SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Well known for their conservation and odor/noise abatement efforts, the Chad Leman family of Eureka, Ill., was named the Illinois Pork Family of the Year (FOY) during the annual meeting of the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA).

Leman Farms Inc., a third-generation, family-owned agricultural enterprise, was recognized by IPPA peers and state elected officials during a dinner at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. The Lemans, of Woodford County, were feted for their generational land stewardship, efficient production practices and their investment in both people and infrastructure to support long-term growth and food-secure rural communities.

“It is certainly an honor to be recognized by our fellow producers for the FOY award. I’m grateful for the recognition from both the Illinois House and Senate as well. The legacy of farm stewardship has been passed down from previous Leman generations and it is now our duty to the future generations.” Leman told Farm World.

As president of Leman Farms Inc. and a lifelong steward of the family’s farming legacy, Leman has helped guide the evolution of the family’s enterprise from traditional row crops and a small farrow to finish operation to a fully diversified farm that markets approximately 120,000 hogs annually alongside its corn and soybean production.

His wife, Staci, is instrumental in the daily routine at Leman Farms as treasurer and bookkeeper, overseeing all recordkeeping, accounts payable and receivable and employee payroll. Her attention to detail and ability to take on an ever-expanding role have made her invaluable to the family farm.

Asked about his reputation of being a “good neighbor” in his community, Leman replied, “I sure hope our neighbors think that way about us. We strive to reduce our environmental footprint as much as possible and keep our community in mind when making our operational decisions.”

In addition to his leadership in ag stewardship, Leman has also hosted lawmakers, media and others for educational events at his farm.

“We have always taken the initiative to host politicians (at Leman Farms). If we can share with them – especially some of the urban legislators – how we are raising the food that is feeding people across this state, it helps them to understand why some of the legislation that they might propose could be detrimental to our businesses,” Leman said. “When we can get them in the hog barns, or out on the fields or in a tractor, it helps to make that connection between the farm and the fork.”

Chad and Staci have four daughters, and a son in law. Their oldest child, Tessa, returned to the farm in 2022, marking a fourth generation of farming Lemans.

“One of the things I was taught as a kid is that as a farmer you should always try to leave it better than you found it. That’s what my father taught me, my grandfather taught me, and that’s what I tell my children: It’s up to us to leave it better than we found it,” Leman said.

According to an IPPA biography of the Lemans, Chad’s grandfather, Vernon Leman, started farming the main homestead in 1948, laying the groundwork for future generations by cultivating crops and raising a mix of livestock. He and his wife Viola had four sons, including the youngest, Keith, who returned to the farm after graduating from Illinois State University with an ag education degree in 1973.

Two of Keith’s older brothers, Gene and Alan, were also heavily involved in the pork industry. A third brother, Hap, is a farmland investor along with his sons.

Keith and Dorothy began slowly transitioning from a multi species farmstead to a swine only enterprise. In the early 1980s, Keith built his first farrowing barn followed over the next few years with gestation, nursery, and a finishing barn, often hiring high school boys to help with hog and field work.

Several of the employees of Leman Farms have worked for the family for 15 to 30 years. “This continuity and experience have made it possible to have measured growth without sacrificing performance and productivity. Between hog care, feed milling, repair shop, trucking, and fieldwork, these men and women have been extremely dedicated and treat the farm as though it is their own. Without this team, Leman Farms would not look the way it does today,” according to the Lemans.

Today, Leman Farms is deeply rooted in diversified crop and livestock production – raising corn, soybeans, seed beans, and producing high-quality pork for regional and national markets.