Family farm campaign kicks off Feb. 12

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — A coalition of Illinois farm associations are joining together to make 2023 the Year of the Farmer with a statewide campaign that launches Feb. 12 during football’s biggest game, the Super Bowl.

The message? Ninety-six percent of Illinois farms are family owned and operated.

“Research tells us that non-farmers would put this number closer to 50%. In fact, others in Illinois think that about 47% of farms are family owned, with 53% being corporately controlled,” according to Illinois Corn.

“That’s a statistic that — though untrue — concerns a lot of our neighbors because they aren’t sure they trust the decisions a corporation would make for Illinois’ exceedingly fertile resources.”

However, non-farmers do trust families. When consumers believe that farms are family owned, they are significantly more likely to trust farmers in Illinois.

Enter the Year of the Farmer campaign. Beginning on Feb. 12, people in Illinois won’t be able to miss this important fact: 96% of Illinois farms are family owned and operated.

To learn more about the campaign and see a behind-the-scenes video featuring families that volunteered to be a part of the campaign and their why, go to the Illinois Corn Growers Association website at www.ilcorn.org.