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The Illinois Soybean Association and its partners are honored to continue the Illinois 20 Under 40 recognition program in 2023. The program celebrates 20 young farmers under 40 for their work in the agricultural community and beyond.
ISA and partners John Deere, Asgrow, the Illinois Pork Producers Association, Illinois Beef Association, Midwest Dairy, Illinois Corn Marketing Board, Grain and Feed Association of Illinois, Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, and Illinois Farm Bureau are excited for the second year of this program.
Young farmers are our future, and no state’s future in agriculture is brighter than that of Illinois. In 2022, Illinois soybean farmers raised 677.25 million bushels on 10.75 million harvested acres with an average yield of 63 bushels per acre, making Illinois the No. 1 soybean-producing state for the eighth year.
Illinois is consistently one of the top 10 agriculture-producing states in soybeans, cattle/calves, corn, soybeans, dairy products/milk, broilers, hogs, specialty crops, poultry and eggs, wheat, and hay.
I’ve dedicated my entire life and career to feeding and fueling the world. We are transitioning to the next generation on our family farm, so I understand the dynamics of sharing my experiences by working together daily.
How we do everything on the farm has dramatically evolved since I began my farming career. The 20 Under 40 program celebrates how far we’ve come in farming and how far future generations will go.
Illinois is brimming with farmers of all specialties who operate in a league all their own. We are looking for young farmers in Illinois whose achievements in the agriculture community stand out from their peers, someone in the early years of their farming career who goes above and beyond on their farm, community and the industry.
The program is open to farmers of all commodities and farm sizes. Candidates must actively farm and live in the state of Illinois.
The ideal candidate is an agricultural leader, exceptional community citizen and role model for current and future generations of agriculturalists.
I encourage you to nominate a deserving young farmer, or apply yourself, by visiting IL20UNDER40.com by March 31.
Ron Kindred is the vice chairman of the Illinois Soybean Association. He farms with wife, Jayne, and son, Jay, raising soybeans and corn in Logan, McLean and Tazewell counties.