

Tina is a name of English origin meaning “river”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 7,013
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 13 (#2320 most common name, -99.8% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #31
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 126,385
#31. Brenda

Brenda is a name of Norse origin meaning “sword”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 7,397
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 166 (#683 (tie) most common name, -97.8% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #19
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 164,483
#30. Cheryl

Cheryl is a name of Greek origin meaning “cherry fruit”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 7,750
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 166 (#683 (tie) most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #28
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 135,650
#29. Diane

Diane is a name of Latin origin meaning “divine”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 7,856
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 31 (#1789 most common name, -99.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #36
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 114,441
#28. Denise

Denise is a name of Greek origin meaning “to be devoted to Bacchus”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,053
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 185 (#604 (tie) most common name, -97.7% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #29
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 128,834
#27. Tammy

Tammy is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “palm tree”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,342
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 185 (#604 (tie) most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #13
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 182,218
#26. Sharon

Sharon is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “a fertile plain”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,528
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 74 (#1210 most common name, -99.1% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #23
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 154,883
#25. Angela

Angela is a name of Latin origin meaning “messenger of God”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,579
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 592 (#217 most common name, -93.1% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #22
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 159,248
#24. Kathleen

Kathleen is a name of Irish origin meaning “pure”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,708
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 167 (#676 (tie) most common name, -98.1% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #32
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 120,967
#23. Barbara

Barbara is a name of Greek origin meaning “foreign”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,928
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 104 (#978 (tie) most common name, -98.8% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #21
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 159,750
#22. Nancy

Nancy is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “grace”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 8,972
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 134 (#805 most common name, -98.5% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #26
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 142,707
#21. Dawn

Dawn is a name of English origin meaning “daybreak”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,061
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 22 (#2011 most common name, -99.8% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #37
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 114,291
#20. Debra

Debra is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “bee”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,333
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 22 (#2011 most common name, data not available compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #24
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 153,776
#19. Elizabeth

Elizabeth is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “god is my oath”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,441
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 3,509 (#13 most common name, -62.8% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #17
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 168,897
#18. Christine

Christine is a name of English origin meaning “follower of Christ”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,449
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 113 (#905 (tie) most common name, -98.8% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #27
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 139,333
#17. Jennifer

Jennifer is a name of English origin meaning “white shadow, white wave”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,573
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 578 (#221 (tie) most common name, -94.0% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #20
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 164,429
#16. Pamela

Pamela is a name of Greek origin meaning “all sweetness”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,963
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 57 (#1392 most common name, -99.4% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #14
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 181,948
#15. Lori

Lori is a name of English origin meaning “bay laurel”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 9,964
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 12 (#2377 (tie) most common name, -99.9% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #15
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 176,561
#14. Sandra

Sandra is a name of Greek origin meaning “defender of man”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 10,062
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 152 (#730 (tie) most common name, -98.5% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #11
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 183,812
#13. Deborah

Deborah is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “bee”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 10,140
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 73 (#1219 (tie) most common name, -99.3% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #12
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 183,434
#12. Donna

Donna is a name of Italian origin meaning “lady of the home”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 10,563
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 44 (#1561 most common name, -99.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #8
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 213,457
#11. Cynthia

Cynthia is a name of Greek origin meaning “moon goddess”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 11,134
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 262 (#455 (tie) most common name, -97.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #10
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 196,606
#10. Michelle

Michelle is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “who is like God?”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 12,461
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 819 (#153 most common name, -93.4% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #9
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 208,285
#9. Julie

Julie is a name of Latin origin meaning “youthful”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 12,535
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 217 (#536 most common name, -98.3% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #18
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 166,151
#8. Patricia

Patricia is a name of Latin origin meaning “noble”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 13,279
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 175 (#637 (tie) most common name, -98.7% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #6
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 231,137
#7. Linda

Linda is a name of Italian origin meaning “beautiful”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 13,310
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 136 (#797 most common name, -99.0% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #7
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 225,412
#6. Laura

Laura is a name of Latin origin meaning “bay laurel plant”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 14,160
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 327 (#370 most common name, -97.7% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #16
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 174,184
#5. Kimberly

Kimberly is a name of English origin meaning “from the wood of the royal forest”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 15,870
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 1,034 (#121 most common name, -93.5% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #5
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 259,092
#4. Karen

Karen is a name of Danish origin meaning “pure”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 16,373
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 261 (#458 most common name, -98.4% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #4
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 286,044
#3. Susan

Susan is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “lily”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 18,066
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 114 (#899 most common name, -99.4% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #3
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 287,661
#2. Mary

Mary is a name of Hebrew origin meaning “drop of the sea”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 22,458
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 856 (#146 most common name, -96.2% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #2
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 355,223
#1. Lisa

Lisa is a name of English origin meaning “God’s promise”.
Illinois
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 25,554
– Number of babies from 2010 to 2019: 94 (#1036 most common name, -99.6% compared to the 60s)
National
– Rank: #1
– Number of babies from 1960 to 1969: 496,980