Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition Announces award winners

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Grazing Lands Coalition announced the recipients of the 2025 Master Grazier Awards at the ILGLC Annual Grazing Conference in Springfield.

This award recognizes Illinois livestock producers with outstanding grazing operations and those who work diligently to promote the grazing industry.

This year’s honorees — Greg Thoren, Ron Freeman and Tom Saxe — have each made significant contributions to the advancement of profitable and sustainable grazing in Illinois.

Greg Thoren

Thoren and his wife, Janis, of Stockton, farm regeneratively on 2,200 acres in Jo Daviess County.

A dedicated advocate for soil health, Thoren has been incorporating regenerative practices for over 10 years, including cropland grazing. His beef cattle operation utilizes adaptive managed grazing, with the integration of virtual fencing to enhance pasture utilization.

Thoren’s leadership extends beyond his farm. He holds Regenified’s highest certification, Tier 5, and is a key educator in the grazing community. He hosts three annual field days and welcomes groups to his farm for hands-on learning.

He also serves on the Jo Daviess County Farm Bureau board, is a director for the Jo Daviess County Soil and Water Health Coalition and contributes to the Fields of Sinsinawa farmer-led learning center in southwest Wisconsin.

Ron Freeman

As a successful rancher and published author, Freeman, of Jacksonville, has spent decades refining his approach to grass-fed beef production and rotational grazing.

After starting his ranching career in 1977, Freeman recognized the need for a more sustainable, lower-input system to maintain profitability. Through intensive rotational grazing, he rebuilt his pastures while enhancing biodiversity.

When his father retired from row-crop farming, Freeman converted 600 acres into a managed grass ranch, securing Environmental Quality Incentives Program funding to install miles of fencing and over 27,000 feet of waterlines. His grass-fed, grass-finished beef business now serves consumers across five states.

Tom Saxe

A southern Illinois native, Saxe, of Thompsonville, has dedicated his career to advancing grazing education and sustainable livestock management. His farm operates on 150 acres, utilizing four grazing cells with rotational paddocks that allow for efficient forage use and pasture regeneration.

Saxe’s influence extends beyond his own operation. His work with University of Illinois Extension helped establish some of the first intensive grazing management demonstrations in Illinois. These programs provided critical education for graziers and showcased the benefits of rotational grazing.

Even in retirement, Saxe continues to champion good pasture management. His dedication to mentorship and education has left a lasting impact on Illinois’ grazing community.

Outstanding Achievement

Edward Ballard was also recognized with an Outstanding Achievement Award for his decades of dedication to advancing grazing education and livestock management.

A retired animal systems educator with U of I Extension, Ballard has been a driving force in Illinois’ grazing community.

Over his career, Ballard taught more than 300 Management Intensive Grazing Schools for Illinois and Midwest producers and co-authored the Illinois Grazing Handbook and national extended grazing publications.

Ballard has also coordinated forage and grazing research projects and represented Illinois on numerous grazing and conservation committees. His contributions have been instrumental in shaping regenerative grazing education throughout the region, with many farmers crediting Ballard for helping them expand grazing on their own operations.

The 2025 Master Grazier Awards were sponsored by Farm Credit of Illinois.

For more information about the awards or to learn about grazing education opportunities, visit www.ilgrazinglands.org.