HR0642 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0642 LRB104 20504 ECR 33977 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Leman Farms Inc. on the occasion of being named the 2026 Family of the Year by the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA); and

WHEREAS, Each year, the IPPA honors a family-owned pork producer who has contributed to the long-term success of the industry through leadership and pork promotion on the local, state, and national level; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned agricultural enterprise located near Eureka that remains deeply rooted in diversified crop and livestock production, including raising corn, soybeans, seed beans, and producing high-quality pork for regional and national markets; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc. was established when Vernon Leman started farming the main homestead in 1948, laying the groundwork for future generations by cultivating crops and raising a mix of livestock; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc., under the second-generation leadership of Keith Leman and his wife, Dorothy, eventually transitioned from a multispecies farmstead to a swine-only enterprise; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc. is currently led by third-generation owner Chad Leman, who serves as head of operations and president; under his leadership, the family's enterprise has evolved 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; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc's daily routine is made possible through the work of Chad Leman's wife, Staci, who has been instrumental as treasurer and bookkeeper, overseeing all recordkeeping, accounts payable and receivable, and the employee payroll; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc.'s employees are the heart of the operation, with several having worked at Leman Farms between 15 and 30 years, making it possible to have measured growth without sacrificing performance and productivity; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc. has also been successful in part due to the contract growers that work alongside the Leman team for providing daily care of the pigs and maintenance of their barns while utilizing the manure on their own crop acres; and

WHEREAS, Leman Farms Inc. continues to operate while emphasizing generational land stewardship, efficient production practices, and investment in both people and infrastructure to support long-term growth and food-secure rural communities; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Leman Farms Inc. on being selected as the 2026 Family of the Year by the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), and we thank the Leman family and staff of Leman Farms for their continued hard work and dedication to the pork industry; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Leman Farms Inc. as a symbol of our esteem and respect.